Financial scammers bilk seniors out of over three billion dollars a year. Yes, you read that correctly. Three billion dollars a year. The perpetrators of these heinous crimes perceive older Americans as easy marks for a number of reasons:

  • Seniors have had more time to accumulate money, which is often invested in retirement savings.
  • Seniors grew up in a more trusting time and have a different relationship with perceived authority.
  • Seniors are less tech-savvy and more easily fooled by emails or texts designed to look authentic.
  • Seniors are typically too embarrassed to report the crime.

In other words, through no fault of your own, you are ripe for the picking.

No doubt, fraudsters are a clever bunch. Their weapons – generally emails, phone calls or texts – mimic official communications so closely, that even the sharpest among us can be fooled.

Be on the lookout for some of the more popular ruses below.

Grandparent Scam

Posing as law enforcement or medical professionals, scammers will call a grandparent claiming to represent a loved one in distress. They will ask for money to be wired for medical or legal fees. And now, with the help of AI, they can actually pose as said loved one to ask for the money directly. There is nothing more anxiety-producing than hearing a loved one is in trouble. But a quick call to your loved ones will confirm it is a false claim and you’re being targeted.

Social Security, Medicare, and the IRS

Social Security, Medicare, and the IRS are the triumvirate of senior scamming. If you compare notes with your friends, you will find everyone has been approached by fake versions of these agencies. Callers will claim you owe for cost-of-living adjustments, or back taxes and demand payment and personal information. Preventing this fraud is a no-brainer: The real Social Security, Medicare, and the IRS will NEVER call you.

A Phishing Expedition

Scammers are excellent “phisherman.” They will send what appears to be an official email from a legitimate company or institution seniors regularly do business with. They will ask you to update or verify personal information and before you know it, they will have your credit card and social security numbers. Through social media, they can also find your contacts and trick you into thinking one of them is emailing and needs money.

Congrats! You Won the Lottery….But

The lottery scam is one of the more successful frauds. You are told you just won millions of dollars and it will only cost you a few hundred bucks to claim it. A small price to pay to collect a huge payday. What retiree wouldn’t want to believe they’ve had a windfall? But, if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck…well, you can be pretty sure it’s a scam.

Fake Online Shopping

Online shopping is a fact of life. Unfortunately, so are the online shopping scammers. They set up what look like online stores, only to collect your payment information. What makes this type of fraud so successful is it can be virtually impossible to distinguish these websites from legitimate stores. The best way to avoid falling into the online shopping scam trap is to stick to the more popular, well-known sites. That said, Amazon is generally a safe site on which to make a purchase, but if you get a phone call from Amazon, just hang up. The caller will claim you’ve made an expensive purchase you never made. They will ask to take control of your computer to “fix” the problem and steal all of your personal information.  

Don’t Be the Next Victim

To protect yourself from those who wish to divest you of your hard-earned retirement money:

  • Never share personal info like your social security number or bank account details with anyone you don’t know.
  • Be wary of any unsolicited calls, texts, or emails asking for money or financial information.
  • Be cautious about clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown senders.
  • If you get a call from a “bank official” claiming to be from your bank, hang up and call your bank directly.
  • For more tips to avoid being scammed, consult the National Council on Aging.

Strength in Numbers

Once you rightsize into one of Overture’s premier senior living apartment communities, you’ll be able to rely on a warm, inclusive community for support and understanding. Book a tour today. Soon you will be sharing experiences and comparing notes with new friends who have your back - over cocktails at Happy Hour, of course.