26 APRIL 2020

from Seniors Wide Bay, March 2020

20 JUNE 2020

SENIORS \\MARCH, 2020 LIVING Give web fraudsters the flick

CYBERSECURITY is a real threat to everyone, from millennials who are afflicted with ‘‘optimism bias’’, through to seniors who lack general cybersecurity knowledge.

According to the ACCC, scammers cost Australians half a billion dollars in 2018, via various schemes including internet-enabled theft, fraud, and exploitation, so it is important for those who didn’t grow up with technology to protect themselves from some of the most common types of online fraud.

Nick FitzGerald, senior research fellow at ESET, said: “Optimism bias, loneliness, and deteriorating cognitive abilities are key leverage points that scammers use to target their victims. By understanding the potential risks and identifying the signs, those who grew up without technology can better protect themselves in 2020.”

Cybersecurity experts at ESET have outlined some tips to keep all internet users, including seniors, safe from common types of online scams.

1. Be sceptical Never assume that a stranger online is a trustworthy person. Always consider the possibility that any unexpected message may be a scam attempt, noting anything unusual about the message or sender. Additionally, caution should still be exercised if the message comes (or seems to come) from someone well known via email, instant messaging apps or social media. If in doubt, throw it out. 2. Don’t click It’s important to never automatically assume that any material received out of the blue is authentic, no matter how official it looks. One of the most pervasive online cons, phishing, usually begins with an unsolicited email or social media message in which the fraudster impersonates a trusted entity using social engineering techniques, and attempts to persuade the victim to hand over sensitive data, such as credit card details or login credentials. 3. Say no to ‘freebies’ Fraudsters have also been known to send emails congratulating people on their “win’’ in a lottery or sweepstake that they never entered, or as the apparent only remaining relative of a y wealthy person who is genuinely deceased. Asking for personal details, requesting small payments and instilling a sense of urgency are all signs of a scam.

4. Never wire money to strangers

Some $60.5 million was lost by Australians in 2018 to dating and romance fraud. Victims are tricked into sending money or personal information to a false admirer, making lonely seniors particularly susceptible.

5. Hang up Tech support fraud is a common technique where the con artist advises potential victims that their computers have been compromised by malware. Never give remote access to a device unless you called a help desk directly, even if the caller claims to represent a reputable vendor or your ISP.

STAY ALERT: Scammers could be lurking behind your next email, so be aware of the signs and never give out your personal details. Picture: Contributed

Mortgage woes put squeeze on seniors

IT’S tough on young people paying off housing debt, but older mortgagees have it nailed, right? Maybe not. At a time when seniors are expected to be downsizing and moving away from the worries of high debt, many are joining their children buying into the so-called great Australian dream.

Incredibly, real mortgage debt of the over 55s jumped 600 per cent between 1987 and 2015.

National Seniors Australia says research has found that while house prices tripled and debt levels increased, income or the means to pay the debt lagged.

The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) research found the ratio of average mortgage debt to income for over 55s tripled from 71 per cent to 211 in the 28 years to 2015.

Facing repayment difficulties, older mortgagees report lower mental health and high psychological distress than older outright owners.

Women generally have lower levels of mental health and higher levels of psychological distress than male mortgagees.

Their personal wellbeing is also more sensitive to their personal circumstances.

Women have longer life expectancies than men, are more likely to experience career interruptions and are less inclined than men to remarry following a marital breakdown.

Older female mortgagees face multiple challenges.

There is a perceived need to carefully design policies and programs that provide adequate support for women at risk of housing insecurity and poverty in old age.

Another sobering prediction is that Demand for Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) is projected to rise by 60 per cent, from 414,000 in 2016 to 664,000 in 2031.

The unmet demand for public housing from private renters aged 55 or over is expected to rise by 78 per cent – from 200,000 to 440,000 households – between 2016 and 2031.

24 MONEY MARCH, 2020// SENIORS Cost of generous natures

GENEROUS Australian seniors are being taken advantage of to the tune of thousands by overseas online scammers and con artists.

These scammers are taking seniors for a ride and no one is stopping them. Michael Jones, online security expert from Aussie Watch Dogs, said Aussie seniors were particularly vulnerable due to their generous natures and relative naivety online.

“Younger Australians are more likely to do a little bit of research before hitting the donate button. They’re also much better at picking up on seemingly obvious scams,” Mr Jones said. “This problem exists because a lot of people don’t have time to help their grandparents and parents with their computers.

