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A lifetime of careful spending, saving reaps rewards BY SUE WEBBER • CONTRIBUTING WRITER The appearance of an AARP card in your mailbox may have come as a startling reminder that the official senior citizen designation is rapidly approaching. But there is an upside. Many senior discounts and deals for restaurants, theaters, hotels and car rentals begin to show up at age 50, as well. Ken and Jan Mrugala of Plymouth made good use of deals and discounts long before they officially became senior citizens, however. “So many people are maxed out on credit cards,” Ken said. “Why pay 30 percent interest?” The two, married for 46 years, grew up in northeast Minneapolis and were raised with frugal values. “Ken saw how hard his parents worked,” Jan said. “He talks about working on a truck farm in northeast Minneapolis. The kids were taken to Brooklyn Center or Brooklyn Park to bunch radishes and onions.” If a teenager got a part-time job when the Mrugalas were growing up, it was expected that he or she would save some, spend some and give some to the church, Jan said. “That’s how we were raised,” she said. The Mrugalas brought the same frugality to their own home in New Hope, where they raised a son and daughter. “If we wanted something, we waited until we saved for it and then we got it,” Ken said. Now residents of Plymouth, the Mrugalas have three grandchildren. “We pretty much always lived within a budget,” Jan said. “It was the only way to operate efficiently. You have to stretch what you’ve got as far as it will go.” She sewed clothes for the children and herself. Ken, a woodworker, shops the odds and ends bins at a northeast lumberyard and Menards and saves scraps of wood. He recently finished making pull-out drawers for the pantry in his son’s home. “He cuts corners wherever he can,” Jan said. “He doesn’t throw many things away because they can always be reused somehow in his workroom.” The couple has always been masters of couponing for groceries and using dining cards for dinners out. They choose to frequent places that offer coupons. “We mostly get gas on Tuesdays at Super America because they double competitors coupons,” Jan said. SAVING - TO PAGE 7

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Mature Lifestyles • Thursday, February 20, 2014 Page 3

Fraudulent scams, identity theft rob senior citizens of savings

BY SUE WEBBER • CONTRIBUTING WRITER “I’m writing this with tears in my eyes. I came down to London, United Kingdom for a short vacation. Unfortunately, I was mugged at the park of the hotel where I stayed, all cash and credit cards were stolen off me but luckily for me I still have my passport with me. “I’ve been to the Police here but they’re not helping issues at all and my return flight leaves in few hours from now but I’m having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won’t let me leave until I settle the bills. Well I really need your financial assistance. “Please let me know if you can help me out? I’m freaked out at the moment!!” If you or someone you know has received that kind of email, you’ve been introduced to the world of online scams. Such scam letters are often allegedly signed by a good friend or grandchild, and are sent to a list of unsuspecting victims after an acquaintance’s or relative’s

email account has been hacked into. Minnesotans lose millions of dollars to fraudulent email, telephone, mailbox and door-to-door scams each year, and many of the victims are senior citizens. Accordingly, many area police departments or community education offices are doing what they can to warn seniors about the many faces of fraud. The scams and frauds can be as innocent sounding as an alleged contractor who wants to tar the driveway, a cross-border lottery sweepstakes, advance-fee loans or travel offers. Last year, the Richfield Police Department produced a promotional video about scams, with an emphasis on the elderly. It was a joint collaboration of the department’s investigators and was posted to the department’s Facebook page last summer. The video cautions seniors on four points: • If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. • Don’t reveal personal information to people you

don’t know. • Don’t send money to people you don’t know. • If you sense a potential fraud, call the police. The video quotes a female victim who was told she was an international lottery winner, but needed to send money in order to guarantee the receipt of her prize within five weeks. She sent the money, but her prize never arrived. Richfield Police Lt. Mike Flaherty said the department’s Safety and Fraud Prevention presentations are sometimes advertised through the Parks and Recreation Older Adults Program. “More commonly, representatives from the senior condos/apartments request yearly presentations for their residents,” Flaherty said. Jill Mecklenburg, the Richfield Police Department’s crime prevention specialist, partners with Richfield Fire SCAMS - TO NEXT PAGE

