By Mary-Justine Lanyon
While people of any age can be scammed, those over 80 report the highest loss, said Ruth Lecaro, an attorney on the elder law team with Inland Counties Legal Service.
She was joined by legal secretary Mariana Castro at a program at the Lake Arrowhead branch library on how to identify a scam, report the crime and share your story.
Scams targeting older Americans, Lecaro said, cost them $3 billion a year.
“Individuals 60 and over are more vulnerable targets,” she said, asking if anyone knew why. The answers included they are not as computer literate and they have money.
Lecaro agreed and added they often isolate themselves.
All too often these folks do not report having been scammed so it is “hard to gauge the scope of fraud. They don’t report them because they don’t want their family members to think they can’t handle their finances.” According to the FBI, she added, only about half of scamming incidents are reported.
The contact methods used by scammers include email, phone calls, text, mail and social media. Of those, Lecaro said, email is the most common. They are using ID spoofing when they call – altering the number the person sees on their caller ID, impersonating trusted sources.
“If you answer the call,” Lecaro said, “they can capture your voice. Don’t ever say ‘yes’ on a call – they can record that and use it against you.” Rather, she said, ask “Who’s calling, please?”
“The best practice is not to answer at all if it’s not a number you recognize,” Lecaro noted.
Text messages often have links – phishing that sends you “down a rabbit hole. Don’t click on links. Do your research. Don’t let these scammers win,” she said.
If a text or email is asking you to pay a bill, call that agency to see if you have already paid it.
Scammers also pose as legitimate tech support representatives, making you pay for unnecessary services. According to the FBI, $587 million has been stolen from victims.
A pop-up may appear on the side of your computer, warning of a virus on your computer. “It sounds urgent but it’s a way to trick the user into sending money. Ignore the warning – close the pop-up,” Lecaro said.
And then there’s the family imposter scam. AI makes things look real, Lecaro said. The scammer may know a lot about you – they found the information on social media. They will say it’s urgent. They might pretend to by an authority figure like a doctor or attorney.
“They hope to scare you,” Lecaro said. “Ask questions only your loved one will know the answer to. Avoid sending money immediately. Scammers count on fear and anxiety.”
One audience member said she had gotten a call about her daughter being in a car accident. She was asked to send money. What she did was she called her daughter, who was in class. She told the scammer to call the sheriff and an ambulance or she would call the sheriff. The scammer hung up.
Scammers will also impersonate someone from the Social Security Administration or the IRS. Neither one, Lecaro said, will call you and ask for your personal information. They will communicate with you by mail.
Castro addressed online shopping scams. There are websites that appear legitimate but the domain name has a slight variation. There are, she said, fake online stores; after making a number of sales, they shut down.
“Search for reviews before making a purchase,” Castro said. “Check their return policy. Only pay with a secure payment service.”
Romantic scams use details shared on social media. They often target people who have recently lost spouses, who are in need of companionship. They will ask for money for travel expenses to come see you, Castro said, or money for medical expenses or for you to invest in a business with them.
“Be aware of individuals trying to isolate you from friends and family,” Castro urged. “Never send money to someone you haven’t met before.”
You may get a call saying you have won a sweepstakes; the caller will ask you to pay taxes or a fee to collect your money. “How can you win a prize if you didn’t play the game?” Castro asked.
Other scammers will impersonate a representative of a title company and provide false information on where you should send escrow money. Repair scams involve asking for money in advance and then never doing the work.
As for the impact of being scammed, Castro pointed to the financial impact, a loss of independence, guilt and shame.
You can help prevent scams by setting up automatic payments, protecting your devices with two-factor authentication and using different passwords for all accounts.
Castro listed four signs of scams as noted by the FTC:
- Unexpected contact: Someone reaching out out of the blue asking for money or personal information.
- Fake stories of problems or prizes
- High pressure to act immediately
- Specific payment demands, such as insisting you pay by gift card or wire transfer.
The most important advice given by Lecaro and Castro is to pause. Scammers are counting on your panicking and acting immediately. Stop to think about what they are saying, what they are asking. If they say they are calling from a particular company or agency, hang up and call that entity directly.
Inland Counties Legal Services can be reached at (888) 245-4257. Seniors over 60 should call (800) 977-4257. Additional information is available at inlandlegal.org.
0 Comments