Seniors: watch your cash and credit

BY SARA KEDDY

Kings County Register

Michelle Parker admits she loves stories about financial fraud and counterfeit cash. “All the tricky ways people can get you - the nasty ways.”

Kings RCMP’s senior safety coordinator is taking those stories - and some special guests who know how to foil the fraudsters - to a morning workshop in Berwick Nov. 6, beginning at 10 a.m. “We had a session in the spring on wills and power of attorney, and the seniors there were indicating they wanted to know how to bank safely,” Parker says.

She says common worries include on-line banking: “A lot of seniors are not sure they trust the system.”

Seniors may be wondering about the security of bank machines, especially independent ATMs found in corner stores and retail outlets. They also need to know what they should protect their bank card’s Personal Identification Number (PIN). And, what do you do if you lose your bank card or credit card?

Other topics will include power of attorney rules at a bank, and information on cheque and money order fraud - two traditional forms of currency with a number of safety features very rarely checked.

Terri Gale, manager of Berwick’s Royal Bank, will cover many of these topics, and information is not Royal Bank- specific. “Really - anyone could come,” Parker says. “It will definitely all have a senior focus, so whether it’s seniors or the people who care for them, that’s great.”

Gale is also bringing Greg Young, an RBC advisor on investments who can help answer questions about economic conditions and investment assets.

If anyone has questions about the session, to be held at the Berwick United Church, they may call Parker at (902)542-3817. The workshop is free, the coffee pot will be on and everyone is welcome. “Sometimes seniors are easier targets - they’re more trusting,” Parker says. “This is information on protecting yourself.”