Seniors: Don’t Give Out Your Address Over the Phone

By Patch Editor Whitney Teal

Older residents are being warned not to give out personal information over the phone after some have reported receiving mysterious phone calls.

The callers claim that someone has ordered a life alert system for the resident and it needs to be delivered.

"When you are not sure of who is calling, the best thing is to just say no," said Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection Director Eric Friedman. "You should never give out your personal information unless you know the company, and have initiated the call."

Here are tips from the county’s consumer protection office for all residents to avoid this and other scams:

• Do not "press one" on your phone to talk to a live operator.

• Limit the amount of time you spend on the phone. The longer you speak with the scammers, the more likely they are to get you to reveal personal information.

Have you encountered this or other phone scams? Tell us in the comments.