Elder Scams

Senior citizens are a favorite target for scammers, for a variety of reasons.

Who Is It Targeting: Senior citizens

What Is It: Scams that specifically target elderly victims

What Are They After: A news report highlighted a number of different cases of scams affecting elderly victims, and the depths to which criminals are willing to stoop are shocking. From posing as utility service employees to walking straight into someone’s house and stealing their belongings while they watched, these crimes are still a major threat.

In a number of the reported cases, the victim was related to the perpetrator. Relatives can actually make an ideal target due to the belief that they won’t press charges, and because it’s not a “real” crime if you’re not hurting someone outside your family; they may even believe another family member will step in and help the victim, so in that sense, no one was actually harmed.

How Can You Avoid It:

• Never share your personal information, make any kind of payment, or let someone into your home if the person requesting it cannot provide documentation.
• When in doubt, contact the company the person claims to be with.
• Remember (sadly), many elder scam victims are related to the criminal who targeted them.

If you think you may be a victim of identity theft, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. Find more information about current scams and alerts here. For full details of this scam check out this article from KDLG.org.