You have a nest egg, but you're not sure it's enough. You're home, answering the phone, learning your way around the Internet, possibly eager to have someone to talk to and, perhaps, you're even a little bit gullible. You've lived your whole life trying to be polite and trusting.

You are an inviting target for scam artists. Dishonest telemarketers direct as many as 80 percent of their calls to older Americans, the AARP says. The Federal Trade Commission has logged 3.5 million complaints of fraud and identity theft over the past 10 years. About 30 percent involve people 50 and older, but many who work with senior citizens believe that percentage is higher. Last year alone, the FTC recorded 674,354 complaints that cost Americans $1.1 billion.

"But those are merely complaints that have been filed," says Sally Hurme, a lawyer with AARP's financial-security division. "Older people are very reluctant to admit that they've been taken, because they don't want people to think they're getting older. They don't want their kids to know, or their friends and neighbors to know. ... That's one of the key reasons we know that seniors are particularly vulnerable, because the bad guys know they're not going to report it."

Trust factor: And there's another big reason, says Nelson Carpenter, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Saratoga Springs.

"They trust people," he says. "We had an elderly client get a call about three weeks ago from a person who said he was a mortgage broker and wanted to change her mortgage. And she agreed. She started to give a whole bunch of information on the phone, and, thankfully, we were there. We asked her to hang up and told her we'd call the person back later on."

They checked with her relatives, who agreed the caller was probably a scam artist. Armed with her Social Security number, bank-account numbers and other personal-identification information, the con man could apply for credit cards, open cellphone accounts, place orders over the Internet all in the victim's name.

Here's a guide to help you, especially if you're older, avoid becoming a victim. First, we describe some common scams. Then, we suggest how to protect yourself.

Common scams:

A caller tells you you've won $20,000, $50,000, $500,000 or some other amount in a lottery or sweepstakes. Before you can receive your money, however, you have to wire the caller several thousand dollars for tax, courier or other fees. Or, you receive a fake check for, say, $5,000, that you're supposed to deposit and then send back $2,000 to cover the taxes.

A caller offers to sell you a rare or expensive item at an unbelievably low price, but the only way you can buy it is by wiring payment in advance.

You receive an e-mail from someone in another country who has come into a large amount of money. They offer to pay you to help them transfer it out of their country.

Investment scams of all kinds promise lucrative returns in stocks, real estate, oil and gas, coins and other low-risk, high-return schemes.

A caller claiming to represent a bank or other financial institution warns that your credit card or financial information has been compromised. The caller asks you to verify your bank account or Social Security number or to call an 800-number, where you're asked for your personal financial information.

Travel packages may promise a five-star room at a bargain-basement price, only to provide a one-star room with an upgrade for an outrageous fee. Or you pay for a time share, but then all the times you want to visit are blacked out.

You receive an offer for a credit card at an incredulously low interest rate, but you have to send the company a fee in advance before receiving the card.

Work-at-home scams offer large profits but first you have to send in money for a workbook or computer software or to pay for training courses, supplies or equipment.

Criminals knock on your door, offering to fix your driveway or replace your roof. They want you to pay in advance.

Protect yourself:

Don't give your Social Security number, credit card numbers, PINs (personal identification numbers), passwords or other personal information in response to unsolicited phone calls, faxes, letters or e-mails.

Keep bank and credit-card statements, tax returns, checks and other financial documents in a safe place at home. Shred these documents before discarding them.

Don't let mail that might include checks or personal financial information sit in your mailbox. Retrieve incoming mail as soon as you can, and mail checks and similar items by handing them to your mail carrier, dropping them in a U.S. postal service mailbox or taking them to the post office.

Don't carry more checks, credit cards or other bank items than you need. Cancel credit cards you don't use. Keep passports, Social Security cards and birth certificates in a secure place not in your wallet or purse. Never keep passwords or PINs on or near your checkbook, credit, debit or ATM card.

Review your credit card bills and bank statements as soon as they arrive. If you notice anything suspicious, contact your financial institution immediately.

Deal only with legitimate, reputable businesses, whether in person or online.

Give only to legitimate charities. Beware of callers soliciting donations after a disaster.

Hang up if you're uncomfortable with your caller's sales pitch.

Sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry by calling (888) 382-1222 or by accessing the Web site http://www.donotcall.gov. This will stop many telemarketers from calling you.

Don't let someone you don't know into your home, no matter how smooth the sales pitch.

Beware of "deals" that require money up front. This applies to investments, vacation offers, supposed sweepstakes winnings, work-at-home schemes or anything else.

Don't agree to any significant purchase or investment without getting a written contract and cost details.

If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Be skeptical.

Don't make a snap decision; get a second opinion. Consult your children, a neighbor, the Office on Aging, a senior center, anyone you can trust to help you make a wise choice.



Sources: AARP; FBI; Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.; National Association of Triads; Home Instead Senior Care.

Tom Keyser may be reached at 454-5448 or by e-mail at tkeyser@timesunion.com.

Find out about it

Web sites for more information:

http://www.aarp.org/money/ wiseconsumer/scams/

http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/ consumer.htm

http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/

http://www.consumer.state.ny.us