“Another major issue is that sometimes seniors feel embarrassed about being ripped off, and don’t want to tell anyone. This can be fixed by educating our seniors around how to spot dodgy offers and fake donation campaigns.”

“This ends up creating a perfect storm where the scammers can target Aussie seniors with impunity, they actually have call centres set up overseas specifically to target our elderly.”

Mr Jones gave these tips to stay safe online:

• Check the spelling of any emails received. Would a bank or a large charity send you an email with terrible spelling? The answer is no. • Look at the quality of the website or Instagram or Facebook post. Again, this sounds simple but it’s amazing how many people miss it. A sure sign of an online scam is a poorly worded website or offer.

• If in doubt, leave it out: before you buy anything, seek another opinion.

LOOK CLOSELY: Don’t accept all online approaches at face value.

Coronavirus: ‘Black swan’ is no reason to hit panic button

Paul Clitheroe

IN the world of investing, a “black swan’’ is an unpredictable event with the potential for serious consequences. Right now, some commentators are saying the outbreak of coronavirus in China is a black swan.

Without doubt, the spread of coronavirus has been astounding.

First identified in December 2019, the number of cases has risen to more than 20,000 as I write in early February. Very sadly, hundreds of people have succumbed to the virus.

While comparisons have been made with the SARS outbreak of 2003, the impact of coronavirus is quite different. It has spread more rapidly, though thankfully, with fewer fatalities.

In our highly interconnected global economy, investors don’t have to hold overseas assets Money

to feel the financial impact of coronavirus.

China is by far Australia’s biggest trading partner, accounting for one-quarter of our global trade.

China also buys close to 25 per cent of our coal exports, and is our No. 1 source of tourists.

In addition, 150,000 of Australia’s 400,000 overseas students hail from China.

So it’s not hard to see how the outbreak of coronavirus can impact on Australia’s economy as well as listed companies across a variety of industries.

Despite some jitters, the Aussie sharemarket has held relatively steady since the start of 2020.

That said, many investors may be uncertain about how they should respond.

My first thoughts are to take care of your health. That means following government health directives and adopting sensible precautions if you’re travelling.

Coronavirus is a “black swan’’ of the investment world.

In terms of your investment portfolio, I’m not convinced that you need to take any steps at all – provided your investments are framed with your longterm needs, personal goals and tolerance for risk in mind.

Let me stress, I am not discounting the tragic loss of life – nor the suffering of those who have contracted the virus.

And I certainly don’t have a crystal ball that shows just how far coronavirus may spread.

What I do know is that mankind has faced unprecedented health crises in the past – everything from SARS, MERS, swine flu and Ebola.

For the victims and their families, the human toll has been dreadful.

But for economies and sharemarkets, the recovery process has often been swift once the outbreak has been contained.

The upshot is that a black swan shouldn’t derail your long-term investment plans – as long as you have ticked all the boxes for low-cost investments that you’re comfortable with and which have the potential to help you achieve personal goals.

– Paul Clitheroe is chairman of InvestSMART, chairman of the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board and chief commentator for Money Magazine.

Take the ‘crisis’ out of your healthcare by stating choices

SEVENTY-YEAR-OLD Robert enjoys his active life, despite having severe emphysema.

Recently Robert’s daughter, Melanie, found her father on the floor of his apartment, blue and only semi-conscious. Melanie rang the emergency telephone number, 000.

During the ambulance ride to the hospital, she was panicking because she did not have any of her father’s paperwork and was not sure what to do.

Fortunately for Melanie and the hospital medical professionals, Robert had documented his healthcare wishes in an advance care plan.

The doctors quickly accessed Robert’s Statement of Choices through his hospital electronic medical record and read he wanted all reasonable measures tried to restore him to his active life. Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a process of communicating your wishes, values, beliefs and future healthcare preferences with your family, friends and healthcare providers.

Planning ahead in this crucial manner assists those close to you make healthcare decisions on your behalf, if you are unable to, helping to ensure your wishes are respected.

During Advance Care Planning Week, which runs from March 23-27, learn how ACP can empower you to make your future healthcare wishes known.

The Office of Advance Care Planning – Queensland Health, provides a valuable free and confidential service for all Queenslanders.

For more information, simply visit the website – mycaremy-choices.com .au – or phone 1300 007 227.

