Prevent Senior Scams for Elder Abuse Awareness Month

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month. Combat elder abuse by preventing the exploitation of our older friends, family, and neighbors by scammers and identity thieves.

According to the FTC, consumers over 60 are less likely than younger consumers to lose money to scams and fraud – but when they do lose money, they are more likely to lose large amounts. In 2023, the average reported loss for consumers under 60 was less than $500, but for those 60 and older it was nearly $1,000.

Scammers target older consumers because they tend to be wealthier, are more likely to answer and stay on phone calls, may not have family/friends nearby who can help identify a scam, may be on medications that can cause memory issues or confusion, and are vulnerable to highly targeted strategies designed to take advantage of this age group.

· ‘Grandparent’ Scams: A scammer calls you and pretends to be a family member – often a grandchild. They may know specific details about you or the family member, and could even use A.I. to copy their voice. They ask for money to help with an emergency and ask you not to tell other family members

o Never send money before verifying it’s a real request. Consider making a secret ‘family password’ so you have a way to confirm it’s really them.

· Medicare Scams: You might see an ad offering big discounts on health insurance that requires personal information to “make sure you qualify.” This is especially common during the open enrollment period in October, November, and December each year.

o Before ever sharing your Medicare information, call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to confirm it’s a legitimate request.

· Tech Support Scams: You get a call, message, or computer popup claiming your computer has a virus. The tech support agent says they’re from Apple or Microsoft, and either asks to take control of your computer; sell you a computer cleaning service; or even transfers you to a federal agency that can help protect your compromised financial accounts.

o Hang up. Apple and Microsoft will not call you about viruses, and they won’t transfer you to the FTC, FBI, or any other government agency to protect your assets.

Sharing a scam experience with someone you know takes courage. Here is guidance should someone trusts you enough to share their scam story, especially if the scammer is still in touch with them:

· Lead with empathy. Respond with kindness and concern instead of criticism or disappointment. Scams can happen to anyone, do not blame the victim. Keep lines of communication open with a kind, concerned response.

· Let them tell their story. Talking about a scam experience helps you both understand what happened. And talking about the scam also helps both of you spot it in the future.

· Validate their story. The only person at fault here is the scammer – not your friend or family member. Ask them not to blame themselves and, instead, blame the scammer.

· Ask what you can do next together. See if their personal information was involved – if so, identity theft might be a concern, and you should visit datcp.wi.gov for resources and recovery services. Check whether their financial institutions can help. Encourage them to report the scam – their story can help protect friends, family, their community, and themselves, as well as helping law enforcement agencies like DATCP and the FTC fight that scam.