Yikes. Spammers, scammers and fraudsters are bad people, but the ones who prey on our seasoned citizens are the worst! They make all of us see red. Our friend Eric Estes at the Boulder Dam Credit Union here in town reached out to us because of his concerns about the levels of fraud attempts they are seeing lately and asked if we could help get the word out. “Of course!”, we said.
So the following information has been assembled by the team at the Boulder Dam Credit Union, so that way you’re hearing directly from them both the nature of the issues they are seeing, and how to prevent it and report it. Here you go:
It seems like scammers never sleep. Criminals are constantly coming up with creative ways to steal money from unsuspecting people, especially older Americans. Each year, millions of elderly adults in the United States fall victim to financial frauds, suffering $3 billion or more in losses, according to the FBI.
Boulder City residents are not immune.
“The defrauding and financial abuse of our senior citizens is at a critical level. Not a day passes at the Credit Union that at least one member falls victim to another scam,” says
Boulder Dam Credit Union President/CEO Eric Estes “Our efforts at education and outreach have some success but we need help from the community to spread the word. Our senior citizens need our help and protection!”
Boulder Dam Credit Union has raised its security measures to decrease member fraud, including adding fraud-detection technology and staff training.
Here are some common elder fraud schemes to look out for and how to help guard against them:
Grandparent scam
Criminals pretend to be a relative, usually a child or grandchild, and often claim to need money for an emergency. In this scam, the ‘relative’ says they are going to send a friend by your home to collect the money. They may also ask that money be wire-transferred to someone you don’t know.
What to do: Resist the urge to immediately help. Never give or send money, jewelry, gift cards, checks, or wire transfers to people you don’t know. Call another relative to confirm the situation.
Tech support scam
Through email or by phone, criminals pose as technology support staff and offer to fix computer issues that don’t really exist. Sometimes they want to install anti-virus software in order to gain remote access to your electronic devices and personal information.
What to do: Hang up on scammers if they call. Always be careful of what you download. Never open an email attachment from someone you don’t know, or weren’t expecting. Be wary of email attachments forwarded to you. Make sure your antivirus and security software and malware protections are up to date.
Government impersonation scam
Criminals pose as government employees, sometimes from the IRS or Social Security Administration, and threaten to arrest or prosecute you unless you agree to provide a payment.
What to do: Government agencies won’t call you and ask for personal information over the phone such as your social security number or bank account/credit card numbers. Do not give this information out. Ask the person to send the request through regular mail. Chances are you won’t hear from them again.
Sweepstakes, charity, and lottery scams
In this update of the Nigerian prince scam, con artists falsely claim you won a foreign lottery or sweepstakes, which they can send you for a fee. Criminals also claim to work for real charitable organizations to gain someone’s trust before asking for a donation that goes in their pocket instead.
What to do: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Hang up on these fraudsters if they call and/or delete their emails.
TV, radio, and phone scams
Criminals target potential victims using false advertisements about real services, such as reverse mortgages, credit repair and extended auto warranty offers. They also may call to say you’ve won a free cruise and ask you to pay the taxes and fees in advance using a credit card over the phone.
What to do: If they call you, simply hang up. Do not give out personal information such as bank accounts or credit card numbers over the phone. If they call your cell phone, you can block the number.
Before it’s too late
If you are even a little suspicious of those who are requesting money from you or someone you know, please call Boulder Dam Credit Union and let our fraud experts offer guidance. Give us a call at 702.293.7777 or stop by 530 Ave G.
How to report elder fraud
If you or someone you know thinks they have been a victim of elder fraud, contact your local FBI office. You can also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center by visiting their website at https://www.ic3.gov.
