A sure-fire way to ruin a day of trying to “Live Your Best Life” is if you, or a senior you love, has been scammed. Scamming of the senior population is a top concern and the number one target for ruthless criminal scam artists. Sadly, it doesn’t only happen to those who may have weakened cognitive abilities. Scam artists prey by activating fear in their victims. These crooks are pros!
One of my dear elderly friends lives alone and is managing some health issues I’ll call her “Mary.” Mary was taken in by a scammer and lost $2,200! She was sucked into the gift card scam that has recently been in the news. The devious scammer posed as a person from Life-Lock by Norton, a reputable organization whose purpose for existence is to STOP scammers and identity theft. The scammer was so believable, on the phone he convinced her that buying gift cards and sharing the numbers was the only way to stop someone who was “already scamming her,” that my vulnerable and very sweet friend, “Mary,” fell into his trap. Thankfully, she finally came to her senses, and stopped the insanity.
She called her bank immediately and cancelled her debit card. She is angry, embarrassed, and feels violated—not to mention is now $2,200 poorer. These scammers, who can completely wipe one out financially, are ruthless, well trained, and evil. They get your personal information. The scammer who called himself “Jack” even had the audacity two days later to text her to say that if she would call him, he would help her get her money back!
Another scam that friends in my circle have recently dealt with, and thankfully haven’t fallen for, is the receiving of fake emails from companies with whom you do business. Attached in the body of the email is an “invoice” in large amounts of money—always hundreds of dollars. The way to double check the authenticity is to click on the sender and then click the arrow that comes up to the right of the name and see if the actual email address shows. Fake ones will show a cluster of letters and numbers and that is a scammer! With all the tech changes happening almost daily, not to mention our need to be aware of the sophisticated AI (Artificial Intelligence which can record your voice and use it impersonate you), it feels as if we are living in a constant state of being invaded.
The NCOA (National Council on Aging) published a list of 10 common scams happening to the seniors with the Top 5 accounting for 65% of complaints received on the U.S. Senate Hotline for fraud against seniors. Beware of these (my commentary in parentheses):
- Government Impersonation Scams (The IRS, FBI, or any other agency will NOT call you! If you get mail, find the real number of the agency and call to verify).
- Sweepstakes and Lottery Scams (Unless you personally bought that lottery ticket or entered a legitimate sweepstakes, do NOT respond to any calls or mail).
- Robocalls and Phone Scams (If a response by the caller is even delayed by a second, do NOT speak because Artificial Intelligence is now collecting voice data to impersonate your voice. I have an acquaintance whose daughter’s voice was impersonated and she received a call saying her daughter had been abducted and they let her hear her “voice.” Thankfully, she had just hung up from a real call with her daughter. None-the-less, it was traumatic!)
- Computer Tech Support Scams (See Life Lock example in my opening. Also, do NOT click on pop up boxes that come on computer screens. Clicking allows hackers to enter your world! Also be sure to have a good cyber security software program installed on your computer. I personally use Bit Defender.)
- The Grandparent Scam (A Scammer calls an elderly person and asks, “Hi Grandma, can you guess who this is?” When Grandma names a name, the scammer proceeds to beg for money for rent, etc.…)
- Romance Scams (First of all, DELETE requests from strange men who want to be your friend on Facebook. I get them daily even though I have changed my password. What’s worse is that the mom of a dear friend of mine from high school, who was a very successful businesswoman, but now a very lonely widow, fell for a Facebook scam. After sending $30,000 to a Nigerian, she finally told her daughter about the situation!)
- Business Imposter Scams (This can be in many forms including the email and Gift Card scam explained above. Businesses will NOT call you personally!)
- Investment Scams (Stay away from Crypto Currency where BILLIONS have been lost and other investments with supposed low risk and guaranteed returns).
- Medicare and Health Insurance Scams (Do NOT accept phone calls from so called Medicare representatives. Seek out legitimate sources. Also, do NOT go to bogus mobile clinics who will bill Medicare and pocket the money.)
- Internet and Email Fraud (Beware of Pop-Up Browsers that look like anti-virus programs and will charge you huge amounts and infect your computer! Watch out for phishing emails from credit card companies. Just do NOT open them. Anything that asks for your social security number is a scam.)
In recent months, many articles have been published with tips on how to prevent this from happening to you or someone who is vulnerable. I have borrowed some of their tips and have also added some good common-sense reminders for all of us:
- Mark your calendar (both paper and electronic ones) to remind yourself to change your passwords to bank accounts and social media regularly.
- Store those passwords in your phone AND on paper and place them in a place where you and someone you trust can find them.
- Talk about these issues with friends and family so that we can keep each other aware of what to look out for.
- Check on elderly friends and especially those who live alone.
- Learn the great and simple principle for social media: DELETE, DELETE, DELETE! Do not open! DELETE! Also, learn to “right mouse click” and click on “block the sender.”
Don’t be ashamed if this happens to you. Instead, react and take authority over the situation. If you are too upset, call someone you trust to help you. What else can you do? Keep phone numbers handy for your local police department and the phone number for your bank. Scamming is rampant, real, and can ruin your life!
I hope this helps a little. Be safe dear Sixty-Plus friends so that you may continue to “Live Your Best Life!”
Use these resources to help you too:
The National Adult Protective Services Association www.napsa-now.org
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Internet Crime Report 2022.
U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. Top 5 Scams Targeting Our Nation’s Seniors Since 2015. 2021.
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection Data Spotlight. Romance scammers’ favorite lies exposed. February 9, 2023.
Federal Trade Commission. Age and Fraud.
Debbie was honored to serve as Ms. Senior America 2023. She holds a degree in Vocal Performance and has performed across the continental U.S. and abroad. She’s also a talent and interview coach for Miss America Scholarship Organization contestants, high school and college bound performing arts students, and conservative political candidates. Debbie is married to Scott Robbins. They have one son, Jackson, born when Debbie was 44. He is now a Freshman at the University of Louisville.