Senior citizens are the most common prey for scammers and con artists. Email scams, phone scams, and scams that play on seniors being unfamiliar with new technology that gets introduced into our daily lives rely on seniors not being able to protect themselves and use their better judgement.
The truth is, as we grow older – while we do become more forgetful and easily confused – we also grow wiser. Trusting our instincts and taking measures to protect ourselves is something we can do at any age.
As we grow older and enter into the senior demographic, we become less and less keen. We forget names and faces of people we have known for years, from acquaintances to friends and relatives. We drop details, miss appointments, and become more easily confused. We have a hard time keeping up on new technology in our day-to-day lives. Frankly, it gets frustrating and embarrassing at times when we loose the wits we once had. It also gets scary because senior citizens are the population most widely targeted by con artists for just these reasons. We are forgetful, more easily confused, we forget names and faces, and we are often too embarrassed to speak up about it.
A new con relies on senior targets thinking that the con artist is someone they have failed to recognize, and are then embarrassed to admit it. It works like this:
A senior driver stops at a stoplight, at a stop sign, in a parking lot, or even gets flagged down on the road while driving by the con artist. The con artist will approached the senior in a parking lot, bang on the window, and sometimes even just hop right in the seat. The conversation goes like this:
“It’s been so long, I bet you don’t even remember me!”
Of course, the target does not remember the con artist because he or she has never met this person before. However, oftentimes the target can be confused into placing the face somewhere it does not belong, or just goes along with the scam because he or she is embarrassed to admit they have forgotten this person entirely.
Next, the con artist will try to decipher whether or not the targeted senior is on his way back home. If the answer is yes, the con artist invites him or herself along to catch up. Once back at the house, the con artist will make up an excuse to wander the house – having to go to the bathroom or taking a look around – or just wait until the senior needs to use the bathroom. The con artist will then commit acts of theft.
To protect yourself against this kind of scam, trust your instincts and trust your memory. If you do not remember someone who approaches you on the street or in a parking lot, go with your memory. Do not be embarrassed; if this really is a friend or family member, you will most likely find out later through someone you both know and he or she will be understanding of your actions in most cases.
If someone you do not recognize tries to flag you down, do not stop. Keep your doors locked while in the vehicle. If someone approaches you at a stoplight or stop sign and knocks on your window, roll it down only just slightly. If you are approached outside your vehicle in a parking lot, admit that you do not recognize the person and then leave. Do not get sucked into conversation and risk confusion or being tempted into giving them a ride.
If someone actually manages to jump into your car and refuses to get out, pull into a busy parking lot like a grocery store or gas station. Get out and take your keys with you. Get help, and get that con artist out of your car.