A common “scammer” catchphrase is “It’s your lucky day! You won the lottery!” or similar promises of large sums of money and/or free gifts. They also use phrases like “Burn fat while you sleep!!!” or “Make BIG money working from home!” to lure unsuspecting individuals into scams. Beware all of the below:
Promises of easy money – phrases like “Free cash grants!”, “Make BIG money working from home!”, or “You’ve won (a large sum of money)!”
Unsolicited offers – unexpected phone calls or emails offering high return on investment or something free.
Urgency and pressure – phrases like “This offer is finishing soon!” or “You must act now!” create a sense of urgency.
Fake news – scammers create fake news articles or stories to gain your trust and then use them to promote their scams.
Persuasive language – like “It’s your lucky day!” or “This free seminar can change your life!” make the offers sound legitimate.
Being aware of these common phrases makes you more cautious and less likely to fall victim to scams.
That being said – I have the offer of a lifetime for you! A free seminar that could really change your life.
Digital Seniors is launching a monthly hub at Martinborough Library on the first Tuesday of each month. We kick off 3 June 11:00 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. with a special screening of Gladstone-based filmmaker Juanita Deeley’s short film ‘SCAMMED’ – a comedy on financial scams which tells the story of a modern-day swindle set in a retirement village. Filmed entirely in the Wairarapa with a all-local cast and crew and made with funding from Masterton Trust Lands Trust and Carterton District Council Creative Communities Scheme. Afterwards, a brief talk from Juanita, followed by a few tips on scam prevention from Digital Seniors coach Hartmut Otting.
Help is on its way in Martinborough for seniors struggling with digital devices. Digital Seniors will be running these sessions at the Martinborough Library, 8 Texas Street, to help seniors who come along by presenting a particular topic which may differ each month. So: learning how to share photos or backup things to ‘the cloud,’ the benefits of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) or how to write emails or make video calls to loved ones; there’s lots to learn. We will have friendly volunteer coaches available for FREE one-on-one help after each session. Come along, bring a friend, bring your device if you want help afterwards with anything digital because we know there’s lots of things seniors may need help with.
We also run a weekly hub at Heartlands, 39 Jellicoe Street, every Thursday morning 9:30 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. Seniors 65+ can drop in or book: 0800 373 646.
