Scammers profile their targets
By Connie ThompsonMany victims who lose thousands of dollars to scams are senior citizens. MultimediaBut investigators say scammers profile their targets in every age group and some people who least expect it, may have the most to lose. Having trouble losing weight? Scammers work on attracting you to phony diet plans and weight loss gimmicks. Preoccupied with losing your home to foreclosure? Many of those ads you see promising a solution- are simply scams in disguise.. "What they're trying to do is engage you on a personal level," said former fraud investigator Doug Shadel, now the State Director of AARP in Washington state. Shadel says con artists are organized, smart and they pay attention to the headlines. They tailor their scams to current events that are likely to be on everyone's mind, and to personal issues with which consumers are likely to be preoccupied. If you're a retired older woman, you're more likely to fall for phony lotteries and sweepstakes. College students and people under forty are prime targets for scams involving scholarships, grants to help pay for school, student loans, travel and entertainment, stereo equipment (especially young males), job opportunities, investments and rental housing. Looking for work? Scammers are targeting unemployed consumers with work-at-home schemes, extra income opportunities, special job listings and free grants to help with living expenses. Baby boomers are particularly hot targets for bogus retirement plans, investment scams, estate management schemes and long-term care insurance fraud. Fraud investigators say scammers try to make you think you're they're friend- helping you solve a problem. And even if the dollar amount they want you to send is small, don't make the mistake of thinking you have nothing to lose. Once they can convince you to take the bait, even if you only give them a few dollars, it puts a target on your back so the pros can move in and finish the job. Most Popular |
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February 9, 2012
- Coos Bay / North Bend, Oregon
