Pensioners warned about fraud – Carswellfamilyfoundation

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Heritage Area Agency on Aging warns that seniors are among the most common victims of scams. They ask people to be on the lookout for scam attempts by phone or text message.

The National Council on Aging reports that people age 60 and older lost $3.4 billion to online scams in 2023, an 11% increase from 2022. There were 56 cases of financial exploitation reported at Heritage in the past year, with more than a quarter of elder abuse cases tied to finances.

A more recent scam that Heritage has encountered involves mail delivery. Typically, people may receive a text message from a mail carrier such as UPS asking them to pay to complete delivery of a package.

Another common scheme is when a scammer poses as a family member or friend in need.

“Someone called and said, ‘Hey grandma, hey grandpa, I had an accident or I’m in jail now.’ I need you to send me money so I can get out or get my car fixed,” said Harrison March of Heritage.

In such cases, March suggests reaching out to other family members to check what the other person is saying on the phone. It is also advisable to exercise caution whenever a person asks for money or personal information over the phone.

Some of these callers may actually sound like someone close to you, as artificial intelligence technology allows people to create a digital imitation of another person’s voice.

“AI is really widespread across all age groups,” March said. “It’s not just the elderly who can be fooled.”

March also says older adults are a common target because of their willingness to help others. This can be seen as the holidays approach and scammers pretend to be charitable organizations.

“It’s a shame when we hear these people who are really just trying to be good, trying to be useful to their loved ones or their community, and they’re being taken advantage of.”
‘ said March.

Other scams can take time: People pretend to be relatives or even romantic partners.

“There are these ‘long-time offenders’ where someone develops a relationship over a period of weeks, months, maybe even years before attempting to steal money or steal valuables,” March said.

The Heritage Area Agency on Aging says they have resources for people who have been victims. They should also contact local law enforcement if they believe they have been contacted by a scammer.