Wheat State's Hello Central Summer 2018

Why Con Artists Target Senior Citizens According to the FBI’s website (www. fbi.gov), senior citizens should be particularly vigilant for telemarketing scams due to the following reasons: • Senior citizens are most likely to have a “nest egg,” to own their home, and/or to have excellent credit—all of which make them attractive to con artists. • People who grew up in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s were generally raised to be polite and trusting. Con artists exploit these traits, knowing that it’s difficult for these individuals to say “no” or just hang up the telephone. • Older Americans are less likely to report a fraud because they don’t know who to report it to, are too ashamed at having been scammed, or don’t know they have been scammed. Elderly victims may not report crimes, for exam- ple, because they are concerned that relatives may think they no longer have the mental capacity to handle their own financial affairs. • When an elderly victim does report the crime, they often make poor witnesses because of the effects of age on memory. For tips on avoiding tele- marketing fraud, visit www. fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/ common-fraud-schemes/ telemarketing-fraud. Wheat State Telephone • 1/800 442-6835 • www.wheatstate.com If you’re experiencing slower than expected performance from your home’s Wi-Fi network, it could be the result of wireless interference. This typically comes from three types of sources: 1. Walls and floors blocking wireless signals The construction materials in your home can greatly affect wireless communication speed and range. Materials such as wood and glass don’t have much of an effect. However, denser materials such as concrete, brick, and metal can make it difficult to connect. These denser materials can also slow your network speed or even completely block wireless signals from reaching certain parts of your home. Large furniture items such as filing cabinets or book- shelves, as well as appliances like stoves or refrigerators, can also interfere with Wi-Fi. You may be able to solve the problem simply by moving your router to a different location. 2. Appliances and elec- tronics emitting radio frequency interference Wi-Fi interference can also come from other electron- ics and appliances that aren’t connected to your wireless network but use the same 2.4GHz or 5GHz frequencies to commu- nicate. Examples include cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, and baby monitors. Microwave ovens generate radio frequency noise as a byproduct, so if yours is located close to your Wi-Fi router, you may notice a network slowdown or get disconnected only when you’re using your microwave. Again, try relo- cating your router. 3. Other Wi-Fi networks using the same channel as your own Wi-Fi network Interference from competing Wi-Fi networks is especially common in apartment build- ings and other densely populated areas. Wi-Fi networks broadcast on channels, so when nearby Wi-Fi networks are set to use the same channel, they’ll constantly be competing with each other for limited bandwidth. To rectify this situation, see if your router is able to automatically find the least crowded Wi-Fi channel. If not, you may want to upgrade to a new router with this feature. To learn more about maximizing your Wi-Fi signal, call 1/800 442-6835. What are Common Causes of Wi-Fi Interference?