Too many people believe the lies.
It’s no secret that scams are rampant and that older folks (which these days includes me) are being targeted heavily.
The US Federal Trade Commission recently posted False alarm, real scam: how scammers are stealing older adults’ life savings. It details some of the techniques scammers are using and steps you can take to stay safe.
I want to highlight some of what they said because too many people still aren’t getting the message.
Scammers lie
Scammers lie about who they are, what’s going on, and how serious and urgent everything is. Their goal is to scare you into reacting quickly and without thinking so they can steal your money or information. Don’t believe it. Hang up, verify through real contact info, never move money “to protect it,” and always stay skeptical.
Lie #1: Someone is using your accounts
Scammers lie. According to the article:
This lie might start with someone pretending to be your bank, flagging so-called suspicious activity, or pretending to be Amazon with a message about an unauthorized purchase…
These lies are all designed to get you to react emotionally without thinking. Supposedly, something is happening to your money without your knowledge or consent.
The scam is that the contact information provided — be it via email, text message, voicemail, or any other path — leads you not to someone who can help you “fix” the issue but rather to someone who’ll scam you out of your money.
It’s a lie. There was no suspicious activity or unauthorized purchase to begin with.
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Lie #2: Your information is being used to commit crimes
Scammers lie.
This lie may come from a supposed government officer or agent, warning that your Social Security number is linked to a crime like drug smuggling, money laundering, or even child pornography…
Once again, these lies are designed to scare you into acting inappropriately without thinking. In this case, rather than your money being at risk, it’s you. The wording often threatens legal repercussions, including heavy fines or even jail time.
The scam is, once again, that the contact information provided is not to some official agency that can help you clear things up, but rather to a scammer who collects information from you and uses it to either drain your bank accounts or steal your identity, leaving you with massive debt as they open accounts and take out loans in your name.
It’s a lie. There is no crime associated with your name or Social Security number.1
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Lie #3: There’s a security problem with your computer
Scammers lie.
This lie often starts with a fake on-screen security alert that looks like it’s from Microsoft or Apple with a number to call. If you call, they say your online accounts have been hacked.
These lies are designed to leverage the complexity of computers and your lack of knowledge about how things work under the hood.
As with the preceding lies, the contact information you’re given leads not to a reputable company to help you “clean things up” but to a scammer. They take your information, including your credit card number. In some cases, they offer to take remote control of your computer to help and then install malicious software.
It’s a lie. These messages or phone calls do not mean there’s a security issue with your computer or your accounts.
Fortunately, the FTC article includes three things you can do to keep yourself and your money safe.
Don’t move money to “protect it”
Never transfer or send money to anyone, no matter who they say they are, in response to an unexpected call or message. Even if they say it’s to “protect it.”
Scammers can be very persuasive. They love this technique because once you “move” the money — into something suggested by the scammer, of course — it’s theirs. There are scams where individuals are even convinced to purchase gold that they then hand over for “safekeeping” to someone who turns out to be a scammer.
Never. Just… never.
Hang up and verify
Hang up the phone and call the company or agency directly using a phone number or website you know is real. Don’t trust what an unexpected caller says, and never use the phone number in a computer security pop-up or an unexpected text or email.
I’ll emphasize that last part: never use the contact information provided by the caller. Also, never use Caller-ID information for validation or for call-back, as that can be easily spoofed. Look up the real number for the company or government agency that they claim to be from, and call that number yourself.
Oh, and if you threaten to hang up and they get angry, or they call back immediately, that’s a very strong sign that something’s amiss.
Do not engage.
Block unwanted calls
Learn about your call-blocking options to stop many of these scammers before they reach you.
Honestly, that statement’s not strong enough for me. Yes, do look into your call-blocking options, but don’t assume that’s enough. Instead:
- Don’t answer calls from numbers you don’t recognize.
- If it’s important, they’ll leave voicemail (scammers almost never do).
- You can then evaluate that voicemail without pressure.
And if that voicemail leaves a callback number? If it sounds like anything we’ve discussed above, or you’re even the least bit concerned, don’t call it. If they claim to represent a company or organization, look up the number for that organization instead.
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Legitimate folks don’t work that way
One of the more frequently overlooked realities of these situations is that legitimate organizations don’t use the techniques we discussed above.
- Banks won’t call you. If there’s a problem, they just lock your accounts and assume you’ll contact them.2
- Government agencies won’t send you an email or call; you’ll either get a physical letter in the mail or an officer on your doorstep.3
- No legitimate organization communicates via random pop-ups on your computer.
If you get contacted via email, text message, or some other digital mechanism, that contact should:
- Not include any callback or contact information.
- Instead, instruct you to contact them via contact methods you already have: your online account or the phone number(s) you look up yourself.
For instance, “Please sign in to your online account for an important message from Chase” is probably legitimate. “We’ve detected suspicious activity on your account. Please reply to this text or call us at 1-866-###-####” is extremely suspicious, and you should not follow those instructions.
Do this
I know this might seem like a lot, and in a way it is. It’s a sad state of affairs that we have to be so careful. But we must. The stories of loss are heartbreaking.
If there’s one simple rule, it’s this: be skeptical.
Legitimate businesses and agencies will not mind. They might even laud your efforts to stay safe and secure.
Scammers will just get angry… and there’s your sign to just hang up.
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Footnotes & References
1: Well, unless you really are committing crimes, but then this article isn’t really for you anyway. 
2: The only exception I’m aware of is if you have a relationship with a specific person at your local bank. Even then, make sure they call you by name, that they sound as you expect, and that they don’t object to your asking them to let you call them back.
3: Yes, there’s a possibility of an in-person scam, but it’s much rarer than the digital/online kind.
At ftc.gov: False alarm, real scam: how scammers are stealing older adults’ life savings.
I just got one of those calls the other day. When my cellphone started ringing, the caller ID showed an Atlanta, GA area code and a warning about a possible spam call. I let it go to voicemail and surprisingly enough the caller left a voicemail message. The message almost sounded like a real person until there was a pause and then my wife’s name was inserted. She has her own phone. Dire consequences were promised if she didn’t call back about some “claim” against her. I figure that 1)if the claim was legitimate, they could at least call the correct number and 2) most claims get put in writing. It is very difficult to make a case in court without documentation. A call log showing a call to the wrong number likely won’t stand, if it is even accepted.
That number went to the block list.
Fantastic video. This should be made mandatory for all senior citizen groups. When getting legitimate email from organizations saying to check your messages, I never use the URL in the email but will go to the known user website to check for messages. Another dead giveaway is when the email says Dear Customer or Dear email.com. If they don’t know who they’re sending it to, I don’t need to read it. Also too many seniors will answer their phone whenever it rings, if you don’t recognize the number, talk to the machine.
Thanks so much for this video I wish more people would see it.
In the UK, I have had genuine calls from my bank’s fraud detection department. But whilst they are asking me for security info to be sure it’s me, I can’t be sure it’s them! So I say “I’ll call you back” and do so on the genuine number I already know. That works fine. If the person who called is genuine they’ll be happy you want to do that.