Frauds Targeting Senior Citizens -- Become Aware, Stay Safe

Fraud is an intentional deception for personal gain. There are dozens of frauds that are occurring throughout the US and, unfortunately, most of these frauds are targeted toward the elderly.

Keyword search of the word 'fraud' on the Chicago, IL SpotCrime Map
Over 200 events found in the past month

This may be because most elderly have a high percentage of disposable income and low debt (which means more for a criminal to steal).  Also, elderly have typical characteristics that put them at risk to becoming a victim of a scam, including:

• Old age
• Hearing or memory loss
• Being trusting or depending on younger people
• Loneliness
• Disconnect with today's technology

These traits, if picked up by a criminal, can leave an elderly person scammed out of not only monetary items, but of time, trust and dignity.

Learn about different scams in this video

Crimes against the elderly include 'transient crimes'.  This type of crime involves a person making a 'home repair', asking for a glass of water or 'checking out' an unreported problem to enter a person's home. In a recent scam in Tinley Park, IL a man pretended to be an elderly woman's new neighbor.  He drew her out of her house into her back yard to talk, just enough time for his accomplice to steal nearly $14k in cash and jewelry.

Sweepstakes or Telemarketing are other types of scam that target elderly.  Traits of elderly, like hearing or memory loss, make it easy for criminals trick the innocent person into giving out personal information (bank accounts to transfer money, social security numbers, etc) over the phone or through the mail.   These scams may also include the criminal asking the victim to wire money, normally $700-$1,000--in order to claim their (non-existent) cash prize of $40,000.

Some tips from the Redlands PD

The list can go on.  And the more citizens and police become aware of these scams, the craftier and trickier the criminals get.

Help protect the people you care about (whether it be Grandma and Grandpa, MomMom and PopPop, Gramps and Gram, Nana and PapPap, etc). Stay aware of the scams that are occurring in your area.  Criminals are ruthless and will cheat, lie and steal to get what they want.

The biggest way to help prevent a crime is to become educated.  Let an elderly person know what to do when approached by someone they do not know, especially if they live alone.  Let them know it's OK to ask questions to make sure someone is telling the truth.  It's OK to be weary of someone who is trying to befriend them.  Teach them what to avoid and how to protect their personal information like credit card information, social security information, health care information, etc.  Technology is still fairly new and most do not know how to protect themselves against deceitful criminals.

If you have any questions or need information to send to an elderly person you care about, feel free to contact your local Police Department.  In South Florida, the Miami Police Department held meetings for the elderly informing them of scams.  The Police are aware of the recent scams that are out there and are more than willing to help and educate the public.

Sign up for your local crime alerts to stay informed of what occurs in your neighborhood or head to MyLocalCrime or SpotCrime.  Stay Safe!