When it comes to scammers, no person is off limits – even if they’re elderly. In fact, senior citizens are at a higher risk of being targeted by scammers since they often have more money in savings and their lack of technological know-how can make them more trusting. So, to protect our grandparents, neighbors, older friends, or even yourself, it’s important to know about some of the most common senior fraud scams and how to avoid them.

Government Impostor Scams

In a government impostor scam, fraudsters will call seniors and pose as a representative from a government organization such as the IRS, Social Security Administration, U.S. Treasury Department, or Medicare. Many times, the scammers will try to pressure the person on the other end by claiming that he or she has unpaid taxes or that there is a problem with their benefits. From here, the scammers may request personal information from the victim, including social security numbers, or even ask that they send payments through specific methods such as gift cards, wire transfers, or mailed cash.

One of the first red flags with this scam is that the government is unlikely to communicate with you by phone. Majority of the time, if there is a problem with taxes or benefits, these organizations will notify you through a letter in the mail. Secondly, it’s important to be cautious whenever an unknown number calls. It’s best to let it go to voicemail, but if you do answer then don’t give out any personal information or make payments. Instead, verify that the phone number is real and official before acting.

Lottery and Sweepstake Scams

As the name suggests, these types of scams involve a fraudster calling, emailing, or mailing the victim to tell him or her that they’ve won some sort of prize. This could include a free vacation, the lottery, a sweepstakes contest, or some free goods and services. After congratulating the victim, the scammer will request his or her personal information and/or an upfront payment before the he or she can collect the winnings.

Of course, this is all too good to be true. If you haven’t entered any contests or played the lottery lately, then that is your first hint that this call is just another scam. Additionally, it’s unlikely that a real contest will ask for payment in return for a prize so be sure to think twice before sending money or giving out your personal information.

Grandparent Scams

As we know, our grandparents love us and will do anything to help us – something that scammers like to exploit. In a grandparent scam, fraudsters will call a loving grandparent and impersonate their grandchild or other close relative while pretending to be in trouble. To get out of his or her sticky situation, the criminal will request account information or money wires from the grandparent, hoping that they won’t hesitate to help. To make matters worse, these calls will often occur late at night to cause confusion and the scammer may apply pressure for victims to act quickly without a second thought.

It can be tough to take a step back when it seems like the safety of your loved one is at stake. However, the right move is to pause and call the relative yourself before jumping into action. This way, you can verify if the situation is real or if you’re being scammed.

Robocalls

Automated phone calls, or robocalls, can be used by scammers to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. Robocall scams may claim that the victim needs to renew a warranty, take action against a lawsuit, or reply to receive a discount on some service. Other times, a robocall may simply ask “Can you hear me?” to get the victim to respond “Yes.” Once scammers have this response recorded, they can use the voice signature to verify purchases from stolen bank information.

Just like we talked about with the government impostor scam, the best way to avoid robocall schemes is to let the unknown number go straight to voicemail rather than answer it. Like the saying goes, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Tech Support Scams

Tech support scams can either occur over the phone or through pop-up messages on a victim’s computer. Their goal is to use the elderly’s lack of experience with technology to trick them into thinking there is an issue with their computer. Scammers will pose as tech support representatives from well-known companies such as Apple and give instructions that allow them to remotely access the victim’s computer. From here, a fraudster may install malware that can access the victims’ personal information. Other times, these fake tech support agents will try to convince victims to buy services to protect their computer and then wire the payments to themselves.

As usual, it’s important to verify if a phone number is actually linked to the company it claims to be. Additionally, if you suspect that there is an issue with your computer, reach out to the manufacturer yourself to be sure you are calling a legitimate tech support agent. Moreover, be sure to regularly update your computer’s security software and run security scans to spot any malware.

Phishing emails

Like many of the other scams we’ve discussed so far, phishing emails involve a scammer impersonating a person or company that you already know. For example, they could be impersonating a friend, family member, store, or even your bank. These emails then use the trusted relationship between you and the person the scammer is posing as to request money or personal information. In addition, the emails may direct the victim to click on links or download attachments that then install malware.

Once again, it’s important to verify that you’re actually talking to the person you think you’re talking to before responding. Aside from that, take a hard look at the email address and the message itself. If there are numerous grammatical and spelling errors, then that’s a sign this may be a scammer. Similarly, never download an unsolicited attachment and hover over links to see if they’re legitimate before clicking on them.

What to Do if Scammed

Hopefully, you will now be better equipped to spot red flags and protect yourself against potential fraud. However, if you or someone you know falls victim to one of these common scams, the best course of action is to notify your bank immediately. They’ll be able to help with your compromised finances and keep scammers from taking advantage of your accounts!