Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/68767
SENIOR CORNER Tips for Safety Month by MARTHA OWEN & SUSAN GUY June is National Safety Month and we want you to be on the look-out for danger. Seniors may be viewed as vulnerable to phone solicitations, mailings or door-to-door solici- tors. That is why we want you to know the top five senior scams and how they work, according to The National Association of Triads, Inc. and Home Instead Senior Care: Prizes and Sweepstakes Scams Elderly individuals are told they've won a sweepstakes and all they need to do is send a check to cover the taxes. Or they'll receive a fake check for $5,000 and be encour- money. Magazine-sale scams, where seniors order magazine subscriptions that never show up, also are prevalent. Home-Improvement Frauds Criminals knock on an elderly person's door offering to fix the driveway, then paint it black and charge the senior $3,000, or the elderly are asked to pay up front to have the roof fixed, never to see their alleged repairman again. One 81-year-old woman, who was caring for her husband with Alzheimer's disease, paid a criminal $800,000 and drained her savings to have repairs done on her home. "Phishing" Schemes Seniors receive a call from someone claiming to represent a bank or other reputable financial institution. They're warned that their financial information or credit card has been compromised and are asked to verify their bank account number or call an 800 number where they're asked for their personal financial information. Internet Fraud Scam artists often consider seniors vulnerable and there- fore an easy target. aged to deposit the money and send back $2,000 to cover the taxes. By the time it's determined that these checks — which often come from over- seas banks — are worthless, the elderly person has already lost his or her The elderly who provide their birth dates and Social Security numbers potentially open up their entire financial histories to thieves. If a family member is not able to be in the senior's home regularly, a pro- fessional care giver can be the eyes and ears for the family. She can alert them to unusual visitors, mail or phone calls. Safety comes in many capacities and protecting someone from being scammed is extremely valuable. MARTHA OWEN & SUSAN GUY, Owners of Home Instead Senior Care, Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. FTCC Provides Bang for your Bucks by LONNIE F. GRIFFIN III is reassuring to know that Fayetteville Technical Community College is still providing a quality and affordable education to the public. For more than 50 years, FTCC has helped develop the skills and build upon the talents of our student population. With more than 150 degrees, diplomas and certificate programs, FTCC offers the opportunity for you to realize your goals with the completion of one of our certificate, diploma or degree programs and serves as a launch-pad to your dreams through our college-transfer degrees. For many potential students, money to pay for college can be a problem, but this does not have to interfere with your aspirations. Tuition at FTCC is extremely affordable; in fact, FTCC and the North Carolina Community College System have some of the most affordable college tuitions in the nation. For those who may need assistance, our Financial Aid Office is ready and able to help students apply for federal, state and local funding. Additionally, FTCC has a number of internal and program specific scholarships for qualified students. For our veteran and military-dependant populations, our Veterans Administration Office is ready to assist you in receiving your military- education benefits and help aid your transition to college life. We live within a fast-paced culture with an ever increasing global In these difficult economic times, it presence. Fayetteville Technical Community College understands these challenges and has sought solutions. For students who desire a traditional approach to their studies, FTCC has a beautiful campus with 16 UCW JUNE 6-12, 2012 Faytteville Technical Community College offers more than 150 degrees, diplo- mas and certificate programs. two-year associate degrees. We offer the Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Fine Arts, all of which are accredited and covered by the North Carolina Comprehensive Articulation Agreement for smooth transition to a University of North Carolina System school. Take the core classes you need in an environment where the focus is on teaching and the class size is deliberately kept small to foster interaction and learning. As our graduates can attest, in our local community, nation and now internationally, FTCC provides education for life. the infrastructure present to meet the demands of any student. Students desiring a non-traditional path can take advantage of our night, weekend, web- assisted hybrid courses or our fully online Internet-based courses offered through Blackboard. Additionally, students can attend classes offered at our Spring Lake Campus or our Horticulture Educational Center, located in downtown Fayetteville. Military students and dependents can take advantage of our course offerings at a convenient location on Fort Bragg, the Bragg Soldier Development Center. FTCC is recognized as a military- friendly college. For students who aspire to obtain a four-year university degree, allow FTCC to provide the solid foundation for these plans with one of our college transferable, An elderly person, unfamiliar with how to use the Internet, can unwittingly give their credit card numbers to scammers. Identity Theft LONNIE F. GRIFFIN III, Division Chair of Social Sciences, Humanities, English, and Communication Contrib- uting Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. 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