Oh, they really hate Seniors out here on the Internet

[VintageBetter]

Here is another story of Alice Lin, who has a disabled son, and some feces-of-the-Earth stole over $700,000 from her.

"Alice Lin’s husband died, and she found herself alone and caring for a disabled son. Then two years ago, the 81-year-old Alhambra woman said she started getting texts from a stranger on a messaging app.

Over the course of a series of friendly chats, he convinced her to wire $720,000 — her entire life savings — to a cryptocurrency app."

A California senior lost $700K to scammers. Now she’s asking the state to slow bank transfers

 

[Pepper]

No cure for stupid, or dementia, either? Those are the only excuses I'd accept from these dupes you keep advertising.

Watching this subject often on the old Dr. Phil always made me wonder how these morons were smart enough in their lifetimes to amass this kind of money.

Not praising thieves, but gosh, there doesn't seem to be one brain amongst these vics.

 

[hollydolly]

No cure for stupid, or dementia, either? Those are the only excuses I'd accept from these dupes you keep advertising.

Watching this subject often on the old Dr. Phil always made me wonder how these morons were smart enough in their lifetimes to amass this kind of money.

Not praising thieves, but gosh, there doesn't seem to be one brain amongst these vics.

Too True...

 

[Pinky]

Some seniors, who aren't educated by their adult children, may be extremely naive.

 

[Della]

When my father was alive it was the Reader's Digest Sweepstakes and Publishers Clearing House that targeted old people, but the worst that could happen was they spent a lot of money on knick-knacks they didn't really want just to "stay in good with them." We told my father over and over that his chances of winning were tiny, but they kept sending him letters like one we saw that said he was a finalist and they needed directions to his house. Because of this he wouldn't come to my house to share Christmas (his last one as it turned out) with the family, because "they might come while I'm out."

For years he was obsessed with it, everything had to be a certain way, he was careful about the stamps he used and which post office was very important. Once they sent him a "check" for a million dollars with no routing number and some very fine print saying "this is what your check will look like if you win." He was thrilled and drove to my brother's house to show him -- very angry with my brother when he pointed out why it wasn't real.

This is a man who tested higher than any score they had seen when he enlisted in the Army and had an IQ over 150. I bet he would have fallen for the cryptocurrency thing. It's a combination of dementia, depression and loneliness.

 

[Brookswood]

My buddy has a neighbor in his mid 60s who is looking for a young Aisian gal to marry. By young I mean under 40. He is not a great catch, other than his very nice paid up house, investments, and a pension. He is setting himself up for being taken, big time. Probably by Yvgeny and Natasha in Russia.

When I mentioned I have a required minimum age of 60, he thought I was an idiot. But, we enjoy the same music, the same old movies, similar travel experiences, and having grown adult kids who don’t require our ongoing attention. IOW, when we are together, her place or mine, don’t be calling or knocking unless it’s life or death.

 

[VintageBetter]

Some seniors, who aren't educated by their adult children, may be extremely naive.

Again, I see that as blaming the victim.

The Internet (and texting, which is a by-product of it) actually changes our brains. There have been a couple of good documentaries about this. One is on Netflix, or was. But there are many articles about this ability of the Internet, social media, and yes, even random strangers connecting with us, to lull our brains into a fake sense of a real relationship.

In the old days, like every one else, I use to follow certain celebrities on FB and Twitter. Following a celebrity gives you a fake impression that you may have formed a connection with them. I remember one comedian who was being harassed by the Right very horribly, and I followed her just to stand up for her.

Later I thought, "She has planety of money with which to hire security. She does not need my friendship." Right? Right. But this is what these connections do. Can be GREAT if you like a performer and want to see them - can keep in touch with where or when they are performing.

Can be a horrid tragedy if you're connected to a fake persona and they only want to take you cash or, worse, kill you.

We keep saying, "Everyone should know better." But if they don't read news that is teaching them this, how can they possibly know?

https://centerforbrainhealth.org/article/social-media-is-changing-our-brains
https://www.psychologytoday.com/int...-internet-get-so-good-capturing-our-attention
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/internet-tricking-brains-rcna7193
https://www.nmsba.com/news/740-six-ways-digital-media-impacts-the-brain

The WORST thing about victim blaming, IMO, is that it gives the IN-THE-KNOW crowd, us, permission to NOT CARE about the OUT-OF-THE-LOOP victims.

