This important notice just came to us from the State of Connecticut. Please be aware of these scams and read the related articles from AARP. Knowledge is power!
Thousands of Americans are targeted to be victims of fraud scams every day. Scammers may contact their victims by phone, email, regular mail, or home visit in effort to seek out personal and financial information. Unfortunately, seniors are one of the most targeted age groups by impostors as they are more willing to listen or pick up the telephone from an unknown number.
Based on a survey conducted by AARP Fraud Watch Network, 45% of respondents in the U.S. ages 50+ have been contacted by a government impostor, as compared to 35% of respondents in the U.S. ages 18-49. With impostor scams becoming more frequent in recent years, senior citizens should be careful not to give their personal information into the wrong hands as it may result in severe consequences such as identity theft or financial loss.
In many cases, scammers act as representatives of the IRS, Social Security Administration, Census Bureau, or other government agencies in order to retrieve personal information from the targeted victim. Scammers may as for credit card numbers, bank account information, social security numbers, and other confidential information through phone calls, emails, or door-to-door interactions. In order to help prevent becoming a victim of fraud scams, take a look at the warnings signs to look out for and the “do’s and dont’s” listed by the AARP Fraud Resource Center in order to avoid being a victim of fraud. You can also use the Fraud Watch Network to help you search for, report, and avoid scams.
Sources:
AARP Survey: Nearly Half of U.S. Adults Have Been Targeted by Impostor Scams
66 Percent of Americans Over 50 Concerned About Becoming a Target of Scam
