R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly Scammers don’t need to be smart—they just need to be good at manipulating emotions. Whether it’s fear, greed, loneliness, or even compassion, fraudsters are experts at pressing the right emotional buttons to override logic and rush victims into poor decisions. Older adults are often prime targets. These scams are…
Tag: Resources
September 2025, Generals
How to Survive a North Texas Summer
Barbara Brown The unrelenting heat and limited rainfall that North Texans experience in July and August challenge humans and landscape plants. Fortunately, you can take steps to help your plants survive while working safely outdoors. First, let’s take care of you. As outdoor temperatures rise, so does the risk of heat stress or even heat…
Generals, May 2025
How to Outsmart Fake Profiles on Social Media
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly Fake Facebook and other social media profiles are a growing issue. They are often created by scammers looking to manipulate users for financial gain. These profiles look like real people and often use stolen photos/fake names to appear legitimate. The motivations behind these profiles vary but typically include tricking…
March 2025, Features
National Scam Awareness Day: Protecting Yourself from Fraud
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly Today is National Scam Awareness Day! That’s right. Today. The day you are reading this. And in fact, every day of every year (at least in our mind) is National Scam Awareness Day. OK. To be fair, National Consumer Protection Week takes place from March 2-8, 2025, and March…
February 2025, Clubs & Classes
Resolutions for Online Safety
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly As the new year begins, it’s a time for resolutions and extending the commitments to your digital life. Maintaining online privacy and security is especially important in today’s interconnected world. Here’s a simple guide to help you clean up and protect your online presence in 2025: Review Your Accounts.…
August 2024, Features
Taking Action to Support Older Adults
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), observed annually in June, highlights the critical issue of elder abuse and the importance of safeguarding the dignity and rights of older adults. As global demographics shift toward an aging population, addressing and preventing elder abuse becomes increasingly urgent. One of the most…
July 2024, Features
From Trust to Bust: The Pig Butchering Playbook
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly Pig butchering is a term that invokes horrendous images. In this case, however, it’s a term for a sinister scam that has become alarmingly prevalent in recent years. This scam, which originated in China during the pandemic, involves cybercriminals who “fatten up” their victims before slaughtering them, much like…
May 2024, Features
Another Day, Another Data Breach
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly In today’s digital age, data breaches are becoming increasingly common, leaving consumers vulnerable to identity theft. In one of the largest, most recent breaches, AT&T exposed 73 million passwords. While the vast majority were former customers (before 2019), it’s estimated that over 7-1/2 million were current customers. While there’s…
April 2024, Features
Be Alert to Tax Return Fraud
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly It’s tax season! That means it’s also time for tax return fraud. This type of fraud is a pervasive issue that can wreak havoc on your finances and leave you dealing with the fallout for months or even years. Did you know that the IRS flagged over $5 billion…
Features, March 2024
Compromised Credentials Are the Gateway to Fraud!
R.O.S.E., Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly Scammers are everywhere. They continue to attack unsuspecting individuals in new ways. In our increasingly digital world, scammers are constantly finding ways to exploit unsuspecting individuals. It starts with stolen, or compromised, credentials—your account IDs and passwords. Criminal rings harvest credentials by different forms of phishing. Whether through email…