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Every year, there are new scams of which we need to be wary. Typically, these scams aren’t complicated, but often the same con is done a little differently.
Given the way technology permeates every aspect of our lives, these new tricks can look wildly different and even innocent. Keep an eye out for these scams in 2023.
Puppy Dog Scam
The puppy dog scam is designed to tug on your heart strings. This scam claims to have a puppy or puppies for sale, which almost certainly do not actually exist, and asks for money upfront to secure possession of the puppy. But victims of these scams will never receive the puppy and will find themselves out hundreds, sometimes even thousands of dollars.
If you are interested in getting a puppy, check with your local animal shelter or do a search for reputable breeders in your area. Avoid ads for pets on social media sites and emails from unknown sources — and never pay any money for a pet you haven’t met in person.
QR Codes
Due to COVID, QR codes have become especially ubiquitous these days. From restaurants to campsites, QR codes are used for all manner of transactions and sharing of information. However, not all QR codes are safe.
According to the FBI, criminals have been using QR codes to target unsuspecting victims and steal their information by sending them to malicious sites. These QR codes are sometimes placed over legitimate QR codes or just posted as flyers on the side of the street. You may even have one sent directly to your phone, claiming that you’ve won a cash prize or a voucher of some kind. Always validate the source of these types of messages; this is when it’s important to remember the old adage, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” If it doesn’t check out, block the number and delete the message. Do NOT click on any links or scan any QR codes you receive from them.
Weight Loss
We all want to be healthier. Sometimes, weight loss can be a part of navigating that road to a healthier lifestyle, and some cons take advantage of health and weight-loss goals by offering shortcuts to quick results. Unfortunately, there aren’t shortcuts to true results, and these too-good-to-be-true claims are just that. Many of these scams will boast quick weight loss in a matter of a week or two, luring you with free trials and unfounded guarantees, but the only thing losing weight will be your wallet. Don’t give out your card information, delete the emails and ignore the posts.
One-Time Password (OTP) Bot
This fancy sounding scam is actually pretty straightforward. The scammers send you an automated text, email, or phone call with a recorded message saying you’ve made a purchase or maybe that there were unexpected charges made to your account. Then they will ask you to authenticate your account information to prevent these charges from happening.
It preys on your desire to stop these scams, and so it can be difficult to avoid. However by punching in your authentication you’re actually allowing their scam to begin, not preventing it. One way to spot these scams is to pay close attention to the phone number. A common tactic is to “spoof” a number that looks familiar to you. If you see this, there’s a very good chance it’s a scam. You should hang up and verify with your bank or credit card. Call them directly and check if there are any erroneous purchases being made on your card for yourself. Whatever you do, do not send an authentication code to random incoming calls or messages.
Scams can take many forms these days, but they’re always trying to do the same thing: gain access to your personal information, and ultimately your money. Sometimes it’s via email, sometimes it’s via a puppy. At the end of the day, the best way to avoid scams is to be aware of them. That’s why it’s important to stay abreast of the more common scams from one year to another. Remember, regardless of the scam, most will try to impact you in some emotional capacity, whether that is through cuteness or fear. They’re designed to make you feel compelled to act, even against your better judgment. If you find yourself in this situation, take a beat, analyze the situation, and verify with a trusted source. And never give out your personal information unless you can explicitly trust the source on the other end.
When it comes to choosing a senior living community, finding the right balance of personalized care, wellness, engaging experiences, and comfort is essential. At The Watermark at Marco Island, residents can enjoy a thoughtfully designed lifestyle in a beautiful setting while receiving support tailored to the way they want to live.A Place to Call Home on Marco IslandLocated at 1170 San Marco Road in Marco Island, Florida, The Watermark at Marco Island offers assisted living and memory care in a welcoming residential environment.The community is designed to provide more than just a place to live. Here, personalized care is complemented by opportunities for wellness, enriching daily experiences, social connection, and chef-prepared dining.For seniors and their families, that means having support available while maintaining independence and enjoying the lifestyle that makes each day meaningful.Personalized Care Designed Around YouEvery resident has unique needs, interests, routines, and preferences. The Watermark at Marco Island takes a personalized approach to care, creating support around the individual rather than expecting residents to fit into a one-size-fits-all model.Whether a senior needs assistance with daily activities or specialized support associated with memory care, the goal is to help residents feel comfortable, confident, and engaged in their surroundings.This thoughtful approach allows families to have greater peace of mind while their loved ones enjoy a community designed around their well-being.Wellness and Enriching ExperiencesLife at The Watermark at Marco Island extends beyond care. The community incorporates holistic wellness and enriching daily experiences designed to encourage residents to remain active, connected, and engaged.Common areas