There are many different fraud scams and identity theft scams, so many that they all begin to blur after awhile. It’s important that you can identify the most common online identity theft scams.

The Nigerian fraud scam is one most of use have been exposed to at one time or another. This is the one where a wealthy foreigner emails you to tell you that they need to move millions of dollars out of the country and for your help they’ll pay you a nice percentage as a reward. But before long they’ll be complications, officials to pay off, and so forth, which you will be asked to, pay all the while dangling a large carrot of a sizable fortune. Who falls for this scam are those that are greedy, naive, or suckers. Remember if it sounds too good to be true it is. An awareness of other similar type scams would be wise.

Website spoofing involves a site that has been designed to look like that of a legitimate site like credit card or bank, but really, it has been created by a scammer in an effort to collect personal information from the visitors that come to the site. Once the scammer collects the information it can be used for id theft, to create fraud using credit cards information collected. The message here is be sure that you are on the site you think you are.

Phishing is another way of collecting personal information. This is accomplished by sending out an email that requests a password or personal information, and it indicates it’s urgent. It’s similar to website spoofing but it’s a scam accomplished through email.

Today there is a lot of fraud that also occurs over the telephone requesting personal information such as Sin numbers or passwords. Other scams involve moneymaking schemes, and often the promise of big cash prizes. It will help to remember that if you need to give them money it’s not a prize.

It’s important to remember that you should keep your information secure and not share it with any source that you are unsure of. Online never provide your password or credit card information unless you are sure about the site you are on, never follow a link in an email, and remember if it sounds too good to be true it is.

On a regular basis, you either hear about or read about a woman who has become victim to a male scammer whose only real objective is to get into the woman’s bank account.

Leigh Anne McElhaney was one of those women. Like many women on the single dating scene, they’d just like to meet Mr. Right, fall in love, and start a new life. Within a month of meeting Dave Moore, he was living with her, and he certainly knew how to say just what she wanted to hear.

Then Leigh discovered her bank account short some money. Then things began to unravel and she discovered her new boyfriend hadn’t only stolen from her, but he had also stolen her neighbor’s id and obtained credit cards in her name, which he was paying for with Leigh’s bank account

Florida was seeing a rash of men playing the wealthy young bachelor. They were often pretending to be doctors and they would ask their girlfriends to open up a joint account with them. The women would think nothing of it, since these guys were wealthy, so they would open the account and deposit their money, only to walk off with their money.

Male scammers make their living by seeking out single women so that they can gain access to their finances. You might be surprised to discover just how quickly this happens, and how often it happens. Ladies you need to take some precautions. Here are some tips to keep you financially safe.

Know who it is you are seeing – don’t be satisfied with who he says he is. Find out who he really is. Authenticate him and don’t fall for any joint bank accounts or personal loans.

You also need to be checking your credit reports more often if a new man has come into your life.

Keep your investments, insurance policies, credit card numbers, bank accounts, and PIN’s to yourself.

Don’t discuss your assets – both those you have and those you expect are off limits.

Keep on top of scams going on in especially in your area. These scams tend to have patterns they follow.

Listen to your gut and what it’s telling you. If you’re getting bad vibes, find out if there’s a way you can actually have him checked out. Maybe you are lucky enough to know someone in law enforcement.

Be careful with your financial information online. You might be startled to find out it takes only seconds to create a phony identification on social network sites and someone could be after nothing more than your finances.

Just because the man you are dating is buying you pretty things and spending money on you, doesn’t mean he has any money. You could be a victim in a long list of victims. Most of the men you meet will be honest individuals but it’s that small percentage you need to be on guard to. The bad guys are great talkers and all around good con artists so be wary.

However, the impact of such bogus sites is bigger than ever in the wake of the development of an actual Washington stimulus package plan. Real government moves (or talk of them) are opening the door for more scam artists than ever, who are using the believability factor—as well as a tough economy—to push their product farther than ever.

Worst of all, people are responding to the overblown claims despite glaringly similar con-artistry in the past, reports say.

What is a Government Grant Check Scam?

“Find free money!” bogus offers have been around for decades. In the past, they typically involved a “starter kit” that could range anywhere from $60 to $250 or more.

Not this go-round. With a savvy eye on nationwide and global economic troubles, today’s scam men (and women) are advertising their how-to software for free…plus a very economic $2.00 for shipping and handling.

However, once a new client has given his or her payment information for the “free” offer, he is on a so-termed subscription with the “parent company”…without notification to the client himself. At just a few dollars a pop, the victim may not realize he’s being nickel-and-dimed until he’s out an average of $50-70, according to reports (see this full story on the scam and how it works).

