A phone call from a charity seeking desperately needed funds during the Christmas holidays for the homeless or victims of natural disasters. Or an investment offer giving you an exclusive chance to earn potentially enormous profits. The sad truth to these unfortunate circumstances is that the elderly are the major target for these con artists. Among the major scams of the last ten years has been the postcard sweepstakes offers. In a recent poll, a surprising 30 percent of Americans said they responded to such mailings, sometimes sending hundred of dollars to these con artists.
False charities are another popular con.
These fake charities range from con artists falsely representing the disabled to miracle cures for cancer.