Countless scammers are preying on senior citizens, often attempting to convince them to wire money. Sadly, seniors lose billions of dollars to such scammers every single year. Let’s take a quick look at the top scams senior citizens should be aware of.
The Imposter Scam
This scam involves targeting a grandparent, attempting to convince him or her that a grandchild urgently needs money. The goal is to make it seem as though the grandchild is in the midst of a financial emergency and needs money to be wired right away. The scammer really does go as far as impersonating the grandchild. This approach has the potential to work as many senior citizens are hard of hearing.
If you receive any such call, double-check with your grandchild’s parents to determine if a financial emergency actually exists. Chances are you will find out nothing is wrong and it was merely a scammer attempting to convince you to wire money.
A “Problem With Your Purchase”
It is now possible for scammers to track your internet purchases, following up with a message requesting information about a supposed problem with the order. The scammer might also frame the supposed problem as an issue with the delivery. In other cases, the scammer will send email messages promising a coupon code or discount including an attachment or link that ultimately transmits a virus that steals the senior’s identity. Furthermore, there are even some online shopping sites that seem legitimate but require you to add your credit/debit card number to take advantage of a free trial for a service or product. If any of these red flags arise, do not fall for the scam.
Charity Scams
There are plenty of scammers and con artists who will prey on seniors who have amassed considerable life savings, providing them with a seemingly altruistic opportunity to donate money to charity. Scammers are well aware of the fact that seniors are quite generous. In short, it is in your interest to be skeptical of every request for money to be donated to charity.
Even if the pitch includes information about the donation being tax-deductible, there is a chance it is a scam. Do not give out your credit card / banking account information. Otherwise, you might end up with bogus charges that have nothing to do with charity.
Delivery Scams
The number of phony shipping notification messages sent by email has skyrocketed in recent years. These faux messages are merely a veiled attempt to steal your personal information. Don’t assume an email sent from UPS or FedEx is perfectly legitimate just because the company’s name is in the message. There is a good chance it is actually a scam.
Above all, avoid clicking hyperlinks within such messages. Merely clicking one of these links can lead to the download of spyware or malware to your computer that pilfers your sensitive information, including passwords. If you are a senior citizen or have a senior citizen in your life, be sure to add an email spam filter to redirect such scam attempts to the spam folder or delete them upon arrival.