Telephone scams now targeting the elderly and how to avoid fraudsters

Telephone scams now targeting the elderly and how to avoid fraudsters

Richard Webster Crime & Courts, Education, Elder Abuse, Money, Public Health and Safety, Public Service Announcement, Recalls and Alerts, Scams, Top News
Telephone scams now targeting the elderly and how to avoid fraudsters
Telephone scammer targeting the elderly – Image credit: IRCSO

This week, local law enforcement and the federal government have been alerting the public about telephone scams that are targeting our elderly population.  The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office in Florida described one scam where victims receive phone calls from someone on the other end of the line impersonating a bank representative from that victim’s bank.

The fraudulent bank rep explains to the victim that suspicious transactions on their account have been spotted “and are very convincing due to having information on recent transactions that the victim completed.”

The fraudster tells the victim not to log into their bank account while they are on the phone and keeps the victim on the phone for a couple of hours. At some point the fraudster informs the victim that a “field agent” will be responding to their residence to collect the bank credit and debit cards.

Law enforcement officials remind us that a financial institute would never send anyone to a home to collect bank cards from an account holder.

If you or anyone you know receives a similar call, please report the incident to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. The non-emergency phone number is 772-978-6240.

Telephone scams now targeting the elderly and how to avoid fraudsters
Telephone scam targeting the elderly – Image credit: aginginplace.org

While anyone – young or old – can fall victim to these scams, seniors with cognitive impairment, health issues, or other concerns are at higher risk. Add that to the fact that many seniors have a set amount of money in retirement – with little ability to recover financially should fraud occur – and the results can be devastating.

If you are an older American – or a caregiver – here are some things you can do to protect you and your family:

  • Contact an attorney before signing any legal document.
  • Check financial statements every month for unusual activity.
  • Avoid unsolicited contacts—whether by phone, email, at your door, or in-person while you are out and about. It is OK to hang up the phone, delete the email, or tell someone you are not interested and walk away.
  • Be wary when someone asks you to form a company in order to open up a new bank account.
  • Never give your financial details or personal information to someone you don’t know and trust, especially if you met them online.
  • Be suspicious when the individual you met on a dating website wants to use your bank account for receiving and forwarding money.
  • Be careful of IRS imposter/Sweepstakes scams where the fraudsters tell you that you won the lottery/sweepstakes and you have to pay taxes before you collect your winnings. This is a scam!

Remember:

  • A legitimate company will not ask you to use your own bank account to transfer their money. Do not accept any job offers that ask you to do this.
  • The government will never request money or personal information from you over the phone.

If you believe you are a victim of fraud, or know a senior who may be, regardless of financial loss, immediately report the incident to your local law enforcement agency and to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov – or call your local FBI office.

For more on the kinds of scams targeting our vulnerable elderly, see the video accompanying this article.

(Sources: Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, FBI)

~  Written by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter

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