provide opportunities to socialize with friends, participate in activities, enjoy hobbies, or simply relax in a comfortable environment. From a game of pool to sharing a meal or spending time with neighbors, residents have opportunities to make each day their own.The emphasis is on supporting the whole personmind, body, and spirit.Dining Made From ScratchGood food is an important part of a fulfilling lifestyle, and dining at The Watermark at Marco Island is designed to be an enjoyable part of each day.Residents can experience chef-prepared meals made from scratch, offering the opportunity to enjoy delicious food while dining in a social and welcoming environment.Meals can be more than simply meeting nutritional needsthey can provide residents with another opportunity to connect, celebrate, and enjoy the pleasures of everyday life.Comfortable ResidencesThe Watermark at Marco Island offers thoughtfully designed residences intended to provide comfort, privacy, and a sense of home.Bright interiors, comfortable furnishings, and inviting living spaces create an environment where residents can settle in and feel at ease. Families can visit and spend quality time with their loved ones in a setting that feels warm and welcoming.The community's design also provides convenient access to shared spaces where residents can socialize and participate in daily activities.See Your Day HereChoosing senior living is a significant decision, and seeing a community in person can make all the difference. A personal visit allows seniors and their families to experience the environment, explore the residences, learn about available care, and get a better understanding of everyday life at the community.The Watermark at Marco Island invites prospective residents and their families to step inside, tour the residences, and picture what their day could look like here.To schedule a personal visit, call 239-999-4601.The Watermark at Marco Island1170 San Marco RoadMarco Island, FL 34145WatermarkMarcoIsland.com
Moving a parent to senior living is rarely just a move. It is an emotional transitionfor the older adult, the family, and often the person making the decision.Families may feel guilt, sadness, fear, relief, and even uncertaintysometimes all in the same day.A daughter may think, Am I doing the right thing?A son may wonder, Will Mom think Im abandoning her?And a parent may be thinking, Am I losing my independence?These emotions are normal.As senior living leaders, our responsibility goes beyond providing a safe apartment, meals, activities, and care. We have to care for the emotional journey that comes with the transition.Its not about taking independence away.Its about helping redefine what independence looks like.Sometimes independence means no longer worrying about cooking, cleaning, medication management, or being alone. It means having people nearby, opportunities to socialize, and support when it is neededwhile still having choices about how each day is lived.Families need reassurance, not judgment.The decision to move a parent is often made after monthsor yearsof difficult conversations, falls, sleepless nights, increasing care needs, or simply realizing that living alone isnt working anymore.Families dont need someone to make them feel guilty.They need someone to say:Youre not failing your parent. Youre helping create a safer, more supported chapter of their life.The first days matter.A successful transition isnt just about getting someone moved in.The process starts before they move in. Person Centered Selling truly makes a difference from an average senior living to a fantastic senior living. It is about learning who they are.What makes them smile?What did they do for a living?What music do they enjoy?What foods do they love?Who are the important people in their life?What makes them feel comfortable?When we know the person behind the resident, we can begin creating a sense of belonging, not just care. And sometimes the greatest measure of success isnt the beautiful apartment or the activity calendar.Its when a family member says:I havent seen Mom this happy in a long time. That is priceless! That is when we know the transition is becoming a new beginning.From a senior living leaders perspectiveI have learned that families arent simply looking for a place for Mom or Dad.They are looking for peace of mind.They want to know their loved one is safe.They want to know someone will notice when something isnt right.They want their parent to have friends.They want to be a daughter or son againnot a full-time caregiver.And most importantly, they want to know:Will you love and care for my parent when I cant be there?That is the promise behind great senior living like Springwood Court. Because at the end of the day, we arent just helping someone move into a community.Were helping a family move into a new chapter and season of their life, one filled with support, connection, dignity and love.Fran Gray RNExecutive Director Springwood CourtAssisted Living12780 Kenwood LaneFort Myers, FL33907239-278-0078
Naples, Fla. Behind Naples' image as one of Florida's most affluent communities lies a growing and often invisible crisis: a rising number of seniors who can no longer afford both groceries and essential bills. As Collier County's population continues to age rapidly, local hunger-relief organizations are reporting that older adults are becoming one of the fastest-growing groups in need of food assistance.A County Growing Older, FasterCollier County is already one of the oldest counties in Florida, with 36 percent of residents age 65 or older a figure expected to climb to 46 percent by 2050. While the county's overall poverty rate sits at roughly 10.7 percent, a closer look reveals a more troubling picture for older adults: nearly a third of Collier County seniors live below the ALICE Survival Budget threshold, the income level required to cover basic necessities such as housing, food, transportation, and health care. For a single older adult, that threshold is $26,680 a year; for a couple, $45,564 figures that fall far short of what many face in a high-cost