COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL March 16, 2016
11A
Different ways scammers steal money
Move around and
live longer
BY MATILDA CHARLES
Another study of seniors
ages 50-79 has concluded that
we can live longer if we’re
more active. This one comes
with some fancy credentials: It
was run by the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention.
The difference between this
study and previous ones that
showed that
activity makes us live longer
is that this study was monitored.
Other studies used self-report-
ed information about the level
of activity. This time research-
ers used activity monitors worn
on the body, so the information
was certain to be correct. They
then tracked those people for
eight years. They learned that
moving doesn’t have to in-
volve weights and sweating at
the gym. Easy activity — even
making the bed, mopping the
fl oor and walking around the
neighborhood — all count as
activity that can help us live
longer. Here’s the bottom line:
If we’re fairly active, if we get
up and move around for 30
minutes, we’ll live longer. This
can be either light or moder-
ate physical activity. Sweaty
workouts are not required, but
moderate-to-vigorous activity
is especially benefi cial. If we
get an average amount of ac-
tivity and only move around
for 10 minutes a day, we can
improve our risk of mortality
by one-third. (But, once we’re
up and moving, why stop at 10
minutes? Wash one more win-
dow or walk one more wing of
the mall during senior walking
mornings, and we’ve just low-
ered our mortality risk.)
If we’re not at all active, if
we let ourselves be extremely
sedentary, we’re fi ve times
more likely to die.
BY MATILDA CHARLES
The U.S. Senate Aging Com-
mittee has made a list of the
top 10 frauds targeting seniors
based on calls to the Fraud Ho-
tline. Some of these have been
around for many years, and the
number of victims keeps grow-
ing: In one year alone, seniors
lost $2.9 billion due to scams.
1. IRS Impersonation Scams
2. Sweepstakes Scams
3. Robocalls/Unwanted Phone
Calls
4. Computer Tech Support
Schemes
5. Identity Theft
6. Grandparent Scams
7. Elder Financial Abuse
8. Grant Scams
9. Romance Scams/Confi dence
Fraud
10. Home Improvement Scams
There are ways to avoid be-
coming a victim: Step 1 is to
use Caller ID and an answering
machine. If you don’t recog-
nize the number that’s calling,
don’t answer. However, scam-
mers now know how to “spoof”
phone numbers and can make it
appear that the number is com-
ing from anywhere. Answer-
ing a scammer call does two
things: It lets scammers know
that someone is at that number,
and it puts you in the position
of being a potential victim.
Which makes Step 2 even
more important if you get a
scam call: Hang up, quickly.
You’re under no obli-
gation to talk to anyone you
don’t know on the phone, es-
pecially if they ask you for in-
formation or make you uncom-
fortable in any way. Step 3 is to
get details about how each type
of fraud is perpetuated. The
committee has put together a
48-page guide that describes
each one in detail. Go online
to www.aging.senate.gov and
search for “Fighting Fraud
Guide.” If you’ve been a victim
of fraud, or
even if you were contacted
but didn’t fall for the scam, call
the fraud hotline at 1-855-303-
9470.
If you’re a caregiver or have
a senior parent, get the guide
and go over it together to make
sure your senior
understands how to handle
potential scams.
Scam: Seniors used as drug mules
BY MATILDA CHARLES
Seniors have long been the
victims of scams: identity theft,
lotteries, fake computer tech
support, IRS impersonation,
fake charities, home repair,
utility sign-ups and more. Now
there’s one that’s beyond com-
prehension — seniors are being
conned into being drug mules in
foreign countries. These drug-
mule scams usually start online
with seniors being enticed by
romantic relationships. Once
trust is built up, the senior is
asked to travel internationally,
with the scammers making the
arrangements that go through
multiple countries. On one leg
of the journey, the senior is
asked to carry a package or ex-
tra piece of luggage. One such
senior, age 77, is a former pas-
tor who never even had a traffi c
ticket. He’d been involved in
an online romance, which was
a scam. For years he’d been
sending the woman money,
to the detriment of his own fi -
nancial situation. Eventually
he was convinced to transport
“real estate documents” from
South America to London for
his online friend. Unbeknownst
to him, the weighty packages
contained cocaine. He was ar-
rested and sits in a European
prison.
According to testimony at a
U.S. Senate Special Committee
on Aging hearing, 145 seniors
have been arrested by foreign
governments for trying to
smuggle drugs, and 44 of them
are still in prison.
Great Care in
a Great Place.
Right here in Cottage Grove.
At PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Community Medical Center,
we care for every body, every day, in every way that we can.
personalized primary care digital imaging
physical therapy laboratory services outpatient services
emergency department open 24/7
1515 Village Drive, Cottage Grove
PeaceHealth Medical Group 541-767-5200
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