March 22, 2007
Reported by The Better Business Bureau
Senior citizens in our area continue to be targets of scams over the phone, through the mail and by door to door solicitors. The Better Business Bureau has received calls and complaints from local senior citizens on scams that range from calls impersonating Medicare, overseas sweepstakes scams, request to update personal financial information and door to door itinerants. "Most complainants indicate that callers are foreign and request personal financial information, such as bank account information or social security numbers," states Carmen Million, BBB President.
The Bureau continues to warn consumers to keep personal information private. Million states consumers should never, ever give this information to an unknown person or caller. The Bureau states that seniors can educate themselves to avoid being taken and offers the following tips:
Do not be a courtesy victim.
Con artists will not hesitate to exploit your good manners.
If an unknown caller asks for personal financial information, hang up!
Check out strangers touting too good to be true deals.
Do not judge a book by its cover.
Successful con artists sound and look extremely professional and have the ability to make even the worst deal sound good.
Never let an unknown person into your home, especially when you are alone.
Remember, Medicare does not make calls to consumers to update information.
Foreign lotteries are illegal in the U.S. and you are not eligible to win.
Never pay money to win something.
When in doubt, call the BBB at 478-6253
The next person to oversee college campuses across our state is someone some might recognize. Lake Charles native Kim Hunter Reed was selected to become Louisiana's Commissioner of Higher Education after a months-long search. "It's a wonderful feeling, and a wonderful opportunity," said Reed. Reed was chosen over three other finalists for the job. "When the phone rings and people say to you your state needs you, they need your...
More >>The next person to oversee college campuses across our state is someone some might recognize. Lake Charles native Kim Hunter Reed was selected to become Louisiana's Commissioner of Higher Education after a months-long search. "It's a wonderful feeling, and a wonderful opportunity," said Reed. Reed was chosen over three other finalists for the job. "When the phone rings and people say to you your state needs you, they need your...
More >>A man stole a motorcycle in the 2200 block of US 190 in Elton, officials say.
More >>A man stole a motorcycle in the 2200 block of US 190 in Elton, officials say.
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More >>A Lake Charles man stole a black rhinoceros horn from McNeese State University, according to the United States Department of Justice. McNeese's Biology department staff reported to police that a horn had been stolen from a mounted black rhinoceros head on display, says United States Attorney David C. Joseph. Joseph says the United States Fish Wildlife Service agents found the horn for sale online in Sulphur on a website with images of the horn on the hood of a car. An undercov...
More >>Avoid the westbound lanes of 210. Accidents are blocking the lanes. Lake Charles police say there has been an accident involving 18-wheelers at the foot of the bridge. Copyright 2018 KPLC. All rights reserved.
More >>Avoid the westbound lanes of 210. Accidents are blocking the lanes. Lake Charles police say there has been an accident involving 18-wheelers at the foot of the bridge. Copyright 2018 KPLC. All rights reserved.
More >>Police went on a high-speed chase down Lake Street and Prien Lake Road. Cpl. Larry Moss has confirmed the high-speed chase but police are still investigating the situation. Viewers have sent in footage and are reporting seeing two males who seemed to be cooperating with police and have left in custody. KPLC and FOX29 are still following this story and will update with more information. Copyright 2018 KPLC. All rights reserved.
More >>Police went on a high-speed chase down Lake Street and Prien Lake Road. Cpl. Larry Moss has confirmed the high-speed chase but police are still investigating the situation. Viewers have sent in footage and are reporting seeing two males who seemed to be cooperating with police and have left in custody. KPLC and FOX29 are still following this story and will update with more information. Copyright 2018 KPLC. All rights reserved.
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