US Attorney General for Southern Illinois Rachelle Aud Crowe says a number of scams impacting seniors are being seen in the Southern part of the state.
Crowe says in addition to the identity theft schemes there are a variety of other schemes that seniors need to be on the lookout for:
- Grandparents Scams where fraudsters impersonate seniors’ grandchildren, or some other loved one, and try to convince the seniors that they need funds immediately, usually for some type of medical or legal emergency.
- Romance Scams where scammers meet seniors online usually through dating sites, pretend to fall in love with them and then persuade the seniors to send them money
- Tax scams where fraudsters falsely tell seniors that they owe back taxes and must make immediate payments
- Lottery Scams where fraudsters try to convince seniors that they have won the lottery or some other type of prize, but need to send money first for taxes or fees.
Crow is offering some tips on avoiding becoming a victim:
- Be wary of individuals you meet online or over the phone
- If someone you’ve never met in person claims to be in love with you, there’s a good chance that person is a scammer.
- If someone you’ve never met before asks you for, or demands, money, there’s a good chance it’s a scam.
- If someone is asking you for, or demanding money, ask your son, daughter, loved one, or good friend what they think. This is true even if the person asking for money claims there is no time for you to talk with your family or friends.
- If someone contacts you claiming to be from a company or institution, such as the IRS or your bank, hang up and call them back on the telephone number you look up yourself. This will enable you to talk to representatives of the real company or institution.
Crow says they want to do everything they can to protect seniors from becoming victims. She feels a big part of that is making seniors aware of the fraud scams out there. If you have an elderly relative or friend, Crowe asks you to take a few minutes to discuss this topic with them. If you are a senior yourself, she hopes you’ll follow her advice and avoid falling prey to those vicious scammers.
