According to FBI reports, people aged 60 or more lost $3.4 billion in scams in 2023. On average, each targeted senior citizen lost around $33,915, 11% higher than in 2022.
There’s no doubt that technology has made our lives easier. But at the same time, it has made everyone, especially seniors, vulnerable to scams. One reason why seniors are on scammer’s hitlist can be their disposable money. Or they may easily fall prey to scammers’ sweet talk.
Anyhow, scammers aren’t going to stop targeting the elderly. One way to stop scammers is to make seniors aware of what kind of scams they may encounter and how to navigate safely through them. And this is what we’re going to do in this article. Read on if you don’t want to be a victim of these scams.
Scams to Watch Out For
Phishing
Crime Scams
Health Insurance Scams
Refund Scams
Unpaid Tax Scams
Tips to Prevent a Scam
Take Your Time
Get a Spam Detecting Tool/App
Avoid Odd Ways to Transfer Money
Do Not Share Sensitive Information
Bonus Tip
Scams to Watch Out For:
Phishing: It’s an unsolicited email, phone, or social media message. Scammers portray themselves as an employee working at a top company. They usually send attachments via email that download malware that corrupts or steals the data.
Moreover, they lure seniors into revealing sensitive information like credit card numbers, bank account details, and other personal details that shouldn’t be shared.
On the other hand, seniors rarely doubt them because scammers act quite professionally. They create a sense of urgency that is hard to ignore for seniors who don’t know much about the scams.
Crime Scams: Seniors often get a phone call from scammers pretending to be from law enforcement. Then, they’re told that someone committed a crime using their credentials like name, address, or social security number. To stay out of trouble, seniors willingly cooperate with scammers and reveal sensitive information.
Health Insurance Scams: Scammers may try to sell seniors a new insurance scheme or discounted plans. These plans may sound quite authentic and hard to ignore for most seniors. Ultimately, they may buy health plans that don’t exist or reveal sensitive information.
Refund Scams: Scammers may call seniors and ask them to get a refund on specific plans or packages. These refunds are mostly related to essential things like the internet, phone, or TV. They may tell you that the chosen plan costs less than what they’ve been paying.
In the end, they’ll offer to help seniors in getting a refund. This way, scammers earn seniors’ trust and end up looting them.
Unpaid Tax Scams: In this scam, scammers will pretend to be calling from the IRS, Medicare, or other government agencies. They’ll create an urgency and warn seniors to pay their unpaid taxes. Non-payment may cause them to get arrested or face penalties.
Tips to Prevent a Scam:
Take Your Time: Scammers know that seniors may act quickly once they feel in danger, such as in crime or unpaid tax scams. The same goes for situations when they’re offered something, like discounted health plans or refunds. All these tactics create urgency, forcing seniors to make a decision right on the spot.
Instead of making a decision, seniors must take some time to analyze the whole situation. Ask if there’s any unpaid tax or fee that is overdue. Also, keep in mind that support agents won’t ask for personal details on a call.
Get a Spam Detecting Tool/App: Seniors can find thousands of spam-detecting tools or apps online. These apps can warn or block spam calls or messages right away.
As for online scams, opt for a sterling ISP, which you can easily find at Local Cable Deals, a reputed website that lists the best US internet providers.
Avoid Odd Ways to Transfer Money: A legitimate business will never ask you to wire the payment. Same as this, they will not accept gift cards or a money order. If someone asks you to send a payment using these methods, that’s a scam for sure.
Do Not Share Sensitive Information: Seniors must avoid sharing sensitive information with anyone at all costs. They need to understand that legal authorities may already have their information and they don’t need to ask them. On the other hand, scammers need such details to pull off a scam.
Bonus Tip:
Before we end this article, here’s a tip for the young generation. It’s our duty to have an open dialogue with our elders. Tell them how these scams work and what’s at stake before it’s too late. They may not understand the technology better than us and it’s up to us to teach them. This way, they may never let anyone misuse their sensitive information and stay safe.
