HARRISBURG — Investigators with the office of U.S. Attorney David J. Freed are teaming up with the FBI and the AARP to raise awareness about potential scams that target Pennsylvania seniors.
On Tuesday, the Middle District hosted an interactive telephone town hall as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, Freed’s office said in a press release.
More than 9,500 Pennsylvania seniors participated in the call, along with Freed and representatives from the FBI and AARP, Freed’s office said.
According to Freed, scammers are targeting seniors at an alarming rate. Statistics collected by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center show that victims of all ages lost over $2.7 billion dollars to fraud in 2018, with victims over the age of 60 accounting for $649,227,724 of those losses.
According to the same statistics, in Pennsylvania, over 10,500 people lost more than $62 million dollars, putting Pennsylvania in the top ten states by number of victims.
The DOJ Elder Justice Initiative aims to combat elder financial exploitation by expanding efforts to investigate and prosecute financial scams that target seniors, Freed said. The Initiative’s goal is also to educate older adults on how to identify scams and avoid getting ripped off by scammers and to promote greater coordination with law enforcement partners.
Some examples of financial frauds targeting seniors discussed during the town hall were:
- Social Security impostor schemes: defraud victims by posing as Social Security Administration agent and claiming that there is an issue with the victims’ account
- IRS impostor schemes: defraud victims by posing as IRS agents and claiming that victims owe back taxes
- Lottery phone scams: callers convince seniors that a large fee or taxes must be paid before one can receive lottery winnings
- Romance scams: lull victims to believe that their online paramour needs funds for a U.S. visit or some other purpose
- Grandparent scams: convince seniors that their grandchildren have been arrested and need bail money
- Tech support scams: scammers offer assistance with viruses or malware they claim were detected on the victim’s computer
- Grant scams: scammers congratulate you on your eligibility to receive a free grant to pay for education costs, home repairs, unpaid bills, etc., then ask for your checking account information so they can deposit your grant directly into your account or cover a one-time processing fee.
Below are some tips shared with participants during the town hall on how to avoid falling victim to a financial scam:
- Don’t share personal information with anyone you don’t know.
- Don’t pay a fee for a prize or lottery winning.
- Don’t click on pop-up ads or messages.
- Don’t send gift cards, checks, money orders, wire money, or give your bank account information to a stranger.
- Don’t fall for a high-pressure sales pitch or a lucrative business deal.
- Delete phishing emails and ignore harassing phone calls.
- If a scammer approaches you, take the time to talk to a friend or family member.
- Keep in mind that if you send money once, you’ll be a target for life.
- Remember, it’s not rude to say, “NO.”
- A good rule of thumb is, if it sounds too good to be true, it’s likely a scam.
Attacking exploitation and fighting fraud are two priorities of the Middle District, and the U.S. Attorney’s office is committed to aggressively pursuing individuals who engage in such acts.