Who’s Behind it All?

So far, investigators have been unable to determine whether there’s just one master site, or a constellation of professional scammers who work in concert to make their own easy money.

However, the destination URLs are suspiciously alike—in fact, nearly identical, reports say.

So are the blogs that claim to be hosted by average Americans who have worked with the “system” and gotten a huge payout in return.

Though one may feature a firefighter and family man while another claims a laid off auto worker is its creator, the stories are very similar and even some of the pictures appear to be of the same individual, the MSN report cited above claims.

Meanwhile, an MSN reporter attempted to contact and even visit locations for any of the so-called businesses, with little to no success—in one instance, a supposed call center in the Philippines was untraceable, and in another, a New York address didn’t lead to an actual office.

What to Do About The Problem

The answer is clear, or it should be: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so don’t hand over your credit card information, whether “for verification purposes”, to cover a small shipping charge or for any other reason.

But in today’s tough economy, the solution may not be so simple, experts say. Fear generated by plummeting stocks, lay-offs and high unemployment rates are driving individuals to take more risks than previously on overblown claims such as the stimulus check gambit.

Perhaps the sadest thing of all is that responding to false hope could potentially leave down-and-out individuals even worse off than before.

Be smart; don’t fall for a get-rich-quick scheme. These have existed for centuries with virtually no positive results for the people who fall prey to them. And spread the word. Let friends and family know when you discover a bogus scheme so they can be forewarned, too. Look out for those who profess to help…but already have one hand in your pocket the moment you click on “free trial.”

In response, Twitter has issued a warning to its users to be on the lookout for the scam, which could be dangerously easy to fall for.

Direct messages are sent to site members with such leading statements as “Hey!–check out this funny blog about you,” reports say.

Since the scam was revealed, Twitter has issued several blogs on the subject, as well as the advice, “If this has you a bit weirded out, feel free to change your Twitter password.”

A Common Avenue for ID Thieves

Other social networking sites have reported suspicious behavior in the past. Though networking is a common practice among friends, family, co-workers and potential business clients, it’s not without its dangers (see “Is Social Networking a Threat to Your Identity?”).

Like the trendy Twitter, sites such as linkedin.com, facebook.com and myspace.com receive their share of questionable activity. Though they’re all closely monitored and non-legitimate activities may result in deletion of membership, seasoned ID thieves continuously refine their techniques to worm their way into accounts–and identities.

Friend or Not?

To compound the problem, social networking sites are by their very nature, well, social…making innocent members more likely to add on “friends” they don’t truly know.

This may be more likely to happen on the venues that reinforce social attachments and numbers of contacts (such as myspace.com and twitter.com) and less common on sites that put more focus on career aims (such as linkedin.com), but not always, experts warn.

Tightening the Social Circle

For these reasons, it may be best to delete acquaintances one doesn’t know well and to decline invitations from friends-of-friends, according to crime watchers versed in the methods of internet criminals.

ID thieves are often masters at the art of “making friends”–using psychological tricks such as the “Check out this funny blog about you!” Twitter scam.

The natural reaction is to find out whether the “blog” is positive or negative, who posted it and what it actually says about the recipient…encouraging him or her to click on a link that could send a virus to the user’s computer.

Twitter Facts

Begun out of San Francisco, CA-based offices in March of 2006, Twitter is an internationally available blogging and networking site. According to Twitter’s About page, the site has “grown into a real-time short messaging service that works over multiple networks and devices.” Posts and updates (known as “tweets”) up to 140 characters in length are listed on the site by members.

Twitter.com received up to five million visitors in September 2008, according to some estimates.

Prime Time Drama?

Alekseev is the tenth person charged on what proved to be an offense with all the earmarks of a made for TV series – a Russian mastermind, a Ukrainian crime ring, a fake marriage and a giant corporation’s cover up. Supporting cast included additional young co-conspirators used as cash mules, the FBI, and even the Secret Service!

In May 2007, a unknown hacker apparently compromised a server that controlled Citibank branded ATMs at run by Cardtronics at Seven Elevens across the country, acquiring hundreds of card numbers and PINs. A small army of cashers withdrew millions of dollars over the months that followed, sending 70% of the take back to Russia.

The ring started to collapse when a few conspirators were pulled over with a mag stripe writer and blank cards in their car. Numerous people were arrested on charges ranging from access device fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, obstruction of justice, passport fraud and – in one case fit for the tabloids – one charge of gaining residency status in the United States with a sham marriage.

