ELDER FRAUD PACKET
Precautions
What to do
➢ Be aware that you are at risk
➢ Interact with others
○ Either in person or phone call
➢ Shred papers with your credit card or
social security number
➢ Sign up for “do not call” list
➢ Look up unfamiliar companies
➢ Use direct deposits instead of checks
when possible
➢ Once you recognize any signs you are
being scammed, end all
communications with the scammer
➢ Look the information up online to see if
anyone else reported being scammed
by a company or person of a similar
name or phone number
➢ If they say something about you or
your family being in danger, contact
your family to collaborate whether or not
they are in trouble
○ If you feel like you or your family is
in danger contact the police
➢ Always be skeptical about things that
come to you (through mail, phone, or
email) when it is not something you
requested
➢ Make sure anti-virus programs are up
to date on your electronics
➢ Put pop-up blockers on your computer
What to avoid doing
➢ Don’t give sensitive information unless
you are the one who originally called
them
○ Sensitive info includes anything that
links to any account you might have
that could help someone access the
accounts
➢ Don’t isolate yourself
Signs of Being Scammed
Messages
➢ Scam messages can appear to
come from a legitimate number
➢ Call back to ensure it is not a scam
➢ Scam messages do not give you
any specifics on your account
➢ Scam messages may have links
that may look legitimate but will take
you to a false site
➢ Never use the link sent to you
➢ Scam sites tend to have http not
https
○ But it is still possible for fake sites
to have https
➢ Scam messages will try to impose
a sense of urgency on you
○ Don’t rush
Website
➢ Look for https and padlock on
website url; http is not secure
➢ Be cautious if something looks too
good to be true
➢ Avoid using paying methods you
cannot reverse the payment (e.g.
money orders, gift card, bitcoin, wire
transfers)
➢ When possible pay using methods
that limit your losses (e.g. Paypal
and credit cards)
What to do after if you have been
scammed
➢ Get in touch with your bank and/or
credit card company
➢ Cancel any cards linked to the account
they took over
➢ Reset your personal identification
number
➢ Request credit freeze (also called a
security freeze) from credit bureaus
(Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax).
➢ Write down anything you remember
about the interaction and save all
correspondence between you and the
scammer
Organizations to Call
To Report a Scam
➢ Adult Protective Services
○ Virginia Number: 888-832-3858
○ Respects privacy
○ National Organization split up by
state
➢ National Elder Fraud Hotline
○ 1-833-372-8311
○ The hotline has personnel that help
each individual person with their
situation
○ National Organization
➢ Federal Bureau of Investigation
○ Submit a tip online
○ https://tips.fbi.gov/
○ National Organization
To Get Assistance with Day-to-Day
activities
➢ Senior Services of Southeastern
Virginia
○ https://www.ssseva.org/our-services/
○ Services include ride transportation,
meal options, medicare counseling,
and in-home services.
○ General number: 757- 461- 9481
Common Types of Scams:
Keep in mind that just because a scam
is not listed below does not mean it
doesn’t exist.
➢ Lottery scam
○ You have won the lottery but there is
a fee to collect your prize
➢ Medicare scam
○ The operator says they are from
Medicare and need your personal
information
➢ Fake prescription drugs
➢ Funeral scam
○ Additional fees when you are trying
to plan a funeral
○ Tell you someone you know owed
them money before they died
➢ Fake youth products
➢ Identity theft
➢ Phone scams
○ Types:
■ Pigeon Drop
● The caller found money and
will share it with you for a
price
■ Fake accident scam
● Called about a relative being
in the hospital
■ Charity scam
● Called by a fake charity
➢ Email scams
○ Getting an email asking you for or
confirming personal information
➢ Investment scams
○ Getting you to invest in bad holdings
➢ Home scams
○ Home Improvement scam
■ Tell you something needs to be
fixed when it doesn’t
➢ Grandparent scams
○ A grandkid calls and asks you for
money and not to tell their parents
➢ Romance scams
○ A person wishes to be in a romantic
relationship with you and wants you
to give them money
➢ Tech support scams
○ Someone tells you something is
wrong with your computer when it is
working fine
➢ TV/Radio scams
○ Someone advertises fake legitimate
services on the television or radio
➢ Government impersonation scams
○ Someone pretends to be from the
government and ask for private
information
○ Someone uses their position to
extort you for money
