You may wish to check on your elderly loved ones and neighbors...!
If they have stacks of junk mail, it’s a huge red flag that they likely have already given away hundreds, even thousands of dollars to criminals. That's because once they start sending money, they get on more and more "sucker lists." If they are trying to borrow money, it a sign that the scammers have already gotten all they have.
Do not loan these folks any money based on their word. You will need to confirm that they have not been prompted by a scammer to make up a story that sounds legitimate - just to get more cash to send to the scammer who has promised a million-dollar prize. For this person (victim), trying to get the prize by sending more cash becomes an obsession similar to an addiction. The scammer tells the victim to keep it all secret from their family members.
What they need is intervention - not money.
For example, have you been to the person's living quarters to check on the presence or absence of junk mail, sweepstakes mail, lottery mail (or excessive phone calls from their “friends” you don’t know, many - but not necessarily all - from international area codes, etc.?)
You think there's nothing wrong with this still-independent seemingly "with it" person - except for an inexplicable obsession with mail.
You think you can educate and enlighten them and get them to stop.
You can't.
You still dwell in the land of logic.
Often, elderly adults are vulnerable because of imperceptible cognitive decline. You won’t be able to tell there is something wrong with the person's executive management function (the ability to make good decisions.) That’s why it’s called imperceptible.
Telephone scamming drains dollars even more quickly than mail scamming. You may have only days or weeks to intervene and to save anything.
Unfortunately, I know whereof I speak, as we had a family member who was preyed upon by these fraudsters.
If you think your loved one may be a victim, or if you are not sure, you can get advice and help from the USPIS: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/ or phone 1-877-876-2455 and ask for Mail Fraud (even if it is telephone scamming, it fits in mail fraud because your loved one is mailing a check or cash, or wiring cash). You can ask for USPIS to make a visit to determine if a fraud is happening. These are trained, compassionate law officers who know how to deal with the elderly victims and to attempt to halt the scams.
The DOJ and the USPIS (United States Postal Inspection Service) held a press conference in September, 2016. I’m just glad they are finally doing something about this.
The story of the crackdown was picked up this week - in September, 2016 - by CNN news. They have published a series of reports. The series at the moment is located int the Crime and Justice section of CNN - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos. In the CNN app, look for the Justice area and things like “Powerhouse," “PacNet" and "The Life and Times of Sin City's Million-dollar Fraudster.”
Here are links so far:
The stories that could be our family's story - My father gave all his money to mail scams - Video - Business News
How PacNet works - Video - Business News
Massive crackdown on global mail fraud empire
Exposed: The secret powerhouse processing millions in global fraud
The life and crimes of Sin City's million-dollar mail fraudster
The government's black list newest member
DOJ press conference video (of which approximately the first 15 minutes is devoted to this topic of scamming) - https://www.justice.gov/opa/video/d...riminal-actions-dismantle-global-mass-mailing
DOJ press release - https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/just...announce-civil-and-criminal-actions-dismantle
DOJ press conference transcript (with remarks before and after about events in Charlotte) - https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/...ers-remarks-press-conference-announcing-law-0
Kindest regards.
If they have stacks of junk mail, it’s a huge red flag that they likely have already given away hundreds, even thousands of dollars to criminals. That's because once they start sending money, they get on more and more "sucker lists." If they are trying to borrow money, it a sign that the scammers have already gotten all they have.
Do not loan these folks any money based on their word. You will need to confirm that they have not been prompted by a scammer to make up a story that sounds legitimate - just to get more cash to send to the scammer who has promised a million-dollar prize. For this person (victim), trying to get the prize by sending more cash becomes an obsession similar to an addiction. The scammer tells the victim to keep it all secret from their family members.
What they need is intervention - not money.
For example, have you been to the person's living quarters to check on the presence or absence of junk mail, sweepstakes mail, lottery mail (or excessive phone calls from their “friends” you don’t know, many - but not necessarily all - from international area codes, etc.?)
You think there's nothing wrong with this still-independent seemingly "with it" person - except for an inexplicable obsession with mail.
You think you can educate and enlighten them and get them to stop.
You can't.
You still dwell in the land of logic.
Often, elderly adults are vulnerable because of imperceptible cognitive decline. You won’t be able to tell there is something wrong with the person's executive management function (the ability to make good decisions.) That’s why it’s called imperceptible.
Telephone scamming drains dollars even more quickly than mail scamming. You may have only days or weeks to intervene and to save anything.
Unfortunately, I know whereof I speak, as we had a family member who was preyed upon by these fraudsters.
If you think your loved one may be a victim, or if you are not sure, you can get advice and help from the USPIS: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/ or phone 1-877-876-2455 and ask for Mail Fraud (even if it is telephone scamming, it fits in mail fraud because your loved one is mailing a check or cash, or wiring cash). You can ask for USPIS to make a visit to determine if a fraud is happening. These are trained, compassionate law officers who know how to deal with the elderly victims and to attempt to halt the scams.
The DOJ and the USPIS (United States Postal Inspection Service) held a press conference in September, 2016. I’m just glad they are finally doing something about this.
The story of the crackdown was picked up this week - in September, 2016 - by CNN news. They have published a series of reports. The series at the moment is located int the Crime and Justice section of CNN - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos. In the CNN app, look for the Justice area and things like “Powerhouse," “PacNet" and "The Life and Times of Sin City's Million-dollar Fraudster.”
Here are links so far:
The stories that could be our family's story - My father gave all his money to mail scams - Video - Business News
How PacNet works - Video - Business News
Massive crackdown on global mail fraud empire
Exposed: The secret powerhouse processing millions in global fraud
The life and crimes of Sin City's million-dollar mail fraudster
The government's black list newest member
DOJ press conference video (of which approximately the first 15 minutes is devoted to this topic of scamming) - https://www.justice.gov/opa/video/d...riminal-actions-dismantle-global-mass-mailing
DOJ press release - https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/just...announce-civil-and-criminal-actions-dismantle
DOJ press conference transcript (with remarks before and after about events in Charlotte) - https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/...ers-remarks-press-conference-announcing-law-0
Kindest regards.
He lives with and takes care of his mom. I'm surprised they still have her house.
