Avoid the #1 Senior Citizen Scam.
Posted by Kyle Taylor on Tue, Mar 22, 2011 @ 05:39 PM
I came across a news article on the "Grandma Scam". Apparently, this is the #1 scam that con artists pull on senior citizens. They target seniors who live alone in their own home.
The Scam
The con calls up a senior citizen and claims to be a loved one,
typically a grandson. The "grandson" tells "grandma" that he was traveling in Mexico and was falsely arrested. He now needs a few thousand dollars to pay for bail. Of course "grandma" won't let her "grandson" rot in a foreign prison cell. So the con asks grandma to wire the money to him. Grandma walks down to her local Western Union, wires the money out of the country and the scam is complete.
Prevention #1 - Education.
If you have an elderly friend of family member who lives in their own home alone, be sure to tell them about this. Once they know it is common, it will be a lot easier to spot.
Prevention #2 - Verify.
It shouldn't be too hard to call the "grandson's" parents to ask if he is traveling. This will most certainly put an end to the con.
Prevention #3 - Unlisted phone numbers.
By removing the phone number from directory service, it is much less likely that a con artist will be able to contact your loved one in the first place.
Other Possibilities:
Most people that would believe this con are more frail mentally. This may be a sign of other needs. Many times all of these needs can be met in a Retirement Community or an Assisted Living Community. One of the intangible benefits of these living arrangements is most have their own internal phone system making it impossible for con artists to contact them directly. I have got to assume that residents of Assisted Living and Independent Living Communities are much less likely to fall prey to scams.
What do you think? I'd love to hear from you, especially if you have personal experience in this area. Please leave a comment.
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