It is estimated that 1 in 10 people are victims of online scams each year. Advancements in internet usage that are meant to make people’s lives easier have made it an opportune hunting ground for savvy cyber criminals to prey on vulnerable groups of people, especially the senior and retired communities. Cyber criminals are becoming more inventive and are finding efficient ways to trick people into providing sensitive information that can leave thousands to deal with dire situations. For a long time, people were encouraged to look out for online scams during tax season, but it’s become apparent that online scams happen year-round. And they are a booming business.
Look for the Tell-Tale Signs There are specific patterns that online scammers follow to steal your identity or money. Knowing how to spot these patterns is a great way of avoiding the nightmare that may come from dealing with fraudulent and nefarious groups and individuals:
1) Gaining Your Trust One of the easiest ways to scam somebody is to gain their trust in person or online. Anyone can gain trust by pretending to be a respected official, community member, business owner and more. You must take the time to verify someone’s credentials. Google is a great resource that allows you to find out if someone legitimately is who he or she claims to be. 
2) Tugging on Your Fears Messages like “Respond to this message or the IRS will place alien against your home” or “Act now to avoid wage garnishment” are used by scammers to instill fear in you and trick you into logging into a fake website that is set up to skim your username and password. Scammers will then use your information to log onto a real website and steal your money.
3) Contacts You Randomly When you receive an SMS, email, phone call or a letter that you did not expect, you must proceed with caution even when the message that you received seems innocent. Scammers are looking for you to take action by responding to something you believe is legitimate. Find the accurate contact by checking the web and take your own action.
4) Asks for Your Information If you are asked to provide your personal information (address, social security, driver’s license, PIN, etc.) you need to also treat it with caution. Social security scams are on the rise and becoming more sophisticated. They cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars each year. A great piece of advice is to think about who initiated the contact. If they contacted you first, don’t provide any information until you are certain of their legitimacy.
5) Promises Compensation One of the most popular scams out there involves compensation and then a request for a refund. For example, a scammer can provide you a cash payment in advance (for goods or services) and then reach out to you indicating that they overpaid. You return a specific sum of money and then later find that the original payment to you has been canceled.
6) Pretends to Be a Family Member Another popular online scam involves social media or email in which a scammer contacts you and pretends to be a family member in need of emergency financial assistance. These scams involve two parts – the first part is setting up a fake account (e.g., Facebook or email) and then contacting you from this account asking for help. Unfortunately, many people fall for this scam, wiring money only to find out later on that your actual family member was home safe and didn’t need any assistance at all.
7) Provides Wire Transfer Info Whenever possible, avoid wire transfers altogether. Any time someone asks you to transfer money by wire, the funds will be untraceable. As soon as it’s picked up on the other end, the money is gone. Some credit cards will allow you to dispute a fraudulent charge for up to 60 days, but this could be troublesome in many cases and require you to provide proof.
If you feel you might have been a victim of an online scam and need guidance in filling out forms to get your money back, we encourage you to reach out to attorneys Wendy Mara (https://ourseniors.net/legal/florida/ormond-beach/business-law/wendy-a-mara/) and Andrew Grant (https://ourseniors.net/legal/florida/daytona-beach/business-law/andrew-c-grant/), members of the OurSeniors.org Senior Transition Pro Team. You can also report any suspicious online activity to one of several offices that serve counties in Florida (https://www.fbi.gov/contactus/field-offices) or (https://www.ic3.gov/Home/ComplaintChoice).
Even if you are uncertain whether you or someone you know has been victimized by an online scam, you can be of tremendous help by alerting the authorities to assist in preventing others from falling prey to these attacks. Since 2016, OurSeniors.Net has been providing the senior and retiree communities in Florida with excellent resources to help enrich lives with content from our talented and dedicated staff as well as our trusted partners. Check out our quarterly senior living magazine, follow us on Facebook, or read our blog for up-to-date information on mental & physical health, social life, economy and legal issues as they relate to your well-being. We look forward to you becoming a part of our community and encouraging others to be a part of our thriving group.