coastal market like Naples.Many of these seniors live on fixed incomes from Social Security or modest pensions that have not kept pace with rising housing and condo fee costs, property insurance premiums, and medical expenses. Meals of Hope Seeing the Shift and The Glenview at Pelican Bay is Ready to HelpUnlike younger families facing food insecurity, senior hunger often goes unseen. Many older adults are reluctant to ask for help due to pride, limited mobility, or simply not knowing where to turn. Meals of Hope, the Naples-based hunger relief nonprofit founded by President and CEO Stephen Popper in 2007, is one of the organizations seeing this shift firsthand and The Glenview at Pelican Bay has a personal connection. Stephens mother, Christine Popper, who is a current resident at The Glenview at Pelican Bay and a former nurse, came up with the idea 19 years ago. My mother saw a need to support a school in Haiti but found that the children couldnt learn because they did not have enough to eat, remarked Steve, I did some research, learned about meal packing opportunities, and hosted an event in Naples in August 2007 where 500 volunteers showed up to pack 135,000 meals. That event was life-changing, and Meals of Hope was born. The Glenview at Pelican Bay is a willing and regular packing partner and the next Meals of Hope event will take place on Monday, August 24 at 1pm. The press is invited to watch the process. Now the largest food pantry network in Southwest Florida, Meals of Hope operates roughly 21 weekly food pantries across Collier and Lee counties and distributes more than 125 million meals each month, serving approximately 4,000 families a week. Popper notes that older adults on fixed incomes are showing up in growing numbers, often for the first time in their lives, as inflation and rising local housing costs erode the purchasing power of Social Security checks.How The Glenview at Pelican Bay Is RespondingBesides housing the idea person behind this effective community service, The Glenview at Pelican Bay partners with Meals of Hope regularly with residents who volunteers hundreds of hours of time to organize, sort and pack meal boxes. They will be doing it again this month on Monday August 24 at 1pm. We feel it is important to support our community in every way, adds Daniel Gomez, Glenviews Executive Director, We are so proud to have Mrs. Popper among our residents and it has become something our residents and staff look forward to helping with.It will be a family affair for the Poppers as Christine, her son Steve, his wife, their children and her grandchildren will be among the volunteers. Notes the Matriarch Christine Popper, It is a wonderful way to teach our children about community service and I get a nice visit out of it as well. I am so grateful for The Glenview at Pelican Bay and how they readily embrace helping the community.In addition to regular packing events, Meals of Hope has expanded its infrastructure and reimagined how it reaches vulnerable seniors and families, including:A new 18,000-square-foot distribution center in Naples, featuring more than 9,000 square feet of refrigerated space to store fresh produce, proteins, and dairy at a much larger scaleYour Neighborhood Pantry, a mobile "choice" pantry launched with support from the Collier Community Foundation, where residents walk through and select their own groceries including fresh produce, dairy, eggs, and proteins preserving dignity and reducing wasteNeighborhood-based mobile pantries, including a location at the River Park Community Center currently serving close to 100 families per week, with room to grow to 160A Home Delivery Initiative aimed at reaching homebound residents in Immokalee and Golden Gate who face transportation or mobility barriers that a traditional pantry can't solveThe Hunger to Hope capital campaign, which has raised $2.8 million toward a $4.5 million goal to fund long-term infrastructure behind this workStarting and watching Meals of Hope grow and help so many people has been life changing for me and my family, Steve added. And, it just goes to show, listen to your mother because she knows what is right. About The Glenview at Pelican BayThe Glenview at Pelican Bay is Naples' only equity-ownership LifeCare community, offering residents a rare combination of financial security, resort-style living, and access to award-winning care all within one of Florida's most desirable coastal settings. Managed by Life Care Services (LCS), ranked No. 1 in customer satisfaction among independent senior living communities by J.D. Power, The Glenview delivers an exceptional standard of living at every level. Residents enjoy chef-driven dining and a rich calendar of activities and enrichment programs, all steps from home. For those who need it, Premier Place the community's on-site health center provides a full continuum of care. For more information, visit glenviewnaples.com or call (239) 977-9744.
Merrill Gardens at Barkley Place offers a vibrant senior living community in Fort Myers, Florida, designed to provide residents with a fulfilling lifestyle. With a variety of floor plans, including studios, one, and two bedrooms, our community caters to independent living and assisted living needs.Our community features beautifully landscaped grounds, sun porches, balconies, and a range of amenities such as a fitness center, library, pool, and social spaces. Residents can enjoy a worry-free lifestyle with services like home maintenance, chef-prepared meals, and 24-hour staffing.At Merrill Gardens at Barkley Place, we prioritize an active lifestyle and offer a range of activities tailored to residents' interests. Whether it's exploring walking trails, engaging in social events, or pursuing hobbies, there's always something exciting to do.Our compassionate staff is dedicated to providing personalized care and ensuring residents feel at home. With over 20 years of serving the Fort Myers area, we have established ourselves as a trusted choice for senior living. Contact us today to schedule a tour and experience the Merrill Gardens difference.