from Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee
As we start a new year, a new decade, here are a couple of concerns that you should keep in mind.
1. Date Abbreviations…Not A Concern
Several recent news sources have suggested that people should avoid abbreviating the year 2020, especially when signing a legal document. When we write the date 1/9/20, for example, someone else can add additional digits like 13, 17, etc., effectively changing the year. However, there have been no reports of anyone being scammed in this manner.
2. Social Security Changes
January 1st marked the changes to Social Security’s cost-of-living benefits. Whenever there are large-scale changes, we see scammers creating confusion in order to steal your money or personal details. If you have questions, call Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.
3. Medicare Card Questions
All Medicare recipients should have received their new Medicare cards by now. If you have not, call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). The new cards feature a unique alphanumeric identifier. Please keep this number private. Don’t forget, these new cards were/are free and any contact telling you otherwise is a scam.
