Senior Scams

Senior Scams

When we think of senior citizens we usually think of them as polite, good-natured, easy going and so forth, but we rarely think of them as prey. On a daily basis seniors scams are occurring all around us, and the worst part is we may not be aware of them. Senior scams take advantage of the endearing traits seniors are most known for, which makes this problem worse. Senior scams look to trick the senior out of money through various forms of fraud, telemarketing schemes, and other tricks that get seniors to give personal information about themselves  or money to the perpetrator. Scams can be committed by strangers, but often times they are committed by the people closest to them, their own family.

It is known that not all senior scams are reported. Often times scams are not reported because seniors feel their family will see this as a sign that they are no longer able to care for themselves. Many seniors wish to remain independent and often times are ashamed of what has happened to them, so they remain quiet about the issue. Keeping this sort of thing quiet does not help their situation though. It is estimated that about $2.6 billion is lost to these scams per year. As if that wasn’t bad enough these scam artists sell the information of seniors they have successfully scammed, which in turn makes them vulnerable to being targeted again.

Seniors are not to be blamed for falling prey to these scams on the contrary they should be informed and educated on the matter. If we educate seniors about the logistics of these scams they may be able to better prepare themselves, so that they do not fall prey. If we try to strip seniors of their independence they may hesitate to seek help when they encounter a potential scam.

Frauds and scams can come in all shapes in sizes. More often than not seniors fall prey to scams that are executed over the phone because the scam artist can get all the information they need without ever being seen by the person they are trying to scam, which makes it nearly impossible for the victim to identify them. Seniors should be aware that scams can happen to anyone, anywhere.

Below is a list of scams that can be executed against seniors:

The Social Security rip-off

This recent scam involves ID thieves stealing personal information and contacting the Social Security Administration to change the payment routing information to the thieves’ own bank accounts or prepaid debit cards.

The grandparents scheme

The senior answers his phone and a young voice says, “Hey, Grandpa, it’s your favorite grandson, and I’m in trouble.” Senior says, “John, is that you?” The caller responds, yes, it’s John — he’s calling from a friend’s cell phone and he’s been in an accident. He’s out of state and needs his grandpa to wire some money right away.

The fake lottery/sweepstakes

This mail scam comes in two flavors: The “pay to play” scheme or the “You’ve won! Here’s your check” scam. The first ploy entices seniors to buy inexpensive trinkets or magazine subscriptions (which they really do receive) in order to have their name entered in the contest. In the second case, the elderly person receives an authentic-looking check, with notification they’ve already won the Jamaican (or another foreign country) lottery.

The discount prescription scam

Callers offer seniors prescription drugs at 50 percent off. The catch: Hucksters require a $200 “membership fee” to join a discount club, along with seniors’ credit card numbers. Or the drugs never arrive as promised, or the “medicine” is actually a generic herbal replacement.