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BREADCRUMB

 1. Justice.gov
 2. Elder Justice Initiative (EJI)
 3. Financial Exploitation
 4. Senior Scam Alert




MENU ELDER JUSTICE INITIATIVE HOME

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SENIOR SCAM ALERT

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Find Help or Report Abuse


RECOGNIZE FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION AND SCAMS TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM.

 

The Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force provides the following list to warn
and educate the public about trending elder fraud threats. The Strike Force
encourages use of the scheme names listed below to enable those combating
financial exploitation to speak a common language in discussing and reporting
incidences of elder fraud.

Social Security Administration Impostor Scam

Social Security Administration imposters contact prospective victims by
telephone and falsely claim that the victim’s Social Security number has been
suspended because of suspicious activity, or because it has been involved in a
crime. They ask to confirm the victim’s Social Security number, or they may say
they need to withdraw money from the victim’s bank and to store it on gift cards
or in other unusual ways for “safekeeping.” Victims may be told their accounts
will be seized or frozen if they fail to act quickly.

Perpetrators often use robocalls to reach victims. Victims may be told to “press
1” to speak to a government “support representative” for help reactivating their
Social Security number. They also use caller ID spoofing to make it look like
the Social Security Administration is calling. With such trickery, perpetrators
convince victims to give up their Social Security numbers and other personal
information. Social Security Administration imposters operating from abroad
often use U.S.-based money mules to receive victim payments and transmit
proceeds to perpetrators.

Source: Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General

Tech Support Scam

Fraudsters make telephone calls and claim to be computer technicians associated
with a well-known company or they may use internet pop-up messages to warn about
non-existent computer problems. The scammers claim they have detected viruses,
other malware, or hacking attempts on the victim’s computer. They pretend to be
“tech support” and ask that the victim give them remote access to his or her
computer. Eventually, they diagnose a non-existent problem and ask the victim to
pay large sums of money for unnecessary – or even harmful – services. Tech
Support Scams operating from abroad often use U.S.-based money mules (including
legitimate-seeming businesses registered in the U.S.) to receive victim payments
and transmit proceeds to perpetrators.

Refund scheme: After victims make payments, perpetrators often call back and
offer refunds to victims, claiming their tech support services are no longer
available. Perpetrators claim to send refund money to the victim’s bank account
but falsely claim that too much money was refunded. Perpetrators then induce
victims to send payments (often through stored-value cards such as gift cards),
purportedly to reimburse the tech support company for its “over-refund.” Victims
have lost hundreds or thousands of dollars to this refund scheme.

Source: Federal Trade CommissionLinks to other government and non-government
sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you
are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.

Lottery Scam

Fraudulent telemarketers based in Jamaica and other countries are calling people
in the U.S., telling them that they have won a sweepstakes or foreign lottery.
The fraudulent telemarketers typically identify themselves as lawyers, customs
officials, or lottery representatives, and tell people they have won vacations,
cars or thousands — even millions — of dollars. “Winners” need only pay fees for
shipping, insurance, customs duties, or taxes before they can claim their
prizes. Victims pay hundreds or thousands of dollars and receive nothing in
return, and often are revictimized until they have no money left. Lottery Scams
operating from abroad often use U.S.-based money mules to receive victim
payments and transmit proceeds to perpetrators.


Source: U.S. Embassy in JamaicaLinks to other government and non-government
sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you
are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.

IRS Impostor Scam

IRS Imposter Scams are aggressive and sophisticated phone scam targeting
taxpayers. Callers claim to be employees of the IRS, but are not. They use fake
names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. Victims are told they owe
money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a wire transfer or stored
value card such as a gift card. Victims who refuse to cooperate are threatened
with arrest, deportation, or suspension of a business or driver’s license. IRS
Imposter Scams operating from abroad often use U.S.-based money mules to receive
victim payments and transmit proceeds to perpetrators.

Source: Internal Revenue ServicesLinks to other government and non-government
sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you
are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.

Romance Scam

Millions of Americans use dating sites, social networking sites, and chat rooms
to meet people. And many forge successful relationships. But scammers also use
these sites to meet potential victims. They create fake profiles to build online
relationships, and eventually convince people to send money in the name of love.
Some even make wedding plans before disappearing with the money. An online love
interest who asks for money is almost certainly a scam artist. Romance Scams
operating from abroad often use U.S.-based money mules to receive victim
payments and transmit proceeds to perpetrators. Sometimes, perpetrators of
Romance Scams convince victims to serve as money mules, receiving illegal
proceeds of crime and forwarding those proceeds to perpetrators. For example,
Romance Scam victims often are induced to receive payments and/or goods such as
technology equipment procured through fraud and to forward those payments and
goods directly or indirectly to perpetrators.

Source: Federal Trade CommissionLinks to other government and non-government
sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you
are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.

See also: Department of Justice Tech Support Take Down 2019Links to other
government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external
link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website
when you click the link.




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