Seniors citizens are popular fraud targets |
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December 16, 2004 – Fraud against older Americans is a serious problem affecting seniors in the Holland area and all over the country. Unsuspecting older Americans have lost their life savings or suffered serious financial strain. The BBB, along with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, reminds seniors and their families to be alert to common scams that can target the elderly.
It is sometimes hard to tell if a sales pitch is legitimate or fraudulent. You cannot judge it by the tone of someone's voice or how friendly or sincere the person seems to be. Good salespeople are convincing and so are crooks. But here are some tactics usually used by the crooks:
- You get a phone call, postcard or e-mail from someone telling you that you have won a prize and asking for payment for processing or administrative fees, for customs, taxes or any other reason. Often the caller is from another country. These are scams. Legitimate lotteries never ask any money to collect a prize.
- The caller says you have to take his offer immediately or you will miss the golden opportunity.
- The person insists that you send your payment by a private courier or wire the money rather than sending it through the mail. This is just a way to evade the postal authorities.
- The caller refuses to send you written information on his deal before you commit to anything.
- The promoter promises huge profits in an investment, franchise or other business opportunity with little effort and no risk.
- The caller is asking for a donation but will not tell you how the money will be used and how you can verify what the charity does.
- They ask for your Social Security number, credit card or bank account number or other financial information when you have not made a purchasing decision and have not agreed to pay anything with those accounts.
- An overseas lawyer or official writes that he has millions of dollars which he wants to send you in a secret deal. All he needs are your bank account numbers. A giant worldwide scam!
- The company offers a loan or credit card, no matter what your credit record, or to "repair" your bad credit if you pay an up-front fee.
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