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24 G E N E R A L K N O W L E D G E

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21 18 19 ACROSS 1 Which drug took its name from the Greek god of dreams? (8) 7 What were Carl Perkins’s blue shoes made of? (5) 8 In the Bond film Goldeneye, which dame played M? (4,5) 9 Ja is a South African exclamation for what? (3) 10 In Australian slang, what is a fraudulent or dishonest act? (4) 11 What is a group of lines forming a unit of a poem? (6) 13 Which character in Only Fools and Horses was played by John Challis? (6) 14 Which US state has towns called Livengood, Wiseman and Ruby? (6) 17 Which country was known as British Honduras until 1973? (6) 18 If you nictitate at someone, what do you do? (4) 20 Which river flows through Wales to England, where it joins the Severn? (3) 22 Bee Gees Maurice and Robin Gibb were born on which island? (4,2,3) 23 Which synthetic textile fabric is made from cellulose? (5) 24 What animal is painted on Qantas aircraft? (8)

PUZZLES DOWN 1 Which military officer ranks immediately below a lieutenant colonel? (5) 2 What name for the Soviet Union’s troops was dropped in 1946? (3,4) 3 Speakers’ Corner is in which London Park? (4) 4 At what age does one become an nonagenerian? (6) 5 Mau Maus tried to end British rule in which country? (5) 6 In The Merchant of Venice, who is Shylock’s daughter? (7) 7 In English, what is the only one-word anagram of the word English? (7) 12 In medieval Europe, what was a peasant personally bound to his lord? (7) 13 What is a beer factory? (7) 15 Before playing Tarzan in films, what did Johnny Weissmuller gain fame as? (7) 16 What deciduous shrub with funnel-like flowers tolerates dry conditions? (6) 17 Who (___ Reid) starred in the 1968 film The Killing of Sister George? (5) 19 What form of Japanese fencing involves bamboo swords? (5) 21 What is the monetary unit of Vietnam? (4)

SUDOKU Fill the grid so every column, every row and 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

QUICK CROSSWORD

1 2 3 4 567

Find a finished crossword bydeleting one of the two letters in each divided square. DOUBLECROSS

9 10

11 12

14 15 16 17

21 18 19

Across 1. Hood (4) 3. Disguises (8) 9. Deceive (7) 10. Unpleasant (5) 11. Without warning (12) 14. Mythical woodland creature (3) 16. Fit out (5) 17. Self-esteem (3) 18. Stubborn, unyielding (12) 21. Frequently (5) 22. Feeling of discomfort or unease (7) 23. Follows, comes after (8) 24. Church seats (4)

Down 1. Shortens, reduces (8) 2. Squander (5) 4. Make an offer (3) 5. Deserving scorn (1 2) 6. Determination (7) 7. Pronounces (4) 8. Return (1 2) 12. Stir violently (5) 13. Castle (8) 15. Extremist (7) 19. Banish (5) 20. Defeat (4) 22. Crazed (3)

SOLUTIONS

ALPHAGRAMS:GAPED,HASTEN,INFESTS,JINGOIST,KITTENISH.

GKCROSSWORD Across:1Morphine,7Suede,8JudiDench,9Yes,10Rort,11Stanza,13 Boycie,14Alaska,17Belize,18Wink,20Wye,22IsleofMan,23Rayon,24 Kangaroo. Down:1Major,2RedArmy,3Hyde,4Ninety,5Kenya,6Jessica,7Shingle, 12Villein,13Brewery,15Swimmer,16Azalea,17Beryl,19Kendo,21Dong. 5x5

S TR IP P RI DE A ID ES SPEA K M ES SY DOUBLECROSS

SUDOKU

QUICKCROSSWORD Across:1.Cowl3.Obscures9.Mislead10.Nasty11.Unexpectedly14.Elf16. Equip17.Ego18.Intransigent21.Often22.Malaise23.Succeeds24.Pews. Down:1.Commutes2.Waste4.Bid5.Contemptible6.Resolve7.Says8. Reappearance12.Churn13.Fortress15.Fanatic19.Exile20.Loss22.Mad.

Solve the anagrams. Each solution is a one-word anagram ofthe letters beside it, and the five solutions are sequential. Forexample, ifthe five-lettersolution starts with J, the six-lettersolution starts with K, and so on. ALPHAGRAMS

5x5 PAGED HE TANS FITNESS INTO JIGS THIN KITES