The Cover Up

Citibank supposedly knew about the breach, but denied it and kept accounts open for the FBI to track withdrawals, citing that if they were not holding customers liable for the fraudulent withdrawals that there should be no problems.

This has bothered some customers who think they should have been informed of the breach when Citibank abruptly cut withdrawal limits in half with no notice last October. Despite court documents, Citibank still denies that they were breached.

Protect Your Access Codes, Question Irregularities

If unexplained withdrawals show up on bank statements, even if they are immediately corrected, checking into it might be a good plan. Changing your pin on a regular basis can also help protect you from one month to the next, as the information hackers can get on you will be outdated.

These new renters are often advised to deal directly with homeowners, and rent from an owner/manager. Sometimes owner/managers don’t often have an efficient and systematic way of dealing with maintenance and repair issues. Dealing directly with an individual opens a renter up to hoaxes and scams, that they need to be wary of.

If It’s Too Good to Be True …

In 1995 the Jones’ rented a house in a nice neighborhood, surrounded by manicured lawns, from a property management company that had set up a booth at the local county fair. The representative allowed them to move in and mail their deposit and first rent payment, and had a local courier drop off the keys. They were ecstatic. Two weeks later, the local sheriff came to the door to post a 48 hour notice. The house had been sold at a bank auction a month prior and they were in danger of eviction. The property management company didn’t exist and the cellular phone of the representative they spoke with was disconnected.

Many Scams Lurk on Craigslist

In October of 2008, the Martins were house hunting. Walking away from their foreclosed home in rural Washington State, they searched on Craigslist for a house in the city. (All names and locations have been changed.)

One listing in particular caught their eye:

Sounded like a great deal. After checking out the house on Google maps to get a feel for the neighborhood, and to check out the backyard and make sure it wasn’t next door to the city dump, the Martins drove by the house. Liking what they saw, they decided to email the homeowner to schedule a look at the inside. They received the following email:

Thanks for your email and interest in renting my house..I am Dennis Latimer,the owner of the house you are making enquiry of… I resided in the house with my immediate family, my wife and my only son before and now presently we have moved out of the house due to my transfer from my work now and I am in Warsaw,Poland. Presently my house is available for rent for $1500 USD (rent already includes utilities).Moreso Now, i’m currently visiting on holiday in Lagos,Nigeria for an international christian follower’s crusade.

Pls i want you to note that,i am a kind, honest and trustworthy man and also to know that i spent a lot of time and money on making my property special that i want to give to you for rent,so i will solicit for your absolute maintenance of this house and want you to please treat it as your own, It is not the money that is the main problem but i want you to keep it tidy all the time so that i will be glad to see it neat and clean when i come back for a check up.I also want you to let me have trust in you as i always stand on my word.This is the address of the House (123 Alberta Street)I believe its absolutely a perfect kind of home for you and your family.Utilities included which means that the Water, Trash, Sewer, Gas, Power are already included in the rent price fee.

SO IF YOU ARE REALY INTRESTED I WILL WANT YOU TO FILL THE
RENT APPLICATION FORM BELOW

RENT APPLICATION FORM.

FIRST NAME:__________?
MIDDLE NAME:__________?
LAST NAME:__________?
PROFESSION:__________?
PHONE:
(CELL)PHONE__________?
(WORK)PHONE__________?
(HOME)PHONE__________?
KIDS _____ (YES/NO), HOW MANY ________
PRESENT ADDRESS: _____________________
CITY: _______________
STATE:______________
ZIP CODE: ____________
HOW LONG? ___________IF RENTING
WHY ARE YOU LEAVING__________?
IF THIS HOUSE IS BEING GIVEN TO YOU,
HOW LONG DO YOU INTEND STAYING? ____________?
WHEN DO YOU INTEND MOVING IN? ______________?
IF YOU HAVE A PET,
NAME OF PET: _____________?
KIND OF PETS: _____________?
HABITS
DO YOU SMOKE ______________ ?
DO YOU DRINK ______________?
DO YOU WORK LATE NIGHT? ____?

very much Looking forward to hearing from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file incase of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you…Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on about how to get the important document and the keys to you,please we are giving you all this based on trust of Jesus and again i will want you to stick to your words,you know that we have not seen yet and only know in our hearts we are putting everything into Gods hands,so please do not let us down in this our property and God bless you more as you do this…

The house is available for rent at the moment so you are free to move in as soon as you wish to…A Deposit of $1500 (which happens to be the first months rent) is required before moving in…Feel free to call me for more information and arrangements on how to get the keys and other necessary documents delivered to you…my number is (+2348051039696 OR 0112348051039696).The house will be available for rent for a period of 4 years so you have a choice of deciding how long you intend staying there…

God Bless,
Dennis Latimer

The Nigerian Scam

In the Nigerian scam, the goal is to get you to send money to Nigeria (or any other country). Usually, this is done by promising to send you a large sum of money, and a request that you send some of it to one of their contacts as an “administration fee” or something similar. If you send the money, they will continue to make excuses, meanwhile cashing every check you send until you are red in the face and realize the money they promised doesn’t exist.

