(AbsoluteNews.com) – Millions of Americans fall victim to scams every year. They lose millions of dollars annually from fraudsters who want to take advantage of them. Sadly, the 2021 pandemic has not slowed down these criminals and their schemes designed to hurt the elderly.
Here are some of the top scams senior citizens should be aware of moving forward.
Romance Scams
Oftentimes when people grow old, they lose the love of their lives. Being widowed after spending decades with someone can be incredibly lonely. In the tech age, that leaves elderly Americans vulnerable to scammers who want to exploit their loneliness.
One of the most common internet scams is people posing as romantic interests. They build a relationship with the senior and eventually begin asking for money or personal financial information.
To avoid falling victim to a romance scheme, never send money or personal information online to anyone you don’t know. Also, avoid sending provocative selfies or other photos that could be used later for blackmail.
Grandparent Schemes
A grandparent scam is especially vicious. The criminal leverages the elderly person’s love for their grandkids in order to steal money from them. Usually, they happen with a scammer calling the victim and posing as their grandchild. They say they were arrested, robbed or had some other horrible events happen to them.
To avoid falling victim, don’t wire money to anyone who contacts you and asks for money. Hang up and call your grandchild to confirm before ever trying to help them.
Fake COVID-19 Vaccine Tricks
The ongoing pandemic has created an opportunity for scammers to make money. One of those ways is using vaccines to steal money from people. Criminals are using the information on vaccine cards to steal the identities or break into the bank accounts and credit cards of victims.
To avoid scams like this, authorities recommend not sharing photos of vaccine cards online or with anyone else. That will prevent scammers from getting critical information, like your full name, date of birth and other identifying information.
Social Security Scams
Every year, scammers call people and claim the victim’s Social Security number was used in a crime. The criminal will tell the victims they will be arrested if they do not pay some outrageous fee to fix their cards. They might say it was used in a crime or found in a house raided by the police.
Like with the other scams, the best way to avoid falling victim is by not sending money to anyone you don’t know. If there’s someone on the phone claiming to be a detective, find the number for the local police station yourself, call and ask the front desk to transfer you to the desk of whatever detective name was used by the caller.
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