Scams designed to con people out of money can come in person, on the phone, in the mail or online, but they often have a common target — the elderly.
"I think in a lot of cases the elderly are targeted," Salem Deputy police Chief Shawn Patten said, "whether it's someone knocking on their door trying to do work around their yard or whether it's through the mail."
Contractors offering to clear brush or pave driveways and then taking off with up-front payments can scam seniors out of hundreds of dollars. In some cases, the crooks are local.
Last March, Salem police were looking for a white Chevy pickup truck with a Boston Celtics bumper sticker being used by three men who called themselves "Beaver Tree Removal." The men would charge $200 up front to clear fallen trees and then take off before finishing the work.
But some scams are much bigger and perpetrated by people thousands of miles away. That money can be nearly impossible to get back, Derry police Capt. Vern Thomas said.
"Since these things tend to be occurring outside of the country, we're not going to Canada to get somebody for $2,000, even if we can figure out who did it — and it's very difficult to figure out who did it," he said.
Thomas said that can be especially tough for the elderly, some of whom live on fixed incomes and hoped to strike it rich with a big cash prize, only to lose everything.
"There's no way to recoup it," he said. "You're never going to earn it back, and you're probably never going to see it again."
The Better Business Bureau warned last month of five scams targeting the elderly — and local police said they have seen most of them. One of the most common, sweepstakes and lottery scams, usually begins with victims receiving a letter in the mail claiming they've won the lottery or a Publisher's Clearing House prize. Before they can get their winnings, they must wire money back to the agency to cover taxes or fees. Sometimes, the victims even receive their prize check, but the bank later removes the money from an account because the check is fake.
An 80-year-old woman from Salem was swindled out of $140,000 — almost all of her savings — after she received a letter in May saying she had won $2.6 million from Publisher's Clearing House. Patten said the woman sent one check for $10,000 to cover fees and taxes, and was then told she had to send more. She sent $130,000 Patten said. Her daughter eventually discovered what happened and reported it to police in July.
In Derry, an 85-year-old man fell victim to the what's often known as the Canadian lotto scam in July, Thomas said. In that case, the scammers were asking for $25 here and there to redeem a big cash prize.
"That sounds like it's an affordable amount of money," he said. "It's almost like, 'How much can you afford to send me?' and then they ask you for that."
A few years back, similar lottery scams took Derry residents for even more money, Thomas said. One man lost his home after sending thousands of dollars in an attempt to collect Canadian winnings. Another woman, a former town employee, fell for the same trick.
"She was sending money and continued to send money, never receiving anything back except for more correspondence asking to send more," he said.
Eventually, the woman's family helped her with her finances, but she didn't want a police investigation.
"She didn't want to cooperate with us because she really hoped she was going to win," Thomas said.
Police said elderly victims often do not want to pursue charges against those who scammed them.
"I think sometimes they feel embarrassed that they allowed something like this to happen to them," said Pelham police Lt. Brian McCarthy, who serves as his department's elderly affairs officer. "I think some are intimidated by the whole court process and the fact that they might have to come in and testify. Some of them would rather just put it behind them and move on."
McCarthy said Pelham's most recent victim of a scam was an elderly woman who was swindled out of almost $20,000 by a contractor.
"Unfortunately, she did not want to go forward with criminal prosecution," he said.
Over the last few years, McCarthy said he's also seen people lose tens of thousands of dollars to lottery scams. In one instance, he said an elderly gentleman lost about $45,000.
"He didn't get a dime back," he said.
McCarthy said he always tries to help people gain something back out of a bad experience like that.
"I like to get them some kind of relief if I can," he said. "Whether it is by means of arrest or some kind of restitution. Something where what they get out of it is an understanding that they have choices and options."
He said he set up the elderly affairs office to let seniors know they had a safe place to ask questions when potential scams pop up.
"I felt that it was important that they feel they have a friend in the Police Department so if they have a question or if they have an issue, they feel comfortable in calling here and I can give them some kind of relief," McCarthy said.
In addition to lottery scams and deceptive professionals, the Better Business Bureau also warns of bereavement scams, where callers try to collect debts of a dead spouse.
Community relations Officer Matthew Norcross of the Salem Police Department said a friend who works with seniors heard from an elderly woman that she was receiving such calls after her husband's death.
"It was just a matter of a day or two later that she was receiving phone calls from scammers," he said.
The Better Business Bureau also warns about Medicare scams and fake investment and work from home opportunities.
For more information on how to stay safe from scams, visit bbb.org/us/consumer-tips-scams.
common scams targeting seniors
Sweepstakes and Lottery Scams: Typically, the victim receives a letter in the mail stating they have won a lottery or sweepstakes; it might even claim to be from Publisher's Clearing House or Reader's Digest. The letter instructs the victim to deposit an enclosed check and then wire a portion back to the company to cover taxes or administration fees. While the funds will initially show up in the bank account, the money will be removed when the bank determines the check is fake.
Advice: Never wire money to someone you don't know. You should never have to send money to receive any winnings from a lottery or sweepstakes.
Medicare Scams: Navigating the Medicare system isn't easy and some scammers will look for any opportunity to take advantage of the confusion. Commonly, a scammer will claim to be with Medicare and ask for personal information such as Medicare, Medicaid, social security, credit card or bank account numbers. The victim might be given any number of excuses to provide this information.
Advice: Remind your elderly family members that Medicare will never call to ask for sensitive personal financial information. If you suspect fraud, contact local police or the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.
Bereavement Scams: Scammers will often try to take advantage of the increased vulnerability of senior citizens who have recently lost a loved one, such as a spouse.
Advice: Offer help to elderly family members if they have recently lost a loved one and are inexperienced in managing finances. If you are uncertain about owing a debt when collectors call, ask for written confirmation.
Deceptive Professionals: While many scams targeting senior citizens might not have a face, some scammers will be invited in the front door, including technicians, contractors, chimney sweeps, air duct cleaners and other services. Some professionals will lie about the extent of the problem or claim safety issues and then inflate prices for unsuspecting senior customers.
Advice: Find professionals you can trust by checking out the Better Business Bureau's directory of Accredited Businesses. Always research a company before you hand over any money and report any deceptive services to your Better Business Bureau, local law enforcement and the state attorney general.
Investment and Work at Home Opportunities: Promises of easy money often target older adults because they may be looking to supplement their income. The pitch might come in the form of an investment opportunity that promises big returns, or as a way to make money at home for an upfront cost.
Advice: Always research any work at home opportunity with the Better Business Bureau. Beware of investment or money-making offers that seem too good to be true or the use of high pressure sales tactics to get you to sign up immediately.
Source: Better Business Bureau
