Scam Alert!

There is a new scam which targets grandparents. The scammer calls someone and pretends to be their grandchild. They may know the names of family members or they may trick the grandparent into saying the name of the grandchild. The scammer then pretends that he is on trouble. For example, he or she may say that their car broke down, they are stuck in a foreign country, or that they need bail money to get out of jail. Then, they ask their "grandparent" to wire them money, but not to tell their parents.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that if you get such a call, you should not act immediately and send the money. Instead, take the time to verify the caller's identity by asking them questions to which only family members know the answer. In addition, try to reach the parents of the grandchild to find out if this is a hoax. If you can't reach a family member to verify the story, the FTC recommends that you contact your local police on their non-emergency line and ask for their assistance. You can call the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 to report possible fraud.

The FTC has more information about this scam here.

Are You interested in Preventing Identity Theft?

One type of identity theft is when someone uses your identity to apply for credit cards and loans. Then the thief maxes out the credit card or never pays back the loan. The victim is blamed for the credit card debt or for defaulting on a loan that they know nothing about. Identity fraud can ruin a person's credit rating.

You can learn techniques to keep your identity safe and to protect your credit rating at an Identity Theft Workshop on March 19th at 2:00pm at Land O'Lakes Library.

(No registration is required for this program.)

Land O'Lakes Branch Library
2818 Collier Parkway -Land O'Lakes, FL 34639
Phone number: (813)929-1214.

Social Security Facts 2008

The AARP has published "Quick Fact Sheets" about Social Security for each of the 50 states. Some Florida facts are:

• 17% of Florida's population is 65 and above.
• by 2030, 27% of Florida's population will be 65 and above.
• one out of every five Florida residents receive Social Security.
• Social Security supplies over 38 Billion dollars to Florida's economy.
  

More Social Security facts about Florida can be found here.

Social Security Quick Fact Sheets for other states can be found here.

Seniors Crime Program - March 4th at 1:00pm at the Hugh Embry Library

The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas, Inc. and its Senior Victim Advocacy Program will provide a free seminar at the Hugh Embry Library March 4th from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. This program will include the following topics:

• a free fingerprinting I.D. program for seniors
  
• information about the free services provided by the Area Agency on Aging
• a demonstration of the free 911 cell phones
• Scam information
• information about the National Family Caregiver Support Program

For more information about this program, please call Kathy Cromwell at (727)861-5233 or CARES at (352)523-1500.


Hugh Embry Branch Library
14215 Fourth Street, Dade City, Fl. 33523
(352)567-3576
pascolibraries.org

Youtube is not just for teens!

Youtube is a website which hosts videos created by anyone. It is most known for humor and music videos that teens upload to the site. However, there are older adults who use Youtube to share their information with the world. For example, Olive Riley was known as the world's oldest blogger at 108 years old. She used videos for her "Life of Riley" blog. She passed away last July.

Here is one of Olive Riley's videos:

Clara Cannucciari is a video blogger is who is in her nineties. She has a series of videos on Youtube about Great Depression Cooking. In her videos, she not only shows how to cook frugal depression food, she also tells stories about what it was like to live through the great depression.

Here is one of Clara Cannucciari's videos:

Free Tax Help!

The AARP has two ways to help you with taxes this year. If you have a tax question, you can get online help year-round. You can submit your tax questions online here. The website promises to answer your questions within 3 to 5 days.

If you need more help, you can get one-on-one counseling from local AARP Tax-Aide volunteers. They can help you to prepare basic tax forms, such as the 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ. You can search for nearby Tax-Aide sites by zip code here. You can also call the United Way of Pasco Helpline at 211 to schedule an appointment for your local Tax-Aide site.

New Books to Help You Manage your Finances in Tough Times

Here are some new library books that can help you to save money, find a job, manage your finances, and plan for retirement:

The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches: a Practical (and fun) Guide to Enjoying Life More by Spending Less by Jeff Yeager.

J.K. Lasser's Guide for Tough Times: Tax and Financial Solutions to See You Through by Barbara Weltman.

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey.

AARP Crash Course in Finding the Work You Love: the Essential Guide to Reinventing Your Life by Samuel Greengard.

The Social Security Answer Book: Practical Answers to over 200 Questions on Social Security by Stanley A. Tomkiel.



The Retirement Challenge: Sink or Swim: A Complete Do-It-Yourself Toolkit to Navigate Your Financial Future by Frank Armstrong, III and Jason R. Doss.



The Estate Planning Toolkit: The Ultimate guide to Planning Your Estate by Daniel Sitarz.