Unit 4: Money Management
Lesson 6: How to Protect Your Money
Topic 3: Protect Yourself from Scams
OBJECTIVES
Identify two techniques to protect your money from scams.
Practice saying no to a person who wants to get money from you.
Identify people you can talk to if someone is trying to scam you.
INSTRUCTIONAL FORMAT
This lesson will provide some basic information on protecting a person's
money from scams. There are a number of common scams that people use to steal
people's money. People with mental disabilities are an easy target due to
a tendency of being vulnerable and difficulty in saying no. A lot of the
techniques to foil a scam require a person to remember a variety of cues
that might signal a scam. Depending on a person's cognitive ability, the
trainer will need to simplify the information as needed. All students should
practice saying no.
Begin the lesson by reminding students that if someone is robbing them (i.e.,
demanding money or they will hurt you), this is not the time to try to protect
their money.
Discuss these simple plans to protect money from scams. Have the students
keep in mind that if they want a product or service, they will initiate the
process of obtaining it. Scams are most likely going to occur when someone
approaches them to get them to buy something.
If someone calls and wants to sell you something, it is probably best to
say "no thank you, I am not interested" and hang up the phone. You may miss
out on a good opportunity, but the chances are good that you may get scammed.
Remind students that the product is something they were not shopping for
anyway. By following this simple rule, the student does not have to try to
remember what are common scam techniques over the phone and how to handle
the "seller."
In case students are interested in what the seller is selling, tell them
to never give out or confirm personal information such as credit card
information, Social Security number, and mother's maiden name. Tell students
to have the seller send information on the product. This will give students
an opportunity to review the information, think about the purchase, and contact
the seller.
If someone approaches you on the street and wants to sell you something,
just keep walking. There is a high probability that you may be scammed or
purchase something stolen. Never buy something from someone on the street.
If someone comes to your home, make sure you can get the merchandise right
at that time. Never give money to a person who claims he will come back later
with the merchandise.
If someone offers you a "prize," but says you have to pay some money in order
to get it, tell the person "no."
Discuss that some people try to scam money from their friends and family.
Some try to guilt people into giving them the money. This is a difficult
situation because the people want to help out others they care about.
Unfortunately, some people will take advantage of this generosity. On the
other hand, students have to realize that they have obligations to the people
with whom they live for rent, utility payments, groceries, and other household
expenses. Discuss with students the different scenarios they have found
themselves in regarding money and their families. Again, it is one thing
for a person's mother to want $150 each month for rent and groceries and
another for her to want all of a person's paycheck every payday. At the end
of the discussion, talk to students about getting a written agreement with
any person to whom they loan money. It won't guarantee that the person will
not get taken advantage of, but it will help if there is any confusion about
the terms of an agreement.
Provide the students an opportunity to practice saying "no thank you, I am
not interested." Based on the information above, the trainer will act like
a person trying to get money by selling a fake product, offering a prize,
or trying to guilt the person into giving them money. Model the "broken record"
technique of repeating "no" over and over again. If the role-play is being
done on the phone, remind the person that she can hang up the phone. If it
is being done in person, remind the student that he can shut their door or
walk away.
Discuss what to do if a person keeps having problems with people trying to
get their money. Suggest to all students that they call the Better Business
Bureau to find out if a company is legitimate. Also stress to them that they
can talk to someone from their rehabilitation program to assist them. This
is especially important if the person needs help to keep a family member
from getting his money. Remind students to call the police if they feel people
have been trying to scam money from them or money has been stolen from
them.
SIGNS OF GENERALIZATION
Students do not lose their money to scam artists or people they know who
constantly beg for money. They are able to be assertive and tell people "no."
When they are having problems, they get support from appropriate people.
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