Category: News

What are Psychology Scams? When we refer to the psychology of scams, we’re talking about what it is about human nature that makes us vulnerable to scams and how scammers use these characteristics to trick us. We’re all vulnerable to scams whether we realize this or not. One common misconception about scams is that only foolish people fall prey to scammers. This is far from true. In fact, overconfidence in your own abilities to avoid being scammed could put you

Identity theft is very common in the United States and costs millions of dollars each year.  In 2019, one in nine people in the US experienced some form of ID theft. In addition to the financial cost, having your identity stolen is stressful and can take a long time to recover from. Identity theft recovery is a multi-step process that is challenging for many seniors. As thieves have gotten more sophisticated, they’ve improved their tactics and devised new ways to

In the modern, highly digital world, it can be easy for seniors to feel disconnected from the natural world. For many seniors, the time spent outside is limited to a short walk from the car to the supermarket, or the trip to the mailbox. But getting outdoors is a great way to relax and soak in peace from the natural beauty that surrounds us. Best of all, there are real benefits to enjoying the outdoors, especially for seniors. Research suggests

There is a scam for everyone – if you haven’t been a victim yet, it doesn’t mean you won’t be. Scammers are becoming more professional and more sophisticated. They are shape shifters, making real-time adjustments to their tactics and constantly coming up with new variations of scams. It’s up to us to learn about scams and protect ourselves. When it comes to scams, prevention is the best medicine. Prevention of scams is important because it is often the case that

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month and June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Elder abuse is very common. Here in Contra Costa County, Adult Protective Services received 6,225 allegations of elder abuse in 2022. The most commonly alleged form of elder abuse was financial exploitation, with 1,321 allegations of financial exploitation made in 2022. While there are different forms of elder abuse, elder financial abuse is the most common. Elder financial abuse is when a person takes the

Consumers can protect themselves from identity theft and fraud in many different ways.  One way is by setting up a credit freeze or a fraud alert.  Both these methods can also act as a prevention from misuse of your information.  It’s important to remember that in order to establish either one of these methods, there is no cost. Credit Freeze Credit freezes restrict access to your credit report, which means that no one, including yourself, would be able to open

As we age, it’s important that we practice self-care and mindfulness. Aging can be stressful and hard. With aging can come a myriad of challenges, including loneliness, health problems, loss, and the difficulties of caring for an aging partner. It’s easy to sacrifice one’s own self-care and mindfulness when faced with these types of overwhelming situations. Many caregivers looking after an aging or ill family member focus on caring for that other person and fail to focus on their own

Many individuals with mental health-related disabilities, including depression, anxiety, PTSD and phobias, have Emotional Support Animals (ESA) that provide comfort and relief from symptoms of their condition. California and federal laws protect owners of ESA from discrimination in housing. To qualify an animal as an ESA, the owner must obtain a recommendation letter from a licensed health care professional. Here are some facts that every ESA owner should be aware of regarding the latest federal and California rules. California Rules

Common Debt The most common debt consumers face are health care related costs, or medical debt.  One in five Americans face the daunting reality of having medical bills in collections.1 Consumers who have significant medical needs, for example, those living with cancer, have higher levels of medical debt that continues to grow over time.2 Credit Reports Medical debt can also affect one’s credit reports.  A surprise medical bill is an unexpected bill that usually comes from when you unknowingly use

  Discrimination and the Law Legally speaking, age discrimination involves treating an applicant or employee less favorably because of their age. The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits such discrimination against people who are 40 and older. This extends to any facet of employment, such as hiring or firing an employee, pay, job assignments, promotions and layoffs, training, benefits or other terms or conditions of the job. Under federal law it is also unlawful to harass someone because of