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Scams FROM PREVIOUS PLACE Chief Wayne Kewitsch or Assistant Fire Chief Mike Dobesh to present “Personal Safety at Home and Out.� The presentation covers fire safety, fall prevention, personal safety and fraud prevention tips. Mecklenburg also gives fraud prevention and other presentations to church groups and Richfield’s Neighborhood Crime Watch participants, Flaherty said. One of the recent frauds Flaherty has observed involves Green-Dot visa cards. “These are reloadable cards (similar to gift cards) that you can purchase at Walgreens or other stores,� Flaherty said. “The scam artist will tell you to get $200 on the card to pay for (fill in the blank). Once the victim calls them back and tells them that they have the card, the scam artist will request the card number. Once the victim gives the scam artist the card number over the phone, the money on that card can be transferred to the scam artist’s account before the victim even hangs up the phone.� According to The Wall Street Journal, “The fleecing of older Americans is be-

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coming an epidemic.� The newspaper said people 60 years and older made up 26 percent of all fraud complaints tracked by the Federal Trade Commission in 2012, the highest of any age group. In 2008, the level was just 10 percent, the lowest of any adult age group. In addition, the newspaper said one in every five Americans age 65 or older has been abused financially. Only 10 percent

person’s identity. To minimize the possibility of identity theft, the following should be kept in a private and safe place: credit cards, debit cards, personal identification numbers and other passwords; checks, Social Security cards, other cards or documents which bear your Social Security number; health insurance cards, driver’s licenses and numbers and other personal information.

According to The Wall Street Journal, “The fleecing of older Americans is becoming an epidemic.� of such frauds are reported, according to the account. Identity theft, which affects millions of consumers every year, is among the fastest growing crimes. It occurs when someone uses a person’s financial or personal information without permission and takes control of their existing accounts, opens new accounts or commits crimes, such as fraud, using that

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Don’t give personal information to anyone – either in person, over the phone or on the Internet – unless you are sure you can trust him or her. Experts urge consumers to keep close tabs on the balances of any financial account that is accessible by a plastic payment card. They also suggest that consumers do not trust text messages, emails or direct

telephone calls from persons who are unknown to you, especially if they identify themselves as an employee of your bank or credit union. You can ask to be removed from national direct mail lists by writing to the DMA Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512, or going online to www.the-dma.org/consumers/offmailinglist.html Consumers also may register with the National Do Not Call Registry by calling 1-888-382-1222, or going online at www.donotcall.gov For more information about scams or fraud, contact MNscams.org; the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota at 800-646-6522, or ask@thefirstbbb.org; AARP at 1-888-our-AARP or member@aarp.org; or the Minnesota Board on Aging, 800-333-2433 or www.minnesotahelp.info. To report scams, contact the Minnesota Fraud Enforcement Partnership (MFEP) at 866-347-0911, or go to www. mnscams.org You can also report a scam at the Federal Trade Commission at 877-382-4357 or www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www. lc3.gov.

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Seniors need computers for job searches, paying bills BY SUE WEBBER • CONTRIBUTING WRITER When it comes to mastering the use of a computer, senior citizens often are upstaged by grandchildren who already are proficient with technology, some by the time they are in elementary school. But seniors often need computers for more than sending and receiving email and looking at grandchildren’s photos online. Computers can assist seniors to download coupons, rent movies, book airline tickets or motel reservations, order groceries and renew prescriptions. Some use computers in their jobs, or perhaps even in a search for a new job. Others want to pay bills online or monitor their investments. And after the recent massive Target credit card breach, it’s imperative for consumers to be able to check their bank statements online. Where can senior citizens get help in becoming more computer savvy? Linda Bankston, coordinator of computer classes for the St. Anthony-New Brighton Schools, said the district offers several classes tailored especially for seniors. “A lot of people who are 50 and over are out of work,” Bankston said. “But some people are not comfortable with regular classes. We have some people way into their 80s who are taking computer classes.” The basic computer classes for seniors are split into two parts, she said. The first part allows seniors to get acclimated to computers, while the second offers help with accessing email and the Internet. Participants are given a manual to take home that was developed by the instructors. Jill Smith, adult services manager for Anoka County Libraries, said several library branches offer one-onone computer instruction for beginners. Introduction to Internet is offered from 11 a.m. to noon on Wednes-

