A Surge In Scams Is Hitting Local Seniors Hard in Washington

It seems like a day does not go by that we don't hear about a new scam. What we're going to look at this time is a scam that's been around for a while, but it's become so serious now that the US government has issued a strong warning because it has become so pervasive. 

According to msn.com,
‘The scam, which typically targets older adults but has also targeted younger consumers, involves scammers impersonating trusted government agencies or businesses to convince consumers to transfer money to protect it. In reality, however, the scammers are attempting to steal the money.’ 

The FTC says that there's been almost a 200% increase since 2020 of reports of older Americans losing Up to $10,000 from scammers, and even more alarming. The FTC says there's been a 400% increase of older Americans losing over $100,000. 

If that were not bad enough, younger Americans are now falling prey to these tactics as well.  

Here is how this fraud works. 

The target individual is contacted by somebody that claims to work for a government agency or trusted large business (like Amazon). They try to convince the target that their money in their bank account is at risk, there seems to be suspicious activity in your accounts. 

Another version of this scam has a caller claiming to be a government official letting you know that your Social Security numbers or your other personal information is being used to commit a serious crime. 

A third version, scammers will cause what looks like a security breach on your computer, a warning will pop up on your screen that looks like a security warning from Microsoft or Apple. The warning on the screen will have a phone number they hope that you will call and at that point they will tell you that your online accounts have been hacked. 

It can be part of a text message, an e-mail, or a phone call. 

Keep this in mind. 

Be wary of any request that asks you to transfer money from one point to another. The goal of these scammers is to steal your money. 

Be extra suspicious of anybody that asks you to buy Gift cards, to deposit money into a Bitcoin ATM, or to hand off cash or gold to a Courier. No legitimate business would ever do this. 

Remember, don't move money if they tell you to do so to protect it, hang up on the call and verify that they even exist. You have the ability to block unwanted calls.
Government Issues Major Warning About a Growing Scam
FTC Data Show a More Than Four-Fold Increase in Reports of Impersonation Scammers Stealing Tens and Even Hundreds of Thousands from Older Adults | Federal Trade Commission