Con artists are always thinking of new ways to scam people, and stories abound of the victims who have suffered losses from this sort of foolery.

Sure that this was a scam, Mrs Martin decided to return the bogus “application” with mostly made-up information, just to see what happened. (<em>Note: Be careful responding to obvious scammers – even if you don’t take the bait, your email will land on a “sucker’s” list used by international con artists. It’s just not worth announcing yourself.</em>)

In the meantime, she used the County assessor’s website to look up the real owner of the house. It was not Mr. Latimer. Additionally, the ISP address of the account the email originated in was from Ebene, Mauritius. Not Nigeria, Not Poland.

Thanks for getting back to me the Rent Application Form. I just wanted to let you know that we have all agreeably decided to let you live in our beloved house. As we have duly found your application very satisfactory and acceptable by my family. So we would want you to go through this email of instructions and get back to us on what you feel about the matter, with the counsel of prayer, so we could proceed in renting the house to you.

We would like to send the following documents to you via UPS next day delivery to the address you sent to us in your application and the tracking number will also be sent to you so that you can possibly occupy our house very soon, Please once again, we are giving you this based on trust so please do not dissapoint us and i promise you that, you will love the house.We are with the underlisted documents here with us and you will need to make Payment for the first month’s Rent ($1500) to enable shippment of the Keys and documents to the address you have provided to us, afterwhich you could move in on any day at your best convenience. The rent starts counting when you move in, so you could go ahead with the payment straight away to make things faster, even if you’re not ready to move for one more month, in a case which you need to give notice at your current residence. This is important because we have relations in the area who are wanting to also move into this house and would also like to send payment soon…I think you will be pleased and I trust in the lord that you are called tobegin residing in the house very soon.

Here are the contents of the document that needs to be sent.

1) Entrance and the rooms Keys
2) Paper/Permanent house form
3) The house documetary file.
4) Full Description of the house
5) Payment Receipt
6) Signed Lease Agreement Form you are supposed to also sign and get it sent back to me. So please do get back to me today so that I will let know the next step to take concerning the payment….The house is available for rent for up to 4 years,so you are free to decide on how long you intend occupying it…Rent already includes utilities..

It has a Central Air and Heat,refrigerator,washer,dryer,oven,internet,Cable TV,Air conditioner..It also has a garage and i’m ready to accept either monthly or upfront mode of payment..depending on the one you’re most comfortable with..Utilities include: power, water,sewer and trash.. Your monthly rent already covers utilities so you do not have to pay extra charges for that.. Please note that the deposit made is fully refundable should in case you finally gain entrance to the house after receiving the keys and documents and feel unsatisfied or uncomfortable with the interior,but i am giving you a benefit of doubt that you will love everything about this lovely home…

Thanks and Remain Blessed,

Dennis Latimer

To protect other renters, Kristy reported the listing to Craigslist, documented the ISP from his emails, and forwarded the information to the FBI.

I expected your e mail to arrive last night in regards to my acceptance of letting you move in to my home,but i didnt hear back from you.I am quite hurt and I would still like to know whats going on regarding the rental fees and let me know how you want to proceed about the payment for the first month,so i could make the preparations of getting the keys of the home and documents to you. T

hanks and God Bless you

Dennis Latimer

Later that day, she got a call from the real Dennis. He called from her area code and spoke English very well. This was definitely not the person who had sent those emails. She asked who the real homeowner was and was given the same name that the County assessor had listed.

Dennis Latimer had been a previous owner of this house, and his listing and pictures from a legitimate real estate website had been lifted and posted to Craigslist under a phony email address.

Luckily, the Martins found another house, listed by a real person, so this story ended happily.

Avoiding This Scam

Always use extreme caution when doing business on Craigslist or any similar site. Follow the instructional warning that Craigslist posts on the top of every ad that says “Avoid Scams by Dealing Locally.”

When looking for a place to rent, be aware of the following practices scammers use. Fortunately, most con artists are not very imaginative, and will follow the same script, allowing you to easily spot a fake.

