The golden years are supposed to be joyful and stress free. But a growing problem among our aging population has struck a chord with senior advocates: Scams targeting the elderly.
“We had a call this morning, as a matter of fact from someone who is being scammed over the internet," said Andrea Smith with the Greenville non profit Senior Action. She says as the elderly population increases so too are the number of scams that target them.
Gwen Kuebler says she had to play interception while caring for her late mother-in-law.
"She'd say Gwen, they're calling me again about the warranty on my car is running out. And I said 'Nanny, you don't have a car,'" said Kuebler.
Kuebler ended up taking over the finances, but not every senior has a caring family member to keep watch.
So Senior Action works with the Better Business Bureau to educate members on top scams like the following:
- Notices that you've won the lottery, asking for your money to cover the taxes and fees.
- Deceptive workmen who show up at the house and charge money to fix things that aren't broken.
- Bereavement scams where callers claim a dead spouse owes money and demands you pay off the debt.
- Investment schemes, where companies solicit money, promising a hefty return, but victims never see a dime.
- And Medicare scams where people try to sell plans that they don't need or try to sell plans that duplicate something they already have.
“It's so confusing already, it becomes very easy to believe," said Smith.
Kuebler urges younger family members to stay alert so that scammers don't get the better of our parents and grandparents.
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