THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, NOVEmbEr 11, 2022 Page 11 Veterans Day Observance World War ii Army veteran will give keynote speech at Veterans Park today R obert “Boots” Chouinard, a 99-year-old Army veteran who fought in Germany during World War II, is the keynote speaker for today’s Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans Park. Chouinard, a Salisbury resident, landed in Normandy on Omaha Beach in France fi ve days after D-Day. His address is scheduled for 11 a.m. Earlier this year, he was with a group of soldiers who got to return to Germany to retrace their steps during the war. During Easter Sunday of 1945, he got to attend an Easter Service in a church near Oppenheim. “This emotion was overwhelming, a feeling that I never felt before,” Chouinard recalled of this surreal scene. “Here we are together worshiping the same God while fi ghting a war. After the serThen – a young Robert “Boots” Chouinard serving in the U.S. Army (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate) vice we quietly left the church with nothing being said, got on the truck, crossed the Rhine back to our gun position, like nothing unusual happened.” eninior Top Financial Scams Sy by Jim Miller Fiil S Targeting Seniors Today Dear Savvy Senior, What are the most common scams today that target elderly seniors? My 75-yearold mother has been swindled several times over the past year, so I’m being extra cautious. Paranoid Patty And now – At 99, Robert “Boots” Chouinard still has stories to tell about his service in the U.S. Army during World War II. He will share his experiences with Saugus residents at today’s Veterans Day ceremonies. (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate) What Parents Need to Know to Guide Their Young Adults Toward Successful Careers N ew York, November 10, 2022 — On the surface, the future looks bright for spring’s college grads, with employers planning to hire nearly 15% more candidates from the class of 2023 than in the previous year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Dig a little deeper, however, and the outlook gets murkier, cautions career coach Beth Hendler-Grunt. “College graduates struggle to fi nd jobs due to competition, lack of work experience and not understanding employer expectations,” she said. “And their parents are frustrated. They want to help, and they’re not sure how. Many parents haven’t looked for a job in over 20-plus years, and things have definitely changed in that time.” How can parents help? What should grads do? Hendler-Grunt’s new book, The Next Great Step: The Parents’ Guide to Launching Your New Grad Into a Career, gives parents a simple, step-by-step plan for successfully guiding their young adults through the transition from college to career. Filled with tips, job aids and insightful stories, The Next Great Step addresses everything from how parents can help their young adults get “unstuck” and navigate the hiring process, to how students and grads can stand out from the rest of the graduating class. Hendler-Grunt shares the secrets of how to “network” the right way and excel in interviews, and how parents can off er solid career advice to their grad. The Next Great Step provides insights from three key perspectives: the concerns of the parent, the thought process of the student and the expectations of potential employers. “Navigating the post-college job world is all about developing and implementing the right strategies,” Hendler-Grunt said. “This book is required reading for families looking to navigate a changing world from college to career. Companies need new grads. It’s just a matter of connecting the dots.” About the Author Beth Hendler-Grunt is the founder and president of Next Great Step. She is a dynamic leader, advisor and facilitator who has extensive experience consulting with startups, Fortune 500 firms, universities and individuals. She founded Next Great Step with the sole focus of guiding college students and recent grads to help them land the job they deserve. Hendler-Grunt leverages techniques and insights from hiring managers and CEOs and brings those secrets to students to help them stand out and get the job. She has enabled hundreds of clients to achieve success, with 90% of her clients landing the job of their choice. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, SiriusXM radio, Kiplinger, CNN, Fortune and many other media outlets. She is also the mom of a recent college grad and college sophomore … so she gets it. For more information, please visit www.nextgreatstep.com, or follow the author on TikTok (next_great_step), Instagram (next_great_step), Facebook (nextgreatstep) or LinkedIn (bethhendlergrunt). Dear Patty, Great question! While many scams today are universal, there are certain types of fraud that specifi cally target older adults or aff ects them disproportionately. And unfortunately, these senior targeted scams are on the rise. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in 2021 there were 92,371 older victims of fraud resulting in $1.7 billion in losses. This was a 74 percent increase in losses compared to 2020. Here are five of the most common senior scams that were reported last year, that both you and your mom should be aware of. Government imposter scams: These are fraudulent telephone calls from people claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration or Medicare. These scammers may falsely tell you that you have unpaid taxes and threaten arrest or deportation if you don’t pay up immediately. Or they may say your Social Security or Medicare benefi ts are in danger of being cut off if you don’t provide personal identifying information. They may even “spoof” your caller ID to make it look like the government is actually calling. Sweepstakes and lottery scams: These scams may contact you by phone, mail or email. They tell you that you’ve won or have the potential to win a jackpot. But you need to pay a fee, or cover taxes and processing fees to receive your prize, perhaps by prepaid debit card, wire transfer, money order or cash. Scammers may even impersonate wellknown sweepstakes organizations, like Publishers Clearing House, to fool you. Robocalls and phone scam: Robocalls take advantage of sophisticated, automated phone technology to carry out a variety of scams on trusting older adults who answer the phone. Some robocalls may claim that a warranty is expiring on their car or electronic device, and payment is needed to renew it. These scammers may also “spoof” the number to make the call look authentic. One common robocall is the “Can you hear me?” call. When the older person says “yes,” the scammer records their voice and hangs up. The criminal then has a voice signature to authorize unwanted charges on items like stolen credit cards. Computer tech support scams: Theses scams prey on senior’s lack of knowledge about computers and cybersecurity. A pop-up message or blank screen usually appears on a computer or phone, telling you that your device is compromised and needs fi xing. When you call the support number for help, the scammer may either request remote access to your computer and/or that you pay a fee to have it repaired. Grandparent scam: The grandparent scam has been around for several years now. A scammer will call and say something along the lines of: “Hi Grandma, do you know who this is?” When the unsuspecting grandparent guesses the name of the grandchild the scammer most sounds like, the scammer has established a fake identity. The fake grandchild will then ask for money to solve some unexpected fi nancial problem (legal trouble, overdue rent, car repairs, etc.), to be paid via gift cards or money transfers, which don’t always require identifi cation to collect. Other Scams Some other popular scams targeting older adults right now are romance scams through social media and online dating sites, COVID-19 scams, investment scams, Medicare and health insurance scams, and Internet and email fraud. For more information on the diff erent types senior scams to watch out for, along with tips to help your mom protect herself, visit the National Council on Aging website at NCOA. org, and type in “the top 5 fi - nancial scams targeting older adults” in the search bar. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. y Senior eniorenior o
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