Have you ever answered the phone late at night to, “Grandma, it’s me, and I need help. I’m in jail.,” or some variation on that theme? It happened to me one night a few years ago and because I was asleep, it took me a few minutes to wake up and realize what was going on.
First of all, none of my grandkids call me “Grandma.” I’ve always been called “Ganny” or “Grandmommy.” That was my first clue that this call was a scam. I followed along, asking the appropriate questions and finally asked the person, “Why didn’t you call your Dad?” His response? “Oh, he wasn’t home.”
That’s when I’d had enough. I replied,”This must be a scam because my grandson’s father has been dead for years.” The guy hung up.
Scammers use so many gimmicks to fool their victims, that it’s not easy to keep up with them all. Just know that scams targeting seniors are after one thing: Your money!
Scammers Target Both Men and Women
Several women I know became involved in dating, or romantic scams. Mary Jo met a man through a dating site. Apparently, he came across as Mr. Wonderful, because she fell hard and fast. Mary Jo never met the guy but he managed to bilk her out of several thousand dollars by using some story she believed.
Karen met her man on a social media site. Again, she didn’t meet him in person but became certain he was her soulmate. She also lost some money to him by believing his lies.
And then there was George! In his 90’s, lonely but determined to enjoy his life, George met his girl through a health care service. He hired her to come and stay with him following some minor surgery. Before his family was aware, the woman called herself his girlfriend instead of nurse. Old George was thrilled to have this young blonde on his arm and before he wised up, girlfriend was richer by a new car and thousands of dollars. It only ended when she ran off with her real boyfriend who was closer to her age.
Maggie Digiovanni, co-publisher of this blog, has written many times about her experiences with scammers. Here is one example of a man who tried to scam her.
Gender doesn’t seem to matter but there is no question that scammers often target seniors. According to one source, scamming the elderly has become a multi-billion dollar business in the U. S. that drains seniors of their retirement funds and government benefits. An “Orlando Sentinel” report based on a U. S. Department of Justice document points out that seniors lose out on about $3 billion to scammers every year.
4 Reasons Why Seniors Become Easy Targets
- Loneliness. In this world of busy people, grown kids move away from their home and get busy with their new lives. Their spouses and children take up much of their free time, and it’s easy to place Mom and Dad at the back of their minds. Senior parents don’t want to be a burden to their kids and often retreat into their own small part of the world. Some don’t get out enough to take advantage of local opportunities for senior citizens. Whatever the reason, loneliness leaves a wide open space for friendly scammers to step in and sweet-talk their “marks” out of their money.
- Isolation. The more isolated a senior gets, the easier it is for a scammer to take over. If someone stays at home, doesn’t go to church or work or get together with friends, the solitude can become unbearable. A friendly phone call or new “friend” on a social media site could be welcome.
- Financial Insecurity. It isn’t uncommon for seniors to worry that their retirement funds won’t last them until the end of their lives. When a get-rich quick scheme sounds like a real winner, it may be difficult for a lonely senior to resist.
- Cognition Decline. Low scam awareness is common in those with early stage dementia, many of whom haven’t yet shown signs of their problem. “Scam awareness is a complex behavior that requires a variety of social cognitive abilities, including recognition that other people may have different intentions from yours.”
The Variety of Scams Is Endless
Scammers often target seniors because they view older people as less tech-savvy, possessing more money, sometimes being a bit isolated, and more trusting than younger generations. The schemes they use are varied and creative – from home improvement schemes, to fake charities or investments, to the emotional grandparent ones like I experienced. They find ways to convince older people to buy whatever they are selling. The bottom line is they want your money, no matter how they have to get it.
Along with those schemes mentioned above, seniors are vulnerable to identity theft, impending lawsuit threats, vacations offering the deal of a lifetime, computer tech scams and even sweepstakes scams.
Computer Scammers Don’t Give Up!
Several years ago, I ended up on the receiving end of a robo-all wanting to update the Windows system in my computer because “they” had detected a failure. The same bozo with a foreign accent called repeatedly for months insisting that I must allow him to fix the computer remotely or I would no longer be able to use it.
Fortunately, I knew just enough to know he was after something – and it wasn’t to fix my computer. That was when we got Caller Id for our home phone.
The Sweepstakes You Thought You Won
Have you ever received an email from someone wanting to congratulate you on winning some contest you don’t remember entering? I even received a phone call once from someone telling me I’d won a million dollars and all I needed to do was give him my bank account information so they could deposit the money in my account. Those scammers don’t intend to give anyone a prize but themselves when they clean out your bank account.
Maggie ran into someone who approached her on Facebook with a scam and wrote about it here. These creeps are everywhere, looking for their next mark.
Beware the Woodchuck Scam!
We Floridians understand this one! These insidious scammers come out after every hurricane or tornado. Such disasters must seem like manna from Heaven for criminals looking to make a fast buck. They impersonate legitimate charity representatives to extort money and/or personal information from well-meaning seniors in need of help.
The scammers set up websites to mimic the real non-profit organizations to persuade people to donate money. Or they pretend to be from the IRS and collect personal information as they pretend to help victims of disasters to file loss claims and collect tax refunds.
Hurricane Charlie Brought Out the Scammers
When Hurricane Charlie hit SW Florida back in 2004, the storm left a war zone in its wake. So many homes were destroyed and so many seriously damaged. The scammers appeared like ants, trolling the neighborhoods, offering help. Fake contractors signed up with desperate residents to repair walls or replace roofs. And they always collected a large chunk of money in advance. Many of those fake contractors skipped town as soon as they pocketed enough money. Others hung around, trying to complete some of the work but never quite finishing what they promised a homeowner.
Best Tips for Preventing Scammers from Succeeding
- Never sign documents you don’t understand.
- Report suspicious people soliciting in your neighborhood.
- Report questionable phone calls to the police and emails to your email provider.
- Always check references before hiring someone.
- Never give out personal information online or on the phone or by email.
- Hang up on telemarketers.
- Before hiring someone to do work for you, check out their business with the Better Business Bureau for your area.
- Never pay out money to someone who says you have won a prize.
- Set up a plan in advance and name someone you trust as your power of attorney and to make healthcare decisions for you if necessary.
- If you receive a phone call that “might” be from your grandchild, ask subtle questions about his or her parents, anything to convince you this may be a scam. Don’t send money blindly.
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.