By Blox Content Management,By Elliott Greenblott

Copyright berkshireeagle

Seasons come, seasons go — scammers stay and sometimes with new messages! Time to inventory some of the scams coming our way or already evidenced.

Seasonal discounts: Beware of end of season or early season discounts. Everyone wants to save money and knowing if that “great opportunity” is legitimate or a scam takes some commonsense effort.

Shelf and storage space for many businesses comes at a high price, so replacing summer inventory with winter and holiday merchandise means sales. Criminals know this and work hard to lure victims.

Be wary of merchandise promoted on social media, in text messages and email. These essentially free methods of promotion are scammer favorites. So are generic browser searches that can be manipulated with victims losing money in fraudulent sales or downloading malware or spyware on their devices.

Stick to legitimate company websites. You may pay a little more but taking the “deal” comes with risk. Note: legitimate company websites will display the company name followed by “.com” or “.com.” or “.com/” (such as Amazon.com, not amazon.comsales).

Winterization: Criminals pose as contractors seeking to “help you” prepare for cold weather. While the scam can appear on your computer, this will more likely involve a “door-to-door” salesman offering deals you can’t afford to ignore.

There are some basic tips to consider:

• Look for evidence of professionalism such as business cards and vehicle signage.

• Ask for references to other LOCAL customers.

• Contact local law enforcement and inquire about any complaints against the contractor (you can also contact the Better Business Bureau or your attorney general’s office).

• Do not prepay the entire cost of the project.

• Make payment by credit card or check; do not pay with cash or an alternative such as Zelle or Venmo. They are untraceable and have fewer protections.

Of course, there can be exceptions in situations where you have prior experience with the contractor, but remember many people are scammed daily by personal friends and family members. As one former president is quoted as saying, “trust, but verify.”

As a side note, I received a robocall today, which was transferred to a live scammer claiming to have over 3,000 home improvement agents nationwide.

Medicare open enrollment: Next month, Medicare Open Enrollment begins for the 2026 calendar year. Persons 65 years of age or older can make major changes in their medical insurance coverage by adding or changing enrollment plans for Medicare Part D (medication coverage) or Medicare Advantage programs. Once again, criminals are aware of this and become more aggressive using phone calls, texts and email.

Here are some basic rules:

• Medicare will not call you or text you unless you have an existing relationship.

• Insurers offering Medicare Advantage plans are prohibited by law from direct marketing to individuals. They can, however, use mass media to promote their coverage plans (that’s why we see companies like Humana and United Healthcare on television every night).

• Any messages you receive from insurance policy providers and insurance brokers such as “Medicare Services” are illegal unless you have an existing relationship with the company. Hang up if you receive a “robocall” or any “live” sales call, including those that begin in silence followed by a click.

You can report the call to the Federal Trade Commission or your attorney general’s office for official tracking, but understand that the calls originate outside the United States and are untraceable.

Seasonal scams are predictable, and once you understand this you can create your own Scam Watch List to share with friends, family and neighbors. Be well; be safe.

Questions, Comments? Contact egreenblott@aarp.org.