OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond emphasized the importance of taking precautions against elder fraud on National Senior Fraud Awareness Day.
“Older Oklahomans deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, yet too often they are targeted by unscrupulous fraudsters,” said Drummond. “This type of senior abuse is inexcusable and I urge all Oklahomans to be vigilant in protecting senior citizens from exploitation.”
According to the FBI, scams such as fake lotteries, technical support scams, government impersonation, romance scams and more have caused seniors to lose more than $3 billion annually.
Below are some tips to help guard against these types of scams:
- Never give out personal information over the phone or in response to an email or other message.
- Never click on emailed links or attachments unless you verify the email address. Scammers sometimes attempt to send messages from known contacts to trick unsuspecting people into clicking emailed links.
- Be cautious if someone demands payment up front or in a suspicious format. (For example: Gift cards, cryptocurrency, Venmo/CashApp/Zelle)
- Check your bank statements for any unauthorized charges.
- Slow down and be willing to reject high-pressure approaches from strangers. Scammers often attempt to produce stress or fear to make their victims think they need to act as quickly as possible.
- Once you recognize a scam attempt, end all contact with the scammer.
- Research any offers or contact information you receive. Oftentimes, people will have posted about businesses or individuals running these types of scams.
- If you feel there’s danger to yourself or a loved one, call police immediately.
- Be suspicious of all unsolicited phone calls, mail and door-to-door services and thoroughly investigate any claims they make.
- Do your best to protect your identity and if you suspect a scammer has gained access to your device or account, contact your financial institutions and monitor your accounts and personal information for suspicious activity.
If you or a loved one has experienced a scam targeting seniors, you can report it to the Attorney General’s Office here.
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