the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Westwood NJ, Scammers cheat senior citizens out of approximately $2.9 billion annually and no one is exempt from being a target. Seniors, on average, lose $500 for each incident they encounter. Senior fraud is a pervasive problem facing our aging populations.
On behalf of Chief Michael R Pontillo, and all of the men and women of the Westwood Police Department, we would like to make you aware of some of the scams we have seen being used recently.
– Tech support scams are the most common among senior citizens. Seniors are known to be less “tech savvy” and can easily be fooled into looking for help. As of August 2023, losses from tech support scams were up 40% from the same time in 2022.
– Romance scams cause the largest losses, reaching an average of $10,000 for those aged 70-79.
– Relative scams are also extremely common. Scammers can pretend to be a grandchild or loved one claiming to be in danger. Callers might ask for cash, gift cards, or even wire transfers to help them out.
All of these can be detrimental to our seniors’ mental health. Being scammed may make them feel helpless, embarrassed, anxious, depressed, and of course fearful.
All seniors should make sure to question any callers’ motives or claims. NEVER share your personal info or accounts over the phone. Get on a “Do Not Call” list. Monitor all your accounts and credit score, and try and keep all viruses off of your computer or smart phone. When in doubt, verify the information you are being presented. Ask for a number to call back because you need to get off the phone. Feel free to contact the Westwood Police Department(or your local police department ) if you have a question or think that you may need help. They are happy to help.
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What Holiday Season?
Thanksgiving and Christmas!
New Years
Too Bad Christmas is not allowed to be named.
Oops yes! I forgot New Years! Lol
What happened to “with age comes wisdom”? Maybe if you haven’t grown out of your ‘good heart’ well before senescence you’re getting what you deserve …
time to take your meds