• If it’s too good to be true, it most certainly is fake
• Google the address to see if there are similar listings.
• Ask to get a tour of the rental unit before committing. A scammer will obviously be unable to provide that for you.
• Always be on guard if the supposed owner is in another country, or emails you some formulaic and unlikely story
• If you are moving from another city, stay in a hotel so you can easily find local listings.
• Phone the local number to confirm, and/or drive by the house you are looking for and actually talk to the owners to make sure it is actually up for rent
• The phone number on the spam email will usually be real, with a 3d party accomplice with a heavy accent answering.
• If the house is empty, make sure it doesn’t have a lockbox – if it does, the house is actually for sale or is in the process of selling. This means the scammer knows the house is empty through a simple search in the local real estate listings, and set up the fake listing.
• Often the letters will read with the assumption that you are unquestionably moving in
• There is a sense of urgency or pressure in the letter for you to send your check

On the flip-side, if YOU are the person renting the house, and you get an email from oversees with a check or money order, ask the bank to notify you when the money clears. Scammers will often overpay you, then request a partial refund. They will pressure you, even threatening you, if you do not send them the refund immediately. What they are hoping for is that you send your money before their payment is found out to be fake. Be firm and don’t give in.

Fishy Business

Phishing involves posing as a trusted entity, such as a well-known bank or credit card company, in an effort to obtain a password or other account information from an unsuspecting victim. (The word is a combination of “fishing”–casting out for and reeling in information–and “phreaking,” or hacking via networked communications, a word made popular in the 1980s.)

Currently more than 15 years into its fraud-based history, phishing remains a top source of income for thieves looking to get their hands on your money. And surprise–though you think you’d be able to spot a fake a mile away, computer-savvy individuals and even companies have been fooled by expert phishers. In fact, in excess of three million internet users were duped to the tune of $3.6 billion in the U.S. for 12 months ended August 2007, according to data.

Hook, Line and Sinker

Phishing made its rather unsavory debut In the late 1980s and officially received its name in the 90s. During this time period the internet-using public fell victim to a series of phishing activities via AOL. Fledgling phishers posing as AOL workers sent so-called “account verification” e-mails en masse to account holders still relatively new to the world of online communications. The fraudulent e-mails, and their wording, became more and more savvy until AOL cracked down, notifying all its users that “AOL will never request your password or billing information”.

Rather than being deterred by these measures, computer criminals moved on to posing as various financial institutions. Today, banks, credit card companies and other companies that perform online transactions are a phisher’s paradise. Using more and more sophisticated software, criminals engaged in phishing are so good at imitating other companies that customers have even been fooled into thinking they were being contacted by the IRS.

How It’s Done

So how exactly so “phishers” get away with it? In general, fraudulent e-mails get their legitimate look via a form of link manipulation in which a link in the fraudulent e-mail appears to have a legitimate source. Phishing e-mails often contain a salutation such as “Dear Accountholder” or “Dear Cardholder” in the subject line. A fair amount of e-mail recipients are bound to have accounts with or at least have dealt with the organization in the past, and the rest will typically trash the e-mail, making phishing low risk for the criminal for long enough to get a hold of the goods…and run.

There’s an even more insidious factor at work here: those with a knack for hacking often sell their services on the sly, creating and distributing the slick software phishers need. Unfortunately, this computer savviness also makes the disreputable software creators hard to catch.

What You Can Do

When it comes to online fraud, both the government and big business are on your side: in 2004, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the U.S. and 26 regulatory organizations abroad launched “Secure Your Server,” a campaign designed to help stem the flow of bogus e-mails. Since then, both the government and the private sector have initiated a number of lawsuits against suspected scammers.

While law officials work to better identify and prosecute online criminals, you can do your part to protect your accounts by keeping the following in mind:

• Never open an e-mail from a financial institution you don’t know. Your best bet is to delete the e-mail without opening it.
• If you accidentally open an e-mail from such an institution, do not click on any links. This is vitally important. Instead, back up and delete the entire e-mail.
• If you receive an e-mail from an institution you do business with and there are requests for any type of identifying or account information, place a phone call to the company and read the e-mail to a representative to verify its authenticity.

These measures won’t guarantee that you’ll never be the victim of online fraud, but they will significantly reduce the chances of it happening. Keep alert to possible phishing and other online fraud schemes and you can be part of the solution rather than the unwilling recipient of the problem.

Most men will die long before their wives, and these older women will sometimes have to take care of their finances alone. If the husband dealt with the financial work by himself, these women will be at a high risk for being contacted and scammed by con artists.

Thieves will create highly sophisticated schemes that can reel in educated adults and war veterans in a way that is simply shocking. Criminals will move quickly and try to pull off the scam before a family member can notice that something is wrong. By the time the police have been contacts, the con artists will have moved on to a new victim.

