Scams Targeting Seniors: What You Need To Know

Everyone is susceptible to scams. Unfortunately, many scammers target older adults, hoping to capitalize on their generosity or isolation. According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center(IC3), seniors 65 and older lost $3.4 billion in scams in 2022, with the average loss per individual being $34,000. In Georgia, there were 177,000 reported scams from April 2023 to May 2024, which is 62 percent higher than the national average.

Scams are a real threat to older Americans, but understanding what scams are common and how to identify them is the first step in protecting yourself.

Commonly Seen Scams That Target Elders

There are hundreds of different approaches to scams, and it seems like new ones are introduced each year. It would be difficult to learn about all the scams out there, but learning about a few of the more common ones can help you identify them. These common scams include government impersonations, giveaways, fake friends on social media, and customer service scams.

Government Impersonations

Government impersonation scams occur when someone impersonates a government official to obtain personal information from a person. This person may call, text, or email you and claim to be from a government agency–often the Social Security Administration or Medicare. The scammer contacting you will typically claim they need information from you. The reasons can be different, but a few often used are because there is an issue with your account or benefits or you owe them money, like a missed payment or a fine. From here, the scammer will try to get you to share personal information, such as your social security number, bank or checking account information, or other data about your personal identity.

A good rule of thumb to remember is that, in general, government officials won’t call or email you. And this applies to the majority of businesses you have accounts with. Many of these organizations state that they will never ask you for personal information over text or email. The method of communication from government agencies and other service providers is most often physical mail. Government agencies also won’t typically ask for your personal information. They may ask you to verify something, but they should be able to tell you what information they have on file and ask you if that’s correct, such as asking you to verify the last four digits of your social security number.

Giveaways

Winning something is fun and exciting–and that’s exactly why giveaway scams are so easy to fall for. Giveaways are one of the oldest types of scams, but they’re still common, especially among older adults. A giveaway scam is when someone notifies you, either by email, text, or phone call, to tell you that you’ve won something. Usually, the prize is extravagant, like a cruise or getaway. But in order to receive the prize, you have to provide personal information or make a small payment.

If someone contacts you saying you won something that you haven’t entered, it’s likely a scam. You can’t win something that you never entered yourself into in the first place–so begin by asking yourself if this is something you even entered into. If this was a real giveaway, the person running it shouldn’t have to ask for payment details or anything beyond your name and contact information.

Fake Friends

A fake friend scam is when someone creates a fake profile on social media to ask for money from other people. The reason this scam is so successful is that scammers can use real photographs of the person they’re pretending to be. At first glance, you may think it’s someone in your life asking for money, which makes you more open to assisting the scammer.

If someone you know, either long-term or just recently met, asks you for personal information online, never give them immediate answers. Take the time to investigate the situation first. Do you know this person outside of social media? If so, try reaching out to them through a different method, like with a phone call. If it truly is the person you know, they should be able to ask you over the phone, or even in person, for the same requests they’re making on social media.

Fake Parking Tickets

One scam specific to tourist locations throughout Atlanta is a fake parking ticket scam. Some people have found parking tickets on their cars with a QR code that allows them to pay for the fake ticket. When they scan the code, they go to an unsecured PayPal page that prompts visitors to enter payment information.

Real parking tickets will not have a QR code on them to collect payments. Instead, they’ll have information on multiple ways to pay for your ticket, including a mail-in option to a federal building. If you’re ever unsure if a city ticket is real, you can view all your Atlanta tickets online.

Identifying A Scam

There are tons of unique scams targeting seniors, which can make it challenging to identify when something is a scam. A few red flags to look out for include:

• There is an urgency to act now, but the individual is not answering questions or providing information about themselves or their organization.
• The person contacting you is rude or threatening.
• The person contacting you is asking for money through a wire transfer or gift card.
• The person is reaching out through suspicious forms of communication.
• The person uses poor spelling or grammar if they’re contacting you via text or email.

One key thing to remember any time anyone ever asks for personal information is that nothing is so urgent that you can’t do some quick research first. Take that time to ask if you have an association with the so-called agency or person. If your answer is yes, then call them yourself (through a public-facing number either online or in a phone book or business card).

For example, if someone calls claiming to be from Medicare, tell them you have to go immediately, but you’ll call back. Then, without redialing the number that called you, find the legitimate number for your medicare representative or office and call them to ask if they just reached out to you. If they didn’t, it’s an indication someone just tried to scam you.

Another thing to remember is that many scammers are actually pretty convincing. They play into our fears and kindness to manipulate the situation in their favor. You’ll need a bit of confidence to shut them down in the middle of their attempts, which can get pushy if they’re feeling your resistance.

What To Do If You’ve Fallen Victim To A Scam

It’s very common to fall victim to scams, unfortunately. The important thing is to protect yourself after.

• Stop communication: As soon as you realize you may have interacted with a scammer, stop all communication. If the scammer contacts you via text, email, or social media, stop responding, but don’t delete the conversations. You may need these to show proof of a scam.
• Report it: Reporting scams keeps the public aware of them while helping agencies like the Federal Trade Commission protect us against them. The FTC encourages everyone to report scams to them. You can also report Medicare fraud and abuse through their website.
• Secure your identity: If you give a scammer personal information, like your social security number, report the identity theft immediately.
• Notify compromised accounts: Contact your bank, credit card companies, and any other organizations that may have been compromised and notify them of the scam. They’ll be able to freeze transactions and accounts.

Staying Safe With Visiting Angels

At Visiting Angels, we’re dedicated to helping seniors live safe and independent lives. Our compassionate caregivers have a soft spot in their hearts when it comes to caring for elderly clients. While we’re by no means tech experts, we are incredibly vigilant when it comes to looking out for our clients’ best interests. During their time together, Visiting Angels caregivers assist senior residents of East Atlanta with everyday tasks, and personal care to look and feel their best at home. And in between activities, our “Angel” caregivers are watching out for clients’ overall safety and well-being. Our non-medical services are there to reassure families that mom and dad have an extra set of eyes and ears on them to keep them safe.

Learn more about our at-home care by contacting our Atlanta East office.