Seniors beware of scammers – Part 2

BY FAZAAD BACCHUS

Do not send money to people whom you have met on Facebook and do not know. Facebook is an amazing connectivity tool. Many seniors use Facebook as a part of daily life, keeping in touch with old friends, kids and grandkids alike. There are friends whom they may not have seen for years, but since the advent of Facebook, it’s become quite easy to look them up and reconnect. Predators and scammers look for specifics in the lives of seniors, especially new divorcees and those who express loneliness. A senior who is lonely, is a prime target as the scammer knows exactly what to do and say.

It starts with a friend request from someone you don’t know, but who is on the attractive side according to your age. The conversation starts slowly with the scammer telling you about how much they understand your pain, because they are going through the same loneliness as you. Then the scammer starts flirting and courting with you and if you are vulnerable, you believe that the scammer is a real person who really cares and loves you. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Over time, the scammer then says he or she would like to visit you but things are complicated and financially they just can’t afford the ticket etc. The senior who is now quite in love with a fictitious person wonders how they can help; the scammer asks for the ticket and other incidental money and the senior sends it by Western Union, but the money is now lost. The scammer was never a real person, used a fake photograph and played the senior for his money.

Grandparent scam

The telephone rings and a grandchild is on the phone crying hysterically. Naturally the senior become alarmed and enquires as to what is going on. The grandchild tells the senior that he or she has been involved in an accident of sorts and that there is going to be big trouble. This trouble can avoided if the grandchild can pay off the aggrieved party.

The senior suggests calling the parent, but the grandchild begs the senior not to do it, because the grandchild was drinking at the time of the accident and doesn’t want the parents to find out. So the senior offers to send the money to keep the grandchild out of trouble, however none of the above happened. It was a deliberate scam to defraud the senior of his money.

Computer virus scam

If you are working on your computer and it freezes, you will see a message that says you have to call a particular number for them to unlock it. Do not call the number; do not allow them to have online access to your computer, they can access all your passwords and information. Simply shut it down and restart it.

Seniors need to remember one thing only, do not send money to anyone, unless you have talked with everyone.