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Protect Yourself and Your Money
According to a recent survey by the American International Group (AIG), a majority of Americans over the age of 65 don’t know much about the myriad financial scams circling the globe. Reports show that ignorance of these scams has proven costly for the 65-plus crowd, who are the most frequently targeted demographic. IS IT LOVE? One common shakedown taking seniors and retirees for a ride is the online romance scam. As part of it, a person poses as a potential date or romantic partner and engages in a fake relationship with the victim. The scam usually starts with an online or web-based dating service and progresses to texting or talking over the phone, but it always stops short of an in-person meeting. Instead, after the scammer has gained the trust of their victim, they’ll
Haley grew up loving the dentist. Her aunt worked as a hygienist and always loved to bring her niece into the office. Haley saw the dentist as a fun place to be, and, as she grew older, her passion for the field grew, too. Once she started to pursue a dental career, Haley had the chance to learn how significant a field it was. “It’s a lot more than just brushing teeth and getting cavities filled,” she says. Haley joined Lehigh Valley Smile Designs three years ago and has enjoyed every day working with her team. “I love the fact that we’re family- orientated and family-owned. We have patients who have been coming here for over 20 years; I think that shows a lot about how much everyone cares for people here.” Since choosing this path, Haley has been incredibly thankful and has found immense joy in what she does. “My favorite thing about being a part of this field is the patients. I love talking claim there’s been some kind of emergency for which they need money fast. The clueless victim usually offers to wire them the money. In many cases, the scammer will continue asking for money for as long as they can get away with it. Then, once the victim figures they’ve been bamboozled and try to retaliate, the scammers vanish — off to find their next target. DID YOU PAY? Another prevalent rip-off is the invoice scam. Again, AIG reports that about 57% of people aged 65-plus aren’t familiar with this sham. In most cases, the victim receives a phone call or email from a representative of a local company, who says they still owe money for a bill or service. For example, the scammer may tell the victim they owe an overdue $50 for their power bill. If the victim says they’ve already paid, the scammer might respond, “Your payment didn’t
to and building rapport with people every day, but I also love the education aspect of what we do. Ensuring that our patients understand their treatments and the significance of them is really crucial. It’s our goal to provide services that improve the quality of our patients’ lives, whether that’s getting them out of pain or offering restorative care. I like having these relationships with every one of our great patients and helping them in a genuine way.” While she works hard in the office, Haley does find time to relax at home. Whenever Haley has a few free moments, she’s out spending time with her close friends catching a movie or attending a sporting event for her favorite game: baseball. Ever since the first day she joined, Haley has been a perfect fit with the Lehigh Valley Smile Designs team. Her care, enthusiasm, and determination to help our patients mirrors the attitude of the whole team. Scammers want your money, but if you are aware of today’s hustles, you can better protect yourself and your assets. Luckily, AIG also found that nearly 92% of the 65-plus crowd now ignores phone calls, texts, and emails that request personal information, and 89% of these folks say they avoid clicking links from unknown senders. Be vigilant and remember that if someone calls you and demands personal information over the phone or asks you to wire money, there’s a very good chance it’s a scam. process correctly.” The crook’s job is to get the victim to relent and pay up. Then, once they’ve been paid, usually via credit card number or wire transfer, the scammer once again vanishes along with a significant portion of someone’s bank account.
MEET OUR DEDICATED TEAM MEMBER: HALEY Dental Assistant and Caring Individual
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www.drpetrillo.com
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