Allies in Aging Blog

By Tyler Amundson, Director of Mission and Development Imagine receiving a call that says you must pay a fine or fix a problem with your account immediately. The caller sounds official and tells you the fastest way to solve the problem is to deposit cash into a cryptocurrency ATM and send the funds right away. Situations like this are becoming a common tactic used by scammers, and these machines—now appearing in grocery stores, convenience stores, and smoke shops throughout o

A security freeze is one of the most effective ways to prevent identity theft. By putting a security freeze on their credit files, Montanans can prevent those files from being shared with potential creditors. See MCA §§ 30-14-1726 to 1736. A security freeze allows consumers to proactively “lock up” their credit information so no one can access it without their permission. This prevents a thief from falsely using someone else’s identity to take out a new mortgage, apply for a

In honor of Medicare Fraud Prevention Week, occurring June 1-5, we are spotlighting our Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program. This program helps older adults detect, prevent, and report Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse, keeping their benefits safe and empowering them to make informed healthcare decisions. What the SMP Program Does Educates Seniors – SMP provides presentations, and resources that teach seniors how to recognize scams, billing errors, and identity theft. Suppor

Sue Bevins; photo courtesy of AARP, Photography by Sara Morris Photography For many older adults, retirement is meant to be a time of enjoying the life they’ve worked so hard to build. For Montana resident Sue Bevins, that dream was suddenly disrupted by a scam that cost her nearly everything. Sue, a retired nurse, had settled into a new chapter of her life, moving to Montana to be closer to family and enjoy her retirement. But what began as a seemingly routine issue, quickly