Phone & Email Scams
Family Care articles are not a substitute for medical or legal advice from a licensed professional.
Why Elders Are at Risk
Over the years, the snail mail, email, and phone scams have increased for the elderly. Americans aged 50-59 and 60-69 represented the largest groups reporting fraud in 2017. In that same year, the 80+ age group represented the greatest per capita dollar amount lost to scams. It’s a serious problem that only grows worse as technology becomes unavoidable in daily life.
Scammers target the elderly for a number of reasons. They’re the most likely age group to have a big savings and good credit. They’re often unfamiliar with technology, and have a hard time separating the scams from the legitimate phone calls. They’re also less likely to report fraud. They could be worried about losing their independence when their family members find out, or they might not know who to talk to when reporting a scam. They may be unable to testify about fraud if they don’t understand or remember what happened. The perfect target for a scammer is someone with lots of money who won’t report them.
Talking to Elderly Family Members
Sometimes, it can be helpful to describe common scams to elderly relatives. Discussing fraud with your family members can help them remain vigilant and recognize the most frequent schemes.
You didn’t win a prize.
Seniors looking to increase their retirement savings or leave a bigger inheritance for their children might be tempted by a get-rich-quick scam. If they didn’t enter a contest, sweepstakes, or raffle, then they didn’t win a prize (and even if they did, you’ll want to look into the legitimacy of the contest). If the prize requires a small payment in order to receive it, like paying the taxes, the shipping, or a small “thank you” fee, it isn’t real.
The grandkids aren’t in danger.
This common scam has been circling for years: a scammer calls the house, claiming to be a grandchild in trouble or in need of bail money. They prey on a sense of panic and urgency, and grandparents’ desire to help. Remind your parents that the kids would call you, not them, if they needed assistance.
You don’t owe money to the IRS (or anyone else, for that matter).
When an elderly person picks up the phone and hears they may be arrested, panic sets in. IRS scams claim they owe money on their taxes, and threaten jail time if they don’t reply right away. This is never the case. If someone claiming to be the IRS (or a bank, credit agency, or other entity) calls with an urgent message requiring immediate payment, encourage your family members to hang up and call the organization at their publicly listed phone number. If there truly is an issue, the customer service representative will be able to direct them to the assistance they need. A list of phone numbers for common financial organizations is available later on in this article.
They don’t need your donation.
This one can be hard for seniors to accept, especially because they represent some of the most generous age groups. 88% of the Greatest Generation and 72% of Baby Boomers donate to charity. Hanging up on someone expressing a dire need for donations can be very difficult. Paper mail and email also represent major donation fraud risks. Remind your parents not to give out credit card numbers or personal information over the phone. If they want to be charitable, suggest setting up a recurring donation with a valid organization. That way, you can help them through a one-time registration, and research the organization as you do so.
Nobody needs you to buy them a gift card.
A legitimate organization will NEVER ask you to purchase them a gift card or a prepaid credit card. This is an easy way for scammers to get money that’s difficult to trace, and that can be spent almost instantly. Remind your family members that no one should ever ask them to purchase a gift card or read gift card numbers to them over the phone.
Do’s and Don’ts
Sometimes, repeating phrases like, “We will never call you asking for money,” or “No one should ever ask you for a gift card,” are effective ways for seniors to understand the risks and warning signs. If your elderly family members are in a mentally sound state, they might be able to handle some more detailed instructions:
Don’t guess who’s on the phone—make the caller identify themselves.
This is most relevant for grandkid scams. Often, these calls are a shot in the dark, and the scammer doesn’t know much about the target’s personal life. Even if you think the caller is Tommy, swap “Is this Tommy?” for “Who am I speaking to?”
If you’re talking to a bank, they should already know who they’re calling. Be on the lookout for anyone asking you to provide your name or personal information right away, or callers who don’t know who they’re contacting.
Hang up, then call the business back on their listed phone number.
Often, scammers will include a call-back phone number in their message. This makes sure you call the scammer and not the real bank. Create a list of the phone numbers you might call to handle your finances. Here are some of the most common banks and government institutions in the US, along with their general information numbers:
IRS: 1-800-829-1040
Social Security Administration: 1-800-772-1213
Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE
Chase Bank: 1-800-935-9935
Bank of America: 1-800-432-1000
Wells Fargo: 1-800-TO-WELLS
Citibank: 1-800-374-9700
US Bancorp: 1-800-US-BANKS
PNC: 1-800-PNC-BANK
Don’t trust caller ID.
Scammers have the ability to call from anywhere, under any phone number. Even if it looks like a local phone number, the phone number of a family member, or a government agency, be cautious with anyone requesting money or personal information.
Check for spelling, grammar, and formatting mistakes.
In electronic and paper mail, one good indicator of a scam is the spelling and grammar within the message. Banks and financial institutions employ writers, editors, and proofreaders to look over all of their communications. If you get a letter claiming to be from the IRS, it shouldn’t be full of typos and mistakes.
Watch out for a sense of urgency.
A real organization will give you plenty of time to address bills and payments before they’re due. Scammers, on the other hand, will say things like “you only have 5 days to claim your prize” or “a warrant for your arrest will be issued at the end of the week.” Don’t let a deadline scare you into paying right away. Always do your research to identify fake requests.
Register on the Do Not Call List.
All you need to register is a phone number. It’s a great resource to take care of parents or other elderly loved ones without them needing to do anything. The Do Not Call List doesn’t prohibit scammers from calling, but it does prohibit legitimate telemarketers from contacting you. This eliminates some of the phone traffic that frazzles and frustrates seniors. If you add your phone number to the list and still receive telemarketer calls, chances are you’re dealing with a scammer.
Register with the national Do Not Call List here. Some states also have their own do not call lists, which can be found through a quick Google search.
If you think you’ve been scammed, report it.
Often, the money lost in a scam can’t be fully recovered. Reporting early is the best chance you have of regaining lost funds. Most banks have hotlines to report suspected fraud on credit cards or personal banking accounts. You can also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission. They have a quick survey asking what type of scam you experienced. Filling out the FTC form won’t help you get your money back, but it does help the US government track active scams. Making them aware is a good way to help other people avoid the same mistake.
Don’t assume you’re smarter than the scammers.
Some of these do’s and don’ts may seem pretty obvious, but as people learn the usual tip-offs, scammers have to become smarter and smarter. Always do your research before responding to any unsolicited contact.
Staying safe from fraud can be difficult, and will continue to be difficult as new scams are developed. Encouraging caution and keeping elderly family members informed about common dangers is a good way to make sure they stay safe.