days at the Rum River Library in Anoka, and 9-10 a.m. Saturdays at the Mississippi Library branch in Fridley. Open computer time is available 1-4 p.m. Mondays and Fridays at the Rum River Library, and people can get individual instruction then, Smith said. Barb Kondrick, adult services librarian at the Columbia Heights Library, said three sessions of Senior Surf classes will be offered in April, May and June. The

two-hour class is provided through the Metro Area Agency on Aging. “It’s specifically designed for seniors,” Kondrick said. “No experience is needed.” The library has five computers that are open to patrons at any time, she said. “With a library card, anyone can log onto the computer and we can get them going.

We do a lot with people of all ages.” According to Generations Online, a nonprofit program for Internet literacy and access for the elderly, an estimated 21 million people over 65 do not use the Internet. And yet, it also reports that the fastest growth in use of social network sites has come from users 74 and older. That usage for seniors has quadrupled since 2008, from 4 percent to 16 percent, according to Generations Online. SeniorNet.com is another place where senior citizens can gain computer knowledge. Since 1986, the nonprofit organization has offered computer and Internet education for older adults. The mission of the nonprofit SeniorNet Learning Center at 1403 Harmon Place, Minneapolis, is to provide lowcost, basic personal computer education for people over 50. SeniorNet volunteers’ single goal is to teach seniors how to use a computer. Classes are ofPhoto illustration fered three terms each year, winter, spring and fall. Most classes are two hours, one day a week for a four-week session. There are two class periods each day, morning and afternoon, Monday through Friday. Information: 612659-6500. Another computer resource for senior citizens is East Side Neighborhood Services, at 1700 2nd St. NE, Minneapolis. Instruction is provided by peer coaches who are trained to teach older adults. The service is sponsored by Senior Service America, Inc. and is free to all participants. Classes are offered at 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Information: 612-787-4020. Seniors also may contact Volunteers of America Monroe Day Elders, at 1900 Central Ave. NE, Suite 102. Information: 612-767-3322.

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Saving FROM PAGE 1 “We go to Redbox for movies all the time. You can shop online from home and reserve what you want and then find out the closest location where it’s available.� They seldom pay full price for anything. “With all the places that have sales, if you’re patient you can wait until something goes on sale,� Jan said. “We look for sales and specials. If there’s an option to delay a little longer until it goes on sale, we tend to do that. That may be a philosophy from the dark ages, but it tends to work for us.� Ken had a 30-year career with the city of Minneapolis, and Jan worked as a legal secretary at a Minneapolis law firm for 28 years. “We found our niches at a time when employees stuck with their job,� she said. Both were able to retire before they were 60. With the help of a financial planner they began working with several decades ago, Jan said, “We’ve been able to put money in the bank for what we wanted to do. We told her we were looking to be

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comfortable enough to pay our bills and to splurge occasionally. Under her tutelage, now we’re able to have funds set aside so we can travel.� The planner suggested that the Mrugalas start small by saving even just $25 a month that could be deducted from their paychecks and hardly noticed, Jan said. “Everyone was on a tight budget then,� she said. “We just started tucking money away a little at a time.� The couple took vacations to Mexico for years, and last year took a dream three-week trip to Australia and New Zealand, all paid for up front. But those trips didn’t come before they had carefully researched trip deals and frequent flyer mile offerings, and watched the newspapers and websites for advertised specials. AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is open to people 50 and older. Memberships, at $16 a year, offer a variety of information, advocacy and services, including up to 25 percent off on selected car rentals, up to 50 percent off on selected hotel rooms, and a variety of discounts in other categories. Information: www.aarp.org, seniordiscounts.com, retailmenot.com/seniordis- Jan and Ken Mrugala of Plymouth last year took a three-week dream trip to Australia and New count, or free4seniors.com/senior-cou- Zealand. They saved money for the trip and carefully researched available trip deals and adverpons tised specials before they made reservations. (Submitted photo)

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