Scams targeting older adults are all too common in today’s world. I have recently heard from several people as well as my own 87 year old mom who has had the unfortunate experience with a situation involving a scam. It takes a heavy emotional toll on seniors and can create great anxiety and distress even if they don’t fall for the scam.
The isolation that many seniors have been faced with during the pandemic has only exacerbated the problem. Scammers initiated contact with older adults online more often than they did by phone for the first time ever in the second quarter of 2020, according to an October report from the Federal Trade Commission. However, phone scams still resulted in the highest monetary losses.
Luckily there are ways to stay ahead of these “fraudsters” to avoid getting scammed.
Here are some of the tactics that scammers will use:
Grandparent scam: criminal poses as a relative, usually a grandchild, claiming to be in immediate financial need.
Utility companies such as PSE&G claims account is delinquent and power will be turned off
IRS, Medicare, Social Security imposters
Tech support scam: pose to be technology support representatives and offer to fix non-existent computer issues.
Sweepstakes/lottery: criminals claim to work for legitimate charitable organizations to gain victims trust.
Counterfeit prescription drugs- do not trust advertisements and emails claiming they can sell you cheaper and better medications.
Covid-19- know who you are speaking with regarding vaccines, testing and contact tracing.
Some measures to protect yourself:
Recognize scam attempt and end all communication.
Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, mailings, emails and door to door offers.
Make sure all computer anti-virus, security and malware software are up to date.
Never open up an email from someone you don’t know.
Never give or send any personally identifiable information, money, jewelry, gift cards, checks, or wire information to unverified people or businesses.
·If your bank accounts were compromised, immediately contact your financial institution to place protection on your accounts.
Conclusion: Always be cautious of phone calls, texts, emails, or mailings you aren’t expecting. If contact by phone, scammers will pretend to be in an office where you might hear other people talking in the background to make it realistic. Be aware that scammers will try to pressure you to act quickly by creating a sense of urgency. Finally, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Scammers need to be stopped and reporting them is the first step. Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed to talk about it with someone you trust. Keep handy the phone numbers and resources you can turn to such as the local police, your bank and adult protective services. You can also call 1-800-677-1116 to find an eldercare locator in your area for further guidance.
The Westfield Police department and Lifelong Westfield will be presenting a webinar to help residents to identify and avoid frauds and scams on April 26th. You must register in advance by emailing [email protected] or calling 908-201-1287.