Oldest tricks in the book More and more scammers are targeting seniors—and local fraud- prevention agencies are fighting back
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By Judith M. Wilson
slick spiel and the click of a mouse are all it takes to lose one’s retirement savings, and it’s all too common a story. When marking World Elder Abuse Day last June 15, the FBI reported that scammers had fleeced elders of $1.6 million from January through May of this year, and
the number of complaints continues to grow. “We just keep hearing more reports of elder financial abuse,” former North Bay state Sen. Bill Dodd said last year. While historically family members or individuals with a close relationship to elders were most often responsible, he believes attempts to defraud elders are proliferating now because computers and mobile phones make elders vulnerable, and nefarious individuals often find it easy to confuse them, putting them in a position where they unwittingly make decisions that go against their own interests. Dodd explains that such people sound official and ask for a senior’s Social Security number or instruct them to wire money to a specific account for what seems to be a valid reason, and elders comply.
February 2025 February 2025
28 NorthBaybiz
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