I don't think anyone in America needs more permission to be self-centered and self-involved. I think we're a pretty selfish culture already. So why can't we give empathy to the victims and tell our lawmakers the laws need to change to protect the least of us?

 

[VintageBetter]

When my father was alive it was the Reader's Digest Sweepstakes and Publishers Clearing House that targeted old people, but the worst that could happen was they spent a lot of money on knick-knacks they didn't really want just to "stay in good with them." We told my father over and over that his chances of winning were tiny, but they kept sending him letters like one we saw that said he was a finalist and they needed directions to his house. Because of this he wouldn't come to my house to share Christmas (his last one as it turned out) with the family, because "they might come while I'm out."

For years he was obsessed with it, everything had to be a certain way, he was careful about the stamps he used and which post office was very important. Once they sent him a "check" for a million dollars with no routing number and some very fine print saying "this is what your check will look like if you win." He was thrilled and drove to my brother's house to show him -- very angry with my brother when he pointed out why it wasn't real.

This is a man who tested higher than any score they had seen when he enlisted in the Army and had an IQ over 150. I bet he would have fallen for the cryptocurrency thing. It's a combination of dementia, depression and loneliness.

Which means the scammers are taking advantage of the legitimately mentally ill. That makes them even worse than we first thought.

 

[CallMeKate]

We keep saying, "Everyone should know better." But if they don't read news that is teaching them this, how can they possibly know?

I'd really like to think that these people wouldn't have to "read news" to instinctively know that handing over three quarters of a MILLION dollars to a stranger wouldn't be a wise choice... dang, when it comes to that kind of foolhardiness, everyone *SHOULD* know better!

 

[hollydolly]

When my father was alive it was the Reader's Digest Sweepstakes and Publishers Clearing House that targeted old people, but the worst that could happen was they spent a lot of money on knick-knacks they didn't really want just to "stay in good with them." We told my father over and over that his chances of winning were tiny, but they kept sending him letters like one we saw that said he was a finalist and they needed directions to his house. Because of this he wouldn't come to my house to share Christmas (his last one as it turned out) with the family, because "they might come while I'm out."

For years he was obsessed with it, everything had to be a certain way, he was careful about the stamps he used and which post office was very important. Once they sent him a "check" for a million dollars with no routing number and some very fine print saying "this is what your check will look like if you win." He was thrilled and drove to my brother's house to show him -- very angry with my brother when he pointed out why it wasn't real.

This is a man who tested higher than any score they had seen when he enlisted in the Army and had an IQ over 150. I bet he would have fallen for the cryptocurrency thing. It's a combination of dementia, depression and loneliness.

awwww. that really pulled at my heartstrings... these bluddy people have a lot to answer for.. and today we have the equivalent, in African scammers on the phone and in your inbox...

 

[hollydolly]

Which means the scammers are taking advantage of the legitimately mentally ill. That makes them even worse than we first thought.

They don't even give that a thought... they don't care whose well or whose ill..as long as they can get them to believe that their money is going to be safer with the scammers that's all that matters to them. These people are ruthless.. they'd kill babies if it meant it got them money they haven't earned themselves..

 

[Jules]

It's a combination of dementia, depression and loneliness.

Usually it’s the latter two.

 

[squatting dog]

According to the Federal Reserve data, baby boomers – people born between the 1946 and 1964– win the top spot for the wealthiest generation in the U.S. In aggregate, their total net worth is $78.55 trillion.
With value like that floating around, should we really be surprised that thieves and con artists are drawn to it like flies on

 

[hollydolly]

According to the Federal Reserve data, baby boomers – people born between the 1946 and 1964– win the top spot for the wealthiest generation in the U.S. In aggregate, their total net worth is $78.55 trillion.
With value like that floating around, should we really be surprised that thieves and con artists are drawn to it like flies on

Well does anyone know any of these boomers who are rich..?.. if so can you introduce me ?

 

[Brookswood]

I don't think anyone in America needs more permission to be self-centered and self-involved. I think we're a pretty selfish culture already. So why can't we give empathy to the victims and tell our lawmakers the laws need to change to protect the least of us?

Alas, many of the fraudsters don’t live in the USA. It would be a lot easier to nab them if they did.

There are lots of selfish people in a country of 330 million. I don’t agree that it’s our culture.

