What fraudsters threaten older people in America

Scammers are constantly looking for new ways to deceive Americans, and older people may be especially vulnerable as they increasingly use computers, smartphones and create profiles on social networks..

Фото: Depositphotos

Here are the main tricks Americans face and how to avoid them:

IRS fraud

In this type of fraud, the caller appears to be an IRS employee and claims that you must pay taxes, otherwise the supervisory authorities will arrest you.

They can "spoof" their phone number so it looks like the IRS or other government agency is calling and demanding payment immediately. The IRS worker won't actually call you—they'll send you a letter. They also won't demand payment right away or threaten arrest. To check, call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040. This is the most common type of fraud experienced by seniors.

Medicare Card Fraud

Fraudsters call people and say that they need to pay for a new card or for an expedited issue of it (in fact, there is no such thing). Experts say the government automatically sends new cards to all 58 millions of beneficiaries Medicare - free - so no one has to pay.

Good-natured grandparents

This type of fraud is especially tricky, because attackers call at night. They appear to be relative and, although their voice may differ, they know important facts about you or who they are pretending to be. This is an emergency, they say, adding that they have been arrested or stuck somewhere, and are being asked to transfer money right now to help them.

Experts say that these frauds work because they trigger our desire to help. And additional information about us in Facebook can help the crook learn everything they need. You can say that you must first consult with another family member by hanging up the phone and wait a few minutes to call back a real relative and clarify everything.

Technical support

A message appears on your computer or phone: a virus has been detected, and you must dial a specific number to get rid of it. Sometimes it is a deliberate attack, and someone has infected your device with software that blocks it until you pay the ransom (the attack is called ransomware). Most often, this pop-up window is designed to scare you. But worse, fraudsters then buy ads or install a system on Googleso that if you are looking for a real support number, you still get their information instead.

Contact a computer technician. Think how likely it is that a giant software company, such as Microsoft or FacebookWill tell you there is a problem and then offer to help you fix it?

"No legitimate computer company will call you and tell you you have a virus," said Amy Nofziger, who works at AARP Foundation and leads fraud workshops.

Lottery

The third most common fraudulent ploy that older people face is the lottery. The scammer calls and claims that you won the lottery or even the jackpot, often in another country such as Jamaica.

Experts say you should be very skeptical about any such call, especially if you don't remember whether you bought a ticket in the first place. If you win a traditional lottery, no one knows that you bought the ticket, and your job is to contact the authorities to prove that you were the winner and not the other way around.

Romantic scams

On the Internet, on the phone or in some other way, you can fall in love with a person you have never seen.

Over time, as relationships become deeper and more secure, they ask you for money, perhaps to help them. For example, buy buy a ticket for a joint trip. They quickly became one of the most expensive scam sites in the world and usually target older American women who are divorced or widowed (because public records can help fraudsters find this information).

Experts say that fraudsters often steal photos from real people and use them to create profiles on a dating site.

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