'We can’t stop it, but we can educate ourselves': Fredericton seniors get proactive in defending against scams

Madeleine Gaudet knew what “fishing” was, but she didn’t know what “phishing” was.

“I had no idea what that was, but I was getting them from one of these companies that I deal with. Not from them, but it looked exactly like them, except there were a couple spelling mistakes,” she said.

Luckily, she did not fall for it, but she has several friends who have.

“You might think it's your grandson, but the voice doesn't sound quite right. So you automatically say, ‘Gee, David, what's wrong? It doesn't sound like you.’ So then we’ve given them a name and, you know, it's just so automatic,’” she said.

The president of Stepping Stone Senior Centre in Fredericton believes their best line of defense is education, which is why they called the New Brunswick Financial and Consumer Services Commission to teach them about to look out for and when to ask for help.

That’s where Lisa Legere comes in.

The education specialist at FCNB gives presentations across the province, teaching people how to protect themselves from financial abuse and exploitation, including phone and internet scams.

She says it comes down to one main point.

“Where is that information coming from and where is it going? And if they can't pinpoint that when they're discussing it or when they're looking at an email, or they're looking at a text or they got a phone message, if they're not 100 per cent sure where the information's going and where it's coming from, that's when they definitely need to take a step back,” she said.

It takes more time, but she advises people to do some research.

Legere gave her presentation to the Stepping Stone seniors group Wednesday, arming them with a number of tips.

Never use a phone number as a password, don’t include personal information when posting photos on social media, and don’t click on any links or texts that are unsolicited or look suspicious.

She also told the group they don’t always have to answer the phone. If they don’t know the number, it’s okay not to pick up.

That was something Heather Williams says she needed to hear.

“So often the phone will ring and we don't even think to look at the number. And the next thing you know, somebody wants to talk with ‘Luke.’ And that happens to me a lot,” says Williams, a member of the seniors’ group. “Even if you live alone and it's maybe a boring day and oh, a telephone conversation, even if you know it's a scam, might be a little bit of diversion or entertainment. It's not a good idea at all.”

The FCNB also has an online list of businesses and people who are registered and licensed to sell something people can access if they’re unsure an offer is legitimate.

“Make sure you're dealing with somebody who's qualified to do that. And all of our licensing and registration adds a layer of investor or consumer protection, because there are certain requirements, whether it's requirements to get that initial license or registration or ongoing requirements around education, around disclosure and around ethical treatment of their clients,” says Marissa Sollows, FCNB’s director of communications and public affairs.

“We can't stop it, but we can educate ourselves to protect ourselves as much as we can. That's really the only tool we have,” said Gaudet. 

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