By Jim Blanks

Senior citizens have been targeted in increasing numbers by scam artists looking to make a quick score. The scams come in many forms, including cold calls, email proposals, and even in-person meetings. As Detective Brian Young of the Visalia Police Department explains, the emergence of Internet-based scams means that there are many new ways to be swindled. But you don’t have to be a victim.

According to Det. Young, most new scams are actually variations on old schemes; many just have slight twists that make them well-suited for a new group of victims. And of all victims, senior citizens are particularly vulnerable.

“Senior citizens are targeted, in my opinion, due to their willingness to talk to cold callers and because of the trust that most seniors display,” Det. Young explained. “This generation grew up not locking their doors and leaving keys in their vehicles without the fear of burglary.”

Senior citizens can also fall prey to Internet scammers if they are not up-to-date on current technology and trends.

“Seniors generally do not use the Internet or email as others do, so they are not aware of current scams,” and they often don’t have someone to consult on technical topics, except friends and family members, Young said. “This is also a direct link to financial elder abuse committed by family members, which is a problem that is increasing dramatically.”

A number of scams seem to reappear frequently. Although they might appear in nuanced forms, they are all scams. One fraud involves a series of professional looking emails sent to the victim with the arrangement that a $300,000 money order will be sent in the mail; upon receipt, the victim is instructed to remove $5,000, and then wire the remaining money to China. The money order later comes back fraudulent, costing the victim the entire amount of the funds.

A second common scam starts with a cold call, advising the victim that he has won $800,000 in a foreign lottery. Over the next thirty days, the victim is instructed to send various money orders to cover taxes.

“During this time, both the victim’s bank and local money order vendors become concerned, but the victim explains that he is helping distant relatives,” Det. Young said. “This cover is provided by scammers.”

After two weeks, the police are also notified, but by this point the victim has generally invested a lot of personal income into the scam and does not listen to the advice of others.

“The victim continues being involved with this scam until the date the winnings are supposed to be flown in via private jet,” Det. Young said. “Which, of course, does not happen.”

This scam can cost victims up to $30,000, and highlights one of the main reasons scams work so well. The victim, once he is involved in the scam, often ignores the advice of his friends, family, and even law enforcement officials.

“Senior citizens are often on a fixed income, so the offer of additional money is embraced,” Det. Young said. “On the other hand, younger victims facing mounting bills and raising children also can fall prey. And sometimes, the plain old sin of greed takes over and the victim wants something for nothing.”

The idea of “something for nothing” might be a big reason another scam is successful: In this scenario, a victim is contacted outside a major retail store and offered a gold bar because the suspects do not have the necessary identification to exchange the gold for currency. The victim agrees to complete the bank transaction for a percentage of the profit. However, the victim must first pay the suspect $5,000 as “good faith” to ensure that the victim will not run off with the gold. After the money and gold are exchanged, the suspect leaves, and the victim discovers that the bar is painted metal.

Another classic scheme is what is known as the “sweetheart” scam. In this situation, the victim is befriended by a member of the opposite sex. A friendship develops, and after a period of time, a tragedy occurs in the sweetheart’s family, requiring money. The victim, wanting to help a new friend, supplies the necessary funds. This continues, with the sweetheart needing additional money for food, furniture, clothing, and other provisions until the victim runs out of money or confronts the suspect. At this point, the sweetheart scammer moves on to another victim. Losses in this scam have ranged between $10,000 and $20,000, but often the emotional damage is even greater.

The scam is especially troubling, Det. Young explains, because “generally the victims are targeted because they have previously lost a loved one. This tragic loss is preyed upon by the suspects.”

There are a variety of emotions that scammers play upon to take money from a victim. Along with appealing to a sense of obligation, or to a victim’s need for easy money, scam artists also thrive on the humiliation that someone feels upon being victimized. This can make the investigation process especially difficult on law enforcement.

“If you happen to fall victim, please consult your local law enforcement and confide in friends and family,” Det. Young said. “One issue is often embarrassment; however, this is what the scammers like. The issue goes unreported and the scammers are allowed to continue without any type of investigation.”

Another difficulty in the investigation process, Det. Young says, is tracking the scammers, who often “funnel money via various routes, allowing accounts to be changed and housed in locations that do not share information with law enforcement. This causes the investigation to come to a halt, leaving us with a database of victims and no way to identify or prosecute the suspects.”

Therefore, the best way to beat scammers is to avoid falling victim in the first place.

“Do not accept cold calls or give any type of information over the phone or in writing if you do not know exactly to whom you are giving the information,” Det. Young said. “Most scammers are good at what they do, so official sounding names with titles to match make them sound legitimate and trustworthy.”

Overall, Det. Young says, the best way to avoid becoming a victim is to use common sense. Scammers cannot succeed unless the victim goes along with the scheme. If you remain wary, and contact law enforcement at the first sign of suspicious behavior, you will keep yourself from becoming a victim.

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