Scams
SENIORS ARE AN EASY TARGET FOR CON ARTISTS AND SCAMMERS
When it comes to scam we all need to be alert but especially our senior population as they are a targeted group for professional con artists. Professional scammers usually use mass marketing fraud campaign to target seniors between the ages of 50 and 79.
Scammers most of the time pose as an authority such as revenue tax agents, banking institutes or police officers on the other end of the phone line, they even pose as close relatives or family members seeking to find a potential victims to disclose personal information.
WHY SENIORS?
As time pass the cost of living is increasing however the income for seniors stays the same or does not increase much. Most seniors are on fix income and they are feeling the impact of increasing costs. Having said that for this reason alone seniors are seeking ways to make extra cash and scammers and con artist have caught on and are advertising easy cash making/finding scams. One of the most popular scam that con artist use is the mail and rebate and contest. We strongly suggest not to fall for mail-in rebates and these phony contests. Make sure before you send away any information that is a reputable company, do some research and if you can’t do it yourself ask a family member or a friend. Make sure to read the fine print and know your options for returns and cancellations. Do not enter any contract on line or sign any contracts without reviewing them in person and better yet, have another family member, to assist you with any legally binding contracts. Be aware if it sounds too good to be true it probably is!
These are a list of a few scams to be aware of:
Receiving emails or letters from a friend/family member or someone within your network claiming to be in need of money/assistance because their wallet was stolen. To insure and to validate this claim a simple phone call to the individual can provide you with confirmation of an email scam.
You may receive emails or phone calls from individuals posing as revenue tax office agent notifying you that you owe money to the government and you need to pay the payment ASAP to avoid the file being transferred to the collections department. They most likely will ask for your personal information and if you give it you will likely fall prey to having your identity stolen.
Scammers and con artists are aware that when it comes to Revenue Tax agencies most people panic and they try to avoid having an issue with tax office therefore they give out their personal information.
The other popular scam used by individuals claiming they work for banking institutions, thus requesting banking information including account numbers from victims. Keep in mind they always try to scare you. They well trained and they know what key phrase to use to scare you in order to get what they want.
You may also receive an email from Microsoft or Apple claiming your account had been compromised and you should click on the link within the email to confirm your account details. This is just another scam to steal your information. Do not follow that link, simply visit the company’s websites and make a direct call or go in person to the store and have the reputable agent look into your account history. They sometimes even email you an invoice claiming you have purchase a product and you need to pay the amount as soon as possible.
Seniors need to be alert and smarter, If you are not sure or confused about a call, email or letter you have received, talk to a family member or a friend. You need to stay safe and protected; for more information regarding scams visit your local police websites or you can educate yourself more by checking your local news agencies, these are excellent sources for keeping up to-date.
