North Branford Police Visit Senior Living Facility To Talk Elder Fraud Awareness, Prevention

NORTH BRANFORD, CT — Law enforcement, from the FBI to local police, aim to combat elder fraud through awareness and prevention efforts.

According to the FBI, "With the elderly population growing and seniors racking up more than $3 billion in losses annually, elder fraud has remained a growing problem."

"Each year, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud or confidence scheme, including romance, lottery, and sweepstakes scams—just to name a few," federal law enforcement noted. "Seniors are often targeted because they tend to be trusting and polite. They also usually have financial savings, own a home, and have good credit—all of which make them attractive to scammers."

North Branford police are also concerned.

Thursday, Officers Trivino-Martinez and Larsen, described as dedicated and committed to public safety, visited the Evergreen Woods Community to lead a session on elder fraud prevention.

"The presentation was well-received, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to connect with and help protect some of our most vulnerable residents," police posted to Facebook.

The Justice Department offers information on elder fraud schemes, how to spot them, how to protect oneself, and how to report elder fraud.

Common Elder Fraud Schemes

Scammers targeting elder citizens may employ one or more of the following types of schemes:

• Romance scam: Criminals pose as interested romantic partners on social media or dating websites to capitalize on their elderly victims’ desire to find companions.
• Tech support scam: Criminals pose as technology support representatives and offer to fix non-existent computer issues. The scammers gain remote access to victims’ devices and sensitive information.
• Grandparent scam: A type of confidence scam where criminals pose as a relative—usually a child or grandchild—claiming to be in immediate financial need.
• Government impersonation scam: Criminals pose as government employees and threaten to arrest or prosecute victims unless they agree to provide funds or other payments.
• Sweepstakes/charity/lottery scam: Criminals claim to work for legitimate charitable organizations to gain victims’ trust. Or they claim their targets have won a foreign lottery or sweepstake, which they can collect for a “fee.”
• Home repair scam: Criminals appear in person and charge homeowners in advance for home improvement services that they never provide.
• TV/radio scam: Criminals target potential victims using illegitimate advertisements about legitimate services, such as reverse mortgages or credit repair.
• Family/caregiver scam: Relatives or acquaintances of the elderly victims take advantage of them or otherwise get their money.

Protect Yourself

• Recognize scam attempts and end all communication with the perpetrator.
• Create a shared verbal family password or phrase that only you and your loved ones know.
• Search online for the contact information (name, email, phone number, addresses) and the proposed offer. Other people have likely posted information online about individuals and businesses trying to run scams.
• Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a sense of urgency to produce fear and lure victims into immediate action.
• Call the police immediately if you feel there is a danger to yourself or a loved one.
• Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, mailings, and door-to-door services offers.
• Never give or send any personally identifiable information, money, gold or other precious metals, jewelry, gift cards, checks, or wire information to unverified people or businesses.
• Make sure all computer anti-virus and security software and malware protections are up to date. Use reputable anti-virus software and firewalls.
• Disconnect from the internet and shut down your device if you see a pop-up message or locked screen. Pop-ups are regularly used by perpetrators to spread malicious software. Enable pop-up blockers to avoid accidentally clicking on a pop-up.
• Be careful what you download. Never open an email attachment from someone you don't know, and be wary of email attachments forwarded to you.
• Take precautions to protect your identity if a criminal gains access to your device or account. Immediately contact your financial institutions to place protections on your accounts, and monitor your accounts and personal information for suspicious activity.

How to Report

If you believe you or someone you know may have been a victim of elder fraud, file a complaint at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
When reporting a scam—regardless of dollar amount—include as many of the following details as possible:

• Names of the scammer and/or company
• Dates of contact
• Methods of communication
• Phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, and websites used by the perpetrator
• Methods of payment
• Where you sent funds, including wire transfers and prepaid cards (provide financial institution names, account names, and account numbers)
• Descriptions of your interactions with the scammer and the instructions you were given

Whenever possible, you should keep original documentation, emails, faxes, and logs of communications.