Be Skeptical

There were some events in April and May (the Google Docs phishing emails, the Bed, Bath and Beyond coupons) that had me thinking a lot of about privacy, phishing, and how being skeptical is one of many things we can do to help keep our information private and secure.

Last week, I caught a bit of a show on NPR where a caller shared how her 95-year old mother was targeted by phone scammers who convinced her mother to share bank account information.

One of the resources mentioned with which I was unfamiliar was The Wisconsin Senior Guide, from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. It is "a summary of common consumer protection issues facing Wisconsin's senior citizens" and covers topics too numerous to list here. It's 48 pages of great advice to help keep you and your patrons safe, and a good resource to share if you offer any privacy or internet-safety related programming. You may also find this shortened fact sheet, "Ten Tips to Avoid Fraud" to be a helpful reminder, too!