Fraud and Older Adults Scams and fraud are common in our society, and older people are often prime targets. Part of the reason is that older adults tend to be from a more trusting and gracious generation. Often, in spite of how annoying or frightening solicitation phone calls may be, senior citizens still find it very hard to hang up on anyone. Another reason the elderly are often fraud victims is that they probably spend much more time at home than any other group and, as friends and family dwindle or move away, many are lonely and welcome the phone calls they do receive. A Common Scam Scenario Scams can occur through the mail, over the phone and in person.
Some schemes take advantage of a senior s memory loss.
Hoping for a short attention span and a failing memory, the schemster makes a second call the next day using the information that surfaced in the first call. Once the caller determines that the senior doesn t remember much of the first conversation, the fraud begins in earnest. Upon receipt, the crook says, the original check will be returned. Of course there was no first check, and all of those second checks that vulnerable elders send to the fake organization go straight into a criminal s pocket. Chances are the senior citizen will never see that money again.