Three Tips for Seniors to Avoid Being Targets
Willie Sutton is alleged to have responded to a reporter's question of Why do you rob banks? saying simply, Because that's where the money is.
It seems that the attribution is more urban legend than fact, but there are other crooks who are evidently making use of the same logic.
And those people are not early 20th century gangsters; they are scammers who target seniors according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
If you are a caregiver to a senior, the FBI offers some advice on how to protect against fraud which targets these vulnerable individuals.
The top reason why seniors are targeted is precisely because they are where the money is.
Seniors have a lifetime of hard work that typically has resulted in a "nest egg" as well as a home that likely is paid off.
They also have been careful with their money, so they have good credit.
Seniors also were raised in a day when one was polite even to strangers, and they also were raised to be more trusting of others than the current generation who grew up with "stranger danger.
" Seniors also don't exactly know to whom they can report something that may have started out with a phone call from a person who passed as a relative they have not seen in a while.
There also is a great deal of embarrassment once the senior does recognize that they have been "taken in.
" More than embarrassed, they may also fear that being duped may make them look less able to care for themselves.
Scammers also count on being able to confuse an older person whose memory may actually not be as sharp as it once was.
To protect a senior against becoming victimized by scammers, it is important to help them expect the unexpected.
My own mother-in-law fell prey to a caller who identified himself as "your favorite grandson" in need of money for an emergency while he was out of town.
She had wired the money that day before realizing that she should have confirmed the story by calling the family.
Beware of these general scams and pass the advice on:
Be careful about the sources of drugs on the internet, because you may not be getting the actual medication, and also be very careful around dealing with any stranger when making advance funerary or related arrangements requiring advance payments.
To get the full story, please check out the FBI website, and never feel badly about asking for a number to call a solicitor back or for references.
It seems that the attribution is more urban legend than fact, but there are other crooks who are evidently making use of the same logic.
And those people are not early 20th century gangsters; they are scammers who target seniors according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
If you are a caregiver to a senior, the FBI offers some advice on how to protect against fraud which targets these vulnerable individuals.
The top reason why seniors are targeted is precisely because they are where the money is.
Seniors have a lifetime of hard work that typically has resulted in a "nest egg" as well as a home that likely is paid off.
They also have been careful with their money, so they have good credit.
Seniors also were raised in a day when one was polite even to strangers, and they also were raised to be more trusting of others than the current generation who grew up with "stranger danger.
" Seniors also don't exactly know to whom they can report something that may have started out with a phone call from a person who passed as a relative they have not seen in a while.
There also is a great deal of embarrassment once the senior does recognize that they have been "taken in.
" More than embarrassed, they may also fear that being duped may make them look less able to care for themselves.
Scammers also count on being able to confuse an older person whose memory may actually not be as sharp as it once was.
To protect a senior against becoming victimized by scammers, it is important to help them expect the unexpected.
My own mother-in-law fell prey to a caller who identified himself as "your favorite grandson" in need of money for an emergency while he was out of town.
She had wired the money that day before realizing that she should have confirmed the story by calling the family.
Beware of these general scams and pass the advice on:
- Callers who may allege to have provided a service and are looking for payment; check the facts.
- Medical equipment manufacturers who purport to offer "free" products and then bill Medicare or the senior; talk to your doctor's office.
- Lab or other charges that appear on a Medicare billing, but have not actually occurred; again talk to your doctor.
Be careful about the sources of drugs on the internet, because you may not be getting the actual medication, and also be very careful around dealing with any stranger when making advance funerary or related arrangements requiring advance payments.
To get the full story, please check out the FBI website, and never feel badly about asking for a number to call a solicitor back or for references.