Con men will use many different tricks to get an elderly victim to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars, merchandise, and jewelry. In a few cases they will even trick their victims into handing over their lives and everything in it, via a new power of attorney document. The abuse against the elderly, physical as well as financial, can go on indefinitely, for the victim may be too afraid or embarrassed to alert the police or their family members.

Almost all of the schemes and scams committed have been classified as “transient crimes”. The reason for this description is the fact that they use home repair and diversionary tactics, such as asking a victim to allow them into their home to call a tow truck for their car.

Why Are the Elderly Most Susceptible to Fraud?

Elderly victims generally grew up in an era that bred trust. Most of them could have a verbal contract, and trust that the other will hold fast to their word. Baby boomers knew their neighbors, and although it was not a perfect world, most people felt safe.

Senior citizens are also targeted because they might happily begin a relationship with an honest looking stranger when they become lonely. As their kids grow up and move away to create their own families, elder parents may live in a big house that suddenly feels empty.

Memory is another factor for the increase in elderly fraud. As we grow older, our memories may begin to fade or we may simply begin to remember things incorrectly. The American Psychological Association (APA) conducted a study and found that the elderly are ten times more likely create a memory of data that is false, and they will also believe that the information they received is true.

As we age, our bodies will begin to deteriorate over time and diseases such Alzheimer’s and dementia could cause a senior citizen to hand over bags of money without realizing it. These mental diseases can also leave these victims open to new scams and fraud. Consumers assume that con artists work alone, but in most cases they are a part of a larger network. Once one of them has successfully scammed a victim, they will alert another group and new criminals will take the place of the old. Scammers, who work alone, may even contact their previous victims to get more money from new schemes, and some senior citizens have been tricked into handing money over to the same group or criminal repeatedly.

Too much pride can hurt us all, but in an effort to maintain their need to be self reliant, an elderly victim may try to hide that they have emptied their bank accounts into the hands of a criminal. They may also fear that family members will place them in a group home.

What Scams and Schemes Do Con Artists Use?

Shady Telemarketers

Senior citizens have been scammed out of billions of dollars by less than honest telemarketers. There are many different scams and tricks that are used and some phone calls are received from real telemarketers trying to get a commission any way they can, even if it’s illegal and others are fake con artists.

Prize Scams – The con artists will call or send a letter claiming that you have won a prize. However, to receive the prize, you will first need to send in a fee for shipping and handling or to cover any tax that is accrued. You should never give out your credit card or checking account numbers to anyone over the phone and if you really have won a prize, it’s illegal for a company to ask you to pay for it.

Recover Stolen Money – This scam is pulled by the same people who stole your identity and personal information. They will make a phone call asking for a fee so that they can help you to recover any money that was lost or stolen.

Free Medical Card – Some elderly victims have been scammed by crooks that call to offer them a free medical card. All they have to do is give them their checking account number.

Free Cab Ride for the Elderly

A criminal, usually female, will stop at bus terminals or pick up a senior citizen taking a stroll and they will promise them a free ride. By the time the elderly individual exits the car, the thief will have stolen their wallet or purse. Once inside the car, other con artists will drive around the neighborhood, forcing the senior citizen to make withdrawals at different banks. Family members should remind the senior citizens in their lives to never get into a car with a stranger, even if they are female.

Home Repair/Improvement Scam

Another billion dollar scam involves tricking the elderly into paying for home repair work that they may not need. Sometimes a con artist will knock on the door offering paving work and they will claim that everyone else in the neighborhood have signed up to get their driveways and sidewalks paved, in an attempt to pressure elderly victims into agreeing. Once a check is written, the thieves will get away with the money or they will provide the unnecessary work that will be subpar.

They may also call or come knocking to say that the roof needs to be replaced, or they will trick a victim by claiming that they were the construction company for the previous home owners and that the house is still under contract.

In many home repair scams, con artists will have to move quickly if they want to avoid friends or family members of their elderly victims. They will proceed with high pressure tactics to get them to agree. Potential victims should let them know that they will think about it, and speak to friends and family before making a decision. This answer has scared away many home repair criminals.

Psychics and Miracle Cures

These less than honest conmen will convince an elderly victim that their deceased family member or friend is reaching out to them from beyond the grave. They are willing to give them the message for a “small” fee that will eventually add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars before the police or family members put a stop to the crime. Even after that, some senior citizens will still believe in their “magic”.

