COMMUNITY
Beware - Scams Targeting The Elderly
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ix out of every 10 seniors report that they have been targeted by a fraud attempts annually. This was the conclusion of an unpublished report commissioned by the Justice Department a few years ago. The report also acknowledged that most victims of fraud or fraud attempts rarely report those attempts to the police. Both East Palo Alto and Menlo Park report violent crimes against seniors, but do not report such crimes against seniors. My personal experience has however been that even when reported, such
6 MAY/JUNE 2020 EL RAVENSWOOD
attempts are rarely investigated, particularly in resource strapped police departments. I have received two calls that I know of recently, obvious attempts to gather my personal information. Both calls alleged that my Social Security number had “been suspected for fraudulent activities” and urged me “once you get this message to kindly call us back as soon as possible at the same number or press 1 to speak to our investigating officer.” Around the same time, I received a letter, alleging that a person, named Mr. Geo Okelo, possibly related to me, died in 2010 in Canada, without leaving a will and that all attempts by his bank to locate relatives had been unsuccessful. The letter purportedly came from a bank employee that had the responsibility to monitor the $9.2 million account. The employee, Mr. Daniel McFarland, offered to present me to the bank “Canada Trust” as the late Okelo’s next of kin and facilitate my
claim to the balance. For his assistance, he indicated that funds would be shared between the two of us. The Department of Justice study found that the primary mode of contact was by telephone although fraudsters also use the internet, mail and even person to person contact. The AARP, in recognition of the growing threat from telephone and internet fraud, set up the Fraud Watch Network in 2013. To date, according to the AARP, 6,000 people call the Network’s toll-free helpline every month to report suspected scams. “Our goal is to help people understand what a scam looks like,” says Kathy Stokes, the director of the Fraud Watch Network, “so if one comes along, they’ll be less likely to fall victim.” The Fraud Watch Network’s toll-free helpline is 877-908-3360 and anyone can call to report a scam. Trained volunteers answer calls and provide advice on what to do next.
