Aging in Place is the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.

One of the most important parts of aging in place is being safe in our homes and community. We can do things in our houses to prevent falls and make our living space more comfortable as we age. But…the constant barrage of telephone and online scams targeting seniors can make us feel unsafe and stressed.

Elder Scams at an All-Time High

According to a 2022 report from the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, there were 88,262 complaints of fraud from people age 60+ resulting in $3.1 billion in losses, a startling 82.35% increase compared to 2021.

Scammers target older adults for a number of reasons, including:

• Seniors may have accrued a lifetime of savings, own their own home, and have good credit.

• Seniors are more likely to be home during the day to answer phone calls or reply to emails.

• Seniors are less likely to be tech-savvy and therefore easier to scam online or over  the phone.

• Seniors may have cognitive issues that prevent them from using their best judgment.

And some seniors might be concerned that if they report the scam they will lose their independence or be seen as incompetent.

The Top Five Financial Scams Targeting Seniors

There are dozens of different types of fraud that impact the elderly. These five scams made up more than 65% of the complaints to the FBI. All of them have targeted seniors in Falmouth:

Government Imposter Scams: A scammer might contact you claiming to be a representative from a government agency. This could include Medicare, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or the Social Security Administration.

• Medicare: Scammers claiming to be from Medicare may call to "verify" your Medicare number. If you provide the information, they will use it to steal your health benefits.

• IRS: During tax season, scammers may call you pretending to be from the IRS and claiming there’s an issue with your return. If you provide information to "secure" your tax submission, they will use it to file for a phony tax refund and possibly commit identity theft.

• Social Security: A scammer claims that your SSN has been suspended due to an alleged crime. To reinstate it, they will demand payment often in the form of gift cards.

Sweepstakes and Lottery Scams: A scammer may call you to let you know that you won a lottery or prize of some kind. To claim your winnings, you must send cash or gift cards up front to cover supposed taxes and processing fees. A variation of this is an email or actual letter claiming that you have inherited millions of dollars and you need to supply your banking information to transfer the money.

Phishing/Vishing/Smishing: The use of unsolicited email, text messages, and telephone calls supposedly from a legitimate company requesting your personal, financial, and/or login information. These messages all follow a similar pattern, claiming to be from a company or organization you know — such as your bank and companies like Netflix, PayPal and Comcast. If you engage, the scammers will try to get personal information, passwords, or financial account information from you.

A spam email asking you to click on a link or download an attachment is especially dangerous. You could unintentionally download malware that gives the scammer remote control over your computer and its content.

Computer Tech Support Scams: The scammer masquerades as a tech support representative from a company you trust like Apple or Microsoft. More often, it’s a flashing pop-up message with a voice warning that you will lose all of the data on your computer unless you call a listed number. This will lead to a demand for money.

The Grandparent Scam: Scammers pretending to be your grandchild or the police call and say that your relative has been in an auto accident or has committed a crime and been arrested. You will then be asked to take out large sums of money to buy gift cards or make a wire transfer to "save" your grandchild.

How to Protect Yourself from Scams

Although I have not been a victim of phone or online scams, I am frequently targeted, sometimes up to 10 times a day. In the week prior to writing this article I was informed that my Netflix account was suspended; my tax refund was waiting to pick up (even though I already received it); a bill claiming I owed $359 to "Geek Squad" for tech services; and, a laptop pop-up telling me a virus had destroyed my computer.

The following tips may help you avoid scams:

• Never click on suspicious links in emails or texts.

• Never wire money to someone you have not met.

• The IRS, Medicare and Social Security will not contact you by phone or email.

• Ignore messages that you have won a large prize.

• Never give your SSN, Medicare number, bank account number or credit card info to anyone unless you are 100% sure who you are talking with.

• Be cautious of any message that asks you to pay for something by putting money on a gift card.

Look into purchasing an identity theft program from a trusted financial institution. I pay $15.00/month for a plan that monitors my credit reports and information about me found on the internet. Most important, it insures me for $1 million and provides a personal advisor if I have been a victim of identity theft!