Elderly citizens who may be in poor health are highly susceptible to miracle cure sellers. They will pretend that they have a tonic that can cure everything from arthritis to cancer and they will lure their victims into believing that they will be cured if they pay up. Eventually, the victims will be tricked into buying thousands of dollars worth of different fake medicines.

Diversionary Tactics

Senior citizens are highly susceptible to diversions and con artists will frequently use them. They will knock at the door asking for a glass of water, help with a broken car, or a request to make a phone call. Elderly victims should not allow anyone into their homes, because once inside, they can easily be over powered.

Thieves will let them go to the kitchen for a beverage, while they quickly attempt to steal cash, jewelry, purses and small equipment. Many con artists will use females or young people to make their victims feel safe in allowing them into their homes.

Who Are the Scammers?

While we often look over our shoulders to make sure that we are not the victims to criminal stranger, the sad truth is that 60% of all financial crimes against senior citizens are done by their adult children, according to the The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study. Second on the list are in home providers.

Other scammers include the fake and sometimes real telemarketers, false lottery sellers and strangers on the street. Victims can also be tricked into opening their doors for cable, electricity and phone repair men.

How to Prevent Elderly Scams

Many of the scams and tricks that are used can be prevented by having family members, friends and neighbors keep an eye on the elderly in your lives. Close contact can help fight the loneliness that many will feel after the death of a spouse or adult children who no longer lives at home.

When hiring a caregiver to watch over senior citizens, you should give them a thorough background search and check any references that they should provide. If someone has financial problems in their past, it may be appropriate to pass them over for another nurse or worker. Those problems could be innocent but they may also be signs of a worker who may steal money from their patient’s accounts.

Pay attention to your loved one and check to see if there have been any changes in their behavior. Some elderly victims may be too afraid to speak up against a care taker who are abusing them and others who have a mental disease will not be able to make or complaint or defend themselves.

Let an elderly family member know that they should not open the door for any “repair men” unless they have personally called the company to make the appointment themselves.

If they receive any phone calls from individuals claiming that they work at a bank or another company that they are a member of, tell them to hang up and call the company themselves to make sure that it is not a scammer on the other end of the phone.

Any phone calls claiming to provide great financial opportunities and prizes should met with a message alerting the caller that they will talk to a friend and family member and call them back. Elderly parents can also tell the caller that they are good friends with a law enforcement officer or a lawyer and that they will talk to them first. Most thieves will run the other way.

The best way to prevent crimes against the elderly is through education. Sign them up for free classes for senior citizens. These classes can be found for free through a police department, the AARP and special elderly organizations.

Victims Stories

Fake Lottery Scam

An elderly man in Illinois found that his pockets were $3,500 lighter after he was scammed with a fake foreign lottery. The man only found out that he was tricked, after he asked law enforcement to provide security because he would be receiving $3.5 millions dollars, delivered in a Brinks truck.

The scam, from a company called Global Lottery, will ask a victim to pay fees and shipping to receive their multi-million dollar award prizes. The scam began with a series of phone calls and once traced by the police, they led to various phone numbers in Jamaica. The victim was also unaware that it is illegal to play lottery games on the phone or internet from other countries.

Foreclosure Scam

A foreclosure scam, usually targeted towards the elderly in Florida, involved many con artists including a lawyer known as Terrence Rosenburg. The four dishonest individuals managed to trick a number of homeowners into thinking that they would receive money from a surplus foreclosure fund to save their homes. The thieves filed paperwork, and then they kept the money for themselves.

One very unfortunate victim of this home owner scam, found themselves homeless after she was evicted due to the scam. She would pay a fee to the lawyer and his friends, and they would help her find a new home using the surplus fund, but like the other victims, Rosenburg walked away with her “fee” and the money.

Dating Scam

Tiffany Ann Grey and Katy Sterio are two young con women who made money scamming elderly males. The pair would meet an elderly gentleman in a parking lot and they would convince him that they were new in town. Eventually, they would trick the men into slowly handing over their money through a series of high priced gifts such as a new car.

The pair received an $11,500 Cartier watch, two brand new cars and from one victim alone they walked away with $40,000 in cash and prizes. Due to the embarrassment of falling for scams, some victims will choose not to contact the police and in this case, law enforcement feels that their may have been other elderly men who have not come forward.

Identity Theft

Irene Silverman was a rich 82 year woman who lived in a mansion in the affluent Upper East Side in Manhattan, NY. To fight off the loneliness of living by herself in that large mansion, she decided to rent out the rooms, turning each of the five floors into their own apartments.

She thought that she would be safe because although she was rich and did not need to work, she was charging $6,000 every week from each tenant, so supposedly only the rich and famous should be able to afford a stay in her mansion.

