According to a survey by True Link Financial, older Americans are criminally defrauded of $12.76 billion annually. This includes identity theft and all those crazy scams you hear about but smugly think will never work on you. Do you consider yourself friendly? Thrifty? Financially sophisticated? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then according to that same survey you are more likely to be defrauded because you may give strangers the benefit of the doubt, are more enticed by bargains and are comfortable moving larger amounts of money around. The next scam victim could be you. Here’s what to watch out for in the new year and, most important, how to protect yourself. How Scammers Find You Ever wonder how scammers get your phone number, address or email? Is it random or is there science to the targeting? Experts say it’s both. AARP Fraud Watch Network Ambassador Frank W.

If you have been a subscriber to The Wake Forest Gazette and now find you are not receiving weekly notices that the new issue is on line, the problem lies in the software for the paper’s email service, Mailchimp. If a subscriber’s inbasket is full or if there are other reasons why the email would not accept the Gazette notice, it will be listed as bumped. If that condition continues, Mailchimp will list that subscriber as unsubscribed and stop sending notices. To remedy the situation, if you want to receive the weekly notices, please re-subscribe by going to www.wakeforestgazette.com, find “Subscribe” on the first page and enter your information.

*The Wake Forest Farmers Market will be open in Renaissance Plaza on Saturday, Feb. 13, with its usual winter hours, 10 a.m. to noon. *Bright Star Touring Theater will present the Black History Hall of Fame Saturday, Feb. 13, during two free performances. The first will be at 1 p.m. at the Alston-Massenburg Center on Taylor Street and the second will be at 7 p.m. in the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre on Brooks Street. *Heritage High School will host an Indoor Percussion and Winter Guard Competition Saturday, Feb. 13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thirty teams will perform; proceeds will benefit the school’s band programs. Tickets are $10 for adults, children 5 and younger are free. *Creation Care: A Bird’s Perspective will be the topic when a National Audubon Society leader leads a community workshop Saturday, Feb. 13, from 9:30 a.m. to noon in the fellowship hall at St.

It is a new year and a good time to check the information about your club or organization. If what you see is incorrect, please help in keeping this list current by sending the names and contact information about the new people to the editor at cwpelosi@aol.com. * American Legion Post 187 meets the second Thursday at 7 p.m. in the American Legion Hall at 225 East Holding Avenue. The dinner begins at 6 p.m. and costs $5. For information and membership, call Commander Dave Goetze at 569-0471 or visit www.alpost187.org. * American Heritage Girls (AHG) meets at 6:30 p.m. at Hope Lutheran Church on Rogers Road on the second and fourth Thursdays. Contact Amy Minor at chrisnamy34@hotmail.com or see the website, www.hopelutheranwf.org. * The General James Moore Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution meets the third Tuesday but does not meet in June, July and August. Call