Elder scams - Consumer Reports

[brett]

Elder fraud, on line dating scams, and affinity fraud are very common where I live. The authorities cannot keep up with them and do not have the manpower to investigate or prosecute.

 

[mickeyd]

It appears that most (all?) scams that CR article refers to can be easily avoided by personal action and research. Many seniors that I know think that they are too old to learn simple investing techniques that we all take for granted on this forum. This makes them an easy target for slimy scammers.

 

[scrabbler1]

Another example of "not only the elderly," although we had previously alerted our parents to this one: How I Fell Face First for an Epic IRS Scam | Narratively | Human stories, boldly told.

If greed doesn't reel you in, how about fear of being jailed by the IRS?

Pretty wild story. Glad she decided to disobey the scammer's orders and talk to Kate, her son's "other mother(?)" who was able to stop this runaway train. That seems to be a common thread in these scams: "Don't tell anyone because....." That, to me, is the part which most amazes me, that someone takes that "order" seriously in these scams. "I need to talk to my lawyer first" should always smoke out these scammers.

 

[hnzw_rui]

That seems to be a common thread in these scams: "Don't tell anyone because....." That, to me, is the part which most amazes me, that someone takes that "order" seriously in these scams. "I need to talk to my lawyer first" should always smoke out these scammers.

+1. Of course, I never answer calls from unknown numbers in the first place and I expect the IRS would have sent at least the final written notice by certified or registered mail.

 

[2017ish]

Pretty wild story. Glad she decided to disobey the scammer's orders and talk to Kate, her son's "other mother(?)" who was able to stop this runaway train. That seems to be a common thread in these scams: "Don't tell anyone because....." That, to me, is the part which most amazes me, that someone takes that "order" seriously in these scams. "I need to talk to my lawyer first" should always smoke out these scammers.

I was agog at a host of things in that piece, but the caller I.D. of "911" should be a tipoff to even someone who is not at all familiar of how the IRS (and DOJ) operate.

 

[Amethyst]

It's never progressed to a "scam," although that was probably the next intended step. On FB, I sometimes get "friend" requests that appear to be from men about 20 years younger than me, sometimes with cute kids, once in an Army uniform. It is always the same: "I saw your beautiful picture on FB, and want to get to know you better."

My response is always: "Are you a friend of one of my friends?" Next thing, their FB page has been "deactivated." It seems they are looking for a silly older woman who hits "friend" without asking questions. No doubt, they carpet-scam women whose FB photos look to be of a certain age group.

 

[scrabbler1]

I just got a call today (on my answering machine, I was out) from one of those scammers threatening to send law enforcement to arrest and jail me if I didn't call a number back. The number was 214-771-7027, somewhere in Texas. I did a quick search on that phone number and got a lot of recent complaints on it; I added my own. I didn't call the number back, of course.

 

[ls99]

New scam?

Just got an email saying "We received your US Mint order..."

Marked it as junk without opening.