Unfortunately for Irene Silverman, she eventually met Kenneth and Sante Kimes. This pair were both devious and very professional criminals who knew how to work a con, and they saw gold when they found Silverman.

In one of the worst scam crimes against a senior citizen, the Kimes decided that instead of stealing from Irene Silverman, they would simply take over all of her assets and her identity. In 1998 on July 5, the Kimes murdered Silverman, got rid of her body and created false paperwork that would allow them to inherit everything that she owned.

They were eventually arrested, found guilty and sent to prison, but her life was cut short by a pair of scammers because everyone thought that she would be safe. Regardless of your neighborhood, their will be a con man waiting for the chance to cheat you out of money or your life.

The scam begins when the loan starts, you have to pay a fee. It’s a fairly substantial fee, but if you are short of cash and someone offers you a chance to get back on top, who wouldn’t take it up?

With these scammers, you won’t see a loan or credit card after you’ve forwarded the upfront fee. They will take your fee and disappear, as simple as that.

Tracing these people is next to impossible, as they are often off shore and move around quite a bit. They also tend to use middlemen who have no idea what is going on, just the promise that they might make some cash, too.

For your own safety, insist that any fees be included in the loan amount for you to pay out over the term of the loan and check out the company you’re dealing with. Online search engines are fantastic for locating scams. Also, consumer information agencies can help you with consumer help lines that may have important information about the organization you’re dealing with.

Most importantly, never give out social security, credit card or bank account details to any organization until you are certain they are legitimate.

Before the internet, scammers would meet the potential “suckers” at a party – maybe they passed each other on the street or they were introduced by a third party. All of this is still possible in recent times because there will always be a way for a criminal to sweet talk a path to more money. However, with computers and new technology, a competent scammer can meet and swindle twenty victims in 20 days without much effort. Online dating sites make this even easier.

The International Sob Story Scam

Men all over the world have been falling for these “sweetheart scams” when they visit websites in the hunt of a Russian bride. The “women” draw them in with lies and cunning sob stories, while they play the damsel in distress. Feeling bad for these women, the men would often send a few hundred dollars to help the ladies out of their current predicaments.

After a while the women would ask for more money, and some would even claim that the money will be used to buy a ticket so that they can visit. It can sometimes take a few months but the men slowly begin to wise up enough to realize that they have been scammed. While most will attempt to report the crime, a large number will not. They become embarrassed at the fact that they fell for the scam and decide to shrug it off as lesson learned so that no one else will find out that they were duped.

Men also pull this scam on women using a variety of means. It typically involves the male showering the lonely single female with lots of attention and gifts. They will always know the right thing to say as they worm their way deeper into a relationship. Sometimes the woman will realize that there is a problem when she begins to receive bills for huge debts – many will realize that they have been scammed when they wake up one day to find that their new boyfriend has disappeared without a trace. They may even find out that they have also been a victim of identity theft once strange bills begin appearing, or a loan application is declined.

The Victims of Identity Theft Romance and Dating Scams

Australian resident Patricia lost thousands of dollars when she began an online relationship with a man she knew as David. Like most romance fraud stories, the scammer started slow and sweet, calling and emailing her daily until he had her trust. He loved Patricia so much that he was going to Nigeria to sell the valuable land he owned before joining her, promising her she would never have to worry about money again.

Sadly, David was “attacked and robbed” once he landed in Nigeria, and the only person he could turn to was Patricia. He needed her to send money so that he could return home to Australia. Patricia soon learned that David was a façade and that she was a victim of a dating scam.

For victims like Patricia, they will have to be doubly cautious in the future. Once other scammers are aware that a particular person fell victim to a scam, others will attempt to lure them into another scam or relationship to bilk them out of more money.

Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Romance Scams

• If you choose to sign up for an online dating service, be aware of scammers looking for easy victims. If you begin a relationship online, look for the warning signs – excessive attention and compliments being heaped upon you right from the beginning, asking for more personal information, and a sob story about sudden financial disaster where they need your help. If your potential partner is legitimate, they will likely also be cautious about you.
• Do not reveal your personal information lightly. Even in the real world, you wouldn’t suddenly give someone all your information about you.
• Identity thieves and fraudsters posing as a romantic partner will often know how to say all the right things to you. They know the psychological tricks and manipulation to make you fall for them. Just like everything else in life, if something is too good to be true, it probably is.
• Ask around to get reports from others. Talk to his or her friends or co-workers. If it’s an online relationship, ask others within your dating service about this person.
• And, of course, use your intuition. If something doesn’t quite feel right, do not ignore the feeling just because this person seems so perfect for you.