SCAM ALERT: The Lake Jackson Police Department has seen a recent increase in telephone scams against senior citizens. These are real criminals trying to steal money from their victims, even if it is their entire life savings. This is the scam that has come up recently: The con artist will call the elderly victim and tell them that the grandson/granddaughter has an emergency, is out of town, and needs money fast. The caller will tell the victim that they have already contacted their parents and the parents refuse to help or beg them not to tell the parents. Sometimes callers will even use specific names of the grandchildren which can usually be obtained through social media. They will tell the victim the best way to help is for the victim to load money on a “Green Dot Money Pak” and leave a number to call back so they can access the money. However, also beware of the same type of scam using Western Union to send money. Once the scam artist gets the number to the Green Dot card that is all they need and the money…sometimes an entire life savings, is gone in an instant. This is just one example of how these criminals are scamming senior citizens. Although senior citizens tend to be targeted more, it could happen to anyone. Be aware there are many scams designed to con you or a loved one out of your money. Here are a few tips to avoid being scammed: 1. Educate your family, especially older family members such as grandparents of these and other types of scams. You can do this by typing in key words such as “senior citizen scams” or “telemarketing scams” in your preferred search engine. 2. If a family member calls and is needing money tell them you will hang up and call them right back….regardless of the advise the caller gives you 3. Don’t always trust your caller ID. With the use of modern technology the number for the incoming call can be altered 4. Trust your instinct. Victim’s of scams frequently say they felt something didn’t seem right but proceeded anyway to protect their loved one 5. ALWAYS consult with someone you know and trust before sending money to anyone you don’t already know. There is no such thing as free money. We have all heard the saying: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Be wary of anyone offering you a large amount of money out of the blue, especially if they ask you to send them money first or for you to provide your bank account information.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 21:40:11 +0000