Hands Off My $$!
Preventing & Reporting
Financial Abuse
Presented by
Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy
1
Introductions
Please go around and
introduce yourself
• My name is…
• My favorite thing to
spend $$ on is…
OCRA Dollars
You will get OCRA Dollars
for participating in this
presentation. Whoever
has the most will win a
prize!
2
Who wants to take your $$?
You owe $$ to…
• Your landlord
• For Your bills
• For your clothes
Who else could you owe $$ to??
3
WHO ELSE DO YOU NOT
OWE $$ TO?
• A telephone salesperson
• Anyone like an ILS worker or
care provider
• Your friends or relatives
4
Why is it your money?
Where do you get your $$ from?
• Jobs
• SSI
• SSA
• Loans (Banks)
• Advances on Credit Cards
Where else?
5
The Personal Loan – Don’t Do It!
The following is a role-playing skit. We need someone
to play the:
• Customer
• ILS worker
• Counter Person
You’re at Burger King to eat, and your ILS worker asks
you for some $$ to pay for his dinner. Do you have a
choice to loan the $$ or not?
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The Personal Loan (continued)
• How did the skit work?
• What did the customer say?
• What would you do differently?
Get into groups of 3. Decide who is who.
Now you act it out – you have 10 minutes.
7
Loan Agreement
You almost never loan money to anyone.
But if you do, use this handout and fill in all
the blanks.
Terms to know:
• Lender: the person who gives the money.
• Borrower: the person who gets the money.
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LOAN
Date: _________________________________________
I am loaning___________________________________________
(Name of Borrower)
$____________________________
(Amount of Money Loaned)
________________________________________________________
(Name of Lender)
Always make a copy and keep for your record.
9
LOAN REPAYMENT
–
Borrower agrees to pay me
back:__________________________________________
Example:
• On June 5, 2005
• $5.00 every time he receives his check
• When he gets back from visiting his family
Borrower’s Name:_______________________________
Borrower’s Address:_____________________________
10
Record of Payments Received
DATE
AMOUNT RECEIVED
$______
_______________
$______
_______________
$______
11
What if someone does not want to
pay you back?
Call your Service Coordinator or
OCRA.
They will help you or tell you how to
collect the $$.
12
IDENTITY THEFT –
YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
ANYONE CAN TRY AND STEAL YOUR
PERSONAL INFORMATION SUCH AS
YOUR:
• Identification Card or Driver’s License
• Social Security Number
• ATM Pin #
13
HOW CAN PEOPLE STEAL YOUR
PERSONAL INFORMATION?
Your information can be stolen by:
• They can stand behind you in the
ATM line and watch you type your
personal PIN #.
14
• Someone can steal your
personal passport, credit
card, or drivers license.
15
• Your checks can be
stolen if you don’t
have a safe mailbox.
16
• If you buy something on
the Internet, your credit
card information will be
displayed.
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• They can try and sell
you something over
the phone and then
steal your credit card
number.
18
• They can keep a
carbon copy of your
credit card information
when you buy
something.
19
Identity Theft – Beware!
The following is a role-playing skit. We need
someone to play the following parts:
• Consumer
• Identity Thief
You’re at the ATM machine when someone
approaches you and tries to get your code.
What do you do?
20
Identity Theft
• What worked well in the skit?
• What else could the consumer have said?
• What would you do differently?
21
Your Credit Record is Important!
Always keep a copy of the front and back
of your credit card, in a safe place.
You can get a copy of your credit report.
It is free every 6 months!
22
WHAT IF SOMEONE STEALS MY
PERSONAL INFORMATION?
If someone steals your ATM, credit card or check:
Tell someone you trust.
• Call the number on the back of the credit card
and on the front of your checks and report the
theft to the police.
23
How to Stop Someone from Using
your Credit Card if it is Stolen!
If someone steals your
checks, ATM or credit card:
Tell someone you trust and,
• Call the credit bureaus:
Equifax 1-800-685-1111
Experian 1-888-397-3742
TransUnion 1-800-888-4213
24
WHAT ARE CREDIT BUREAUS?
• The 3 major credit bureaus
keep track of everyone’s
credit in the United States.
(and elsewhere)
25
What are Telemarketers? –
Don’t buy it!
The following is a role-playing skit. We need
someone to play the following parts:
• Customer
• Telemarketer (Someone who sells something
over the telephone)
You’re at home when a telemarketer calls trying
to sell you the newspaper and you don’t want
the newspaper. What do you say?
26
Telemarketers (continued)
• What worked well?
• What else could the customer have said?
• What would you do differently?
Find your partner again. You know the
routine...
27
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BUY
SOMETHING, DON’T!
These are some ways that people get
trapped into buying something when they
really don’t want it:
• Mail Order Catalogs in the mail
• Internet pop-ups that want to sell you
something.
• Store Catalogs
28
Do Not Call Lists
Never provide personal information to
anyone over the phone!
• Get on the National Do Not Call list by
calling:
1-888-382-1222 or 1-866-290-4236
• If you keep getting calls after 3 months,
file a complaint (Same numbers as
above)
29
Debt Collection
Sometimes we spend more $$ than we should
And cannot pay our debts. Here are your
rights:
If you owe $$, you cannot go to jail for a debt.
• If you receive SSI, it cannot be collected to
pay off a debt
• However, non-payment will affect your credit
record. You may not be able to borrow more
$$ for years.
30
If you get SSI
Call your Service Coordinator or your
CRA to find out what you can do if you
cannot pay your bill.
31
Important Points
Remember…
• Don’t loan your money
• Be careful with personal information
• Report fraud
• Don’t buy things over the phone
• Don’t spend more than you have
• Know your rights
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WHO CAN YOU CONTACT FOR HELP?
• Your service coordinator
• Your support person
Give other examples…
And of course…
You can always contact your
Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy
(OCRA)
OCRA
Los Angeles Office
Toll Free 1-866-833-6712
Sacramento Office
Toll Free 1-800-390-7032
33
NOW COUNT YOUR FAKE MONEY!
Whoever has the most fake money,
wins the grand prize! Good luck
everyone!
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