Today, on National Senior Fraud Awareness Day, the Irving Police Department is urging seniors and their loved ones to be vigilant against the growing threat of fraud targeting older adults.
While some safety advice may seem straightforward, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) recently reported that over 100,000 seniors aged 60 and over fell victim to fraud, with total losses exceeding a staggering $3.4 billion. As individuals age, they can become more susceptible to deceptive tactics used by scammers impersonating legitimate entities such as insurance agencies, hospitals, banks, or even family members. The Irving Police Department emphasizes that it is always acceptable to ask questions and seek help when uncertain about a communication.
The department provided the following crucial reminders to help protect seniors from fraud:
- Don't Answer Unknown Numbers: If you don't recognize the incoming phone number, do not answer the call. Legitimate callers can leave a message, which you can then use to independently verify the reason for the call and the caller's identity.
- Beware of Odd Payment Types: Scammers frequently request payment through unconventional methods like gift cards, money orders, or wire transfers. Legitimate businesses rarely, if ever, demand these forms of payment.
- Verify Payment Requests Directly: Always confirm the legitimacy of any payment request by contacting the company or institution directly using a customer service number you have independently obtained (not one provided by the suspicious contact).
- Seek Help from Trusted Sources: Do not hesitate to ask friends or family members for their opinion and assistance in determining whether a communication or request might be a scam.
The Irving Police Department also highlighted some common scams currently circulating:
- Toll Charge Texts: Receiving unexpected text messages claiming you owe for toll charges.
- "Grandparent Scam" Calls: Calls claiming a family member is in jail and urgently needs money to be sent.
- Suspicious "Did You Call?" Texts: Unsolicited texts from unknown numbers with vague messages like "did you call?", "I just changed my number, can you tell me who you are", "Hi, do I know you?", or "What are you doing?". Engaging with these texts confirms your number is active and can lead to more scam attempts. The best course of action is to Delete and Mark as Junk.
- Fake Bank Withdrawal Instructions: Callers impersonating bank officials instructing you to withdraw a specific amount of money.
- Foreign Accent with American Name: Be wary of callers with a foreign accent using common American names like Bob or Bill.
- Romance Scams: Scammers are creating fake profiles on dating sites to trap elderly victims.
The Irving Police Department urges anyone who believes they or someone they know has been a victim of elder fraud to contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).