 

[SeaBreeze]

Here is another story of Alice Lin, who has a disabled son, and some feces-of-the-Earth stole over $700,000 from her.

"Alice Lin’s husband died, and she found herself alone and caring for a disabled son. Then two years ago, the 81-year-old Alhambra woman said she started getting texts from a stranger on a messaging app.

Over the course of a series of friendly chats, he convinced her to wire $720,000 — her entire life savings — to a cryptocurrency app."

A California senior lost $700K to scammers. Now she’s asking the state to slow bank transfers

It's not only seniors who get scammed this way. People, mostly women, can fall prey to some creep who gains their trust and proceeds to slowly take advantage of them financially. People have to take responsibility and not be so desperate and foolish to trust a stranger who they have never even met. They learn from their mistakes, or in some cases, get duped again. Seniors are supposed to be wiser with age, thankfully many of us are.

 

[VintageBetter]

Well does anyone know any of these boomers who are rich..?.. if so can you introduce me ?

I am surrounded by them. I feel like like Cinderella.

 

[VintageBetter]

According to the Federal Reserve data, baby boomers – people born between the 1946 and 1964– win the top spot for the wealthiest generation in the U.S. In aggregate, their total net worth is $78.55 trillion.
With value like that floating around, should we really be surprised that thieves and con artists are drawn to it like flies on

I feel like again, this is making apologies for the thieves - like you're their defense attorney.

Throw them all in Federal prison. Let's do that instead rather than making excuses for the thieves.

 

[VintageBetter]

It's very interesting and sad to me that so many commenters here are not keen to throw the crooks in prison. Instead, you're all saying it's the Senior's fault.

 

[CallMeKate]

It's very interesting and sad to me that so many commenters here are not keen to throw the crooks in prison. Instead, you're all saying it's the Senior's fault.

I see what you're saying, but (1) over 80% of phone scams originate in India, and a very high percentage of email scams are coming from Nigeria. Not exactly sure how it works, but I highly doubt we're going to start going to India to arrest thousands of these scammers.

About the "senior's fault" thing... (2) if someone would physically come to your door and feed you some line about needing to write them a check for half a million, I'll bet *no one* would do it... and if you did, wouldn't that be your fault that your money is gone? Why is it different if someone from India or Nigeria calls or emails asking the same? I know what your opinion is (and that's fine, of course) but mine is that fault absolutely lies with the person transferring the money or buying thousands of dollars worth of gift cards.

One caveat would be if the "victim" had some kind of condition that they truly didn't understand what they were doing, but in that case, someone else is usually in charge of the funds.

 

[Widow of Vietnam Vet]

This thread reminded me of something that happened a day before I got my new phone system in-I had already detached my ROBO blocker because the new phone has a built in Roboblocker.

I answered the phone without my glasses on and a woman addressed me ,by my name, as if she knew me, and told me to stay on the line, because I had just won 2 million dollars in the Publishers Clearing house sweepstakes.

On TV the winners always get Balloons and what appears to be a legit win.....but I don't even register or buy anything from Publishers Clearing House so I just hung up-

A few years ago this happened to a friend of mine-they told her she had won Millions and had to go to a CVS drug store 10 miles away, where the Pub Clearing house people were waiting for her. Of course it was all a scam.

The other day (my new phone is preprogrammed with known Robo scammers, ) a call came in and the caller ID said Alert known scammer. so I blocked it.

The Medicare calls are worse-always from someone with a foreign accent ,asking if I got my new Medicare card yet BUT Medicare NEVER calls anyone.

 

[Pepper]

It's very interesting and sad to me that so many commenters here are not keen to throw the crooks in prison. Instead, you're all saying it's the Senior's fault.

You like to misunderstand. I personally said no such thing. Of course arrest the bad guys, if possible, as they are from another country. People, all people, any age, need personal responsibility too.

I know you never answer me since I pissed you off about Oprah. You made a wrong assumption then as well.

You jump to your own conclusions quite readily.

 

[Sunny]

I also have to wonder how all these extremely naive, not-too-bright people managed to accumulate these huge amounts of money in the first place. Sorry, I've become pretty skeptical about everything I read.

I do believe that lots of elderly people have been victims of scams. It's just the sums of money written about in these sad tales that sound dubious to me.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

I hate these stories about a senior getting ripped off by a scammer. It's the inference that seniors are all brain addled dupes, who will trustingly believe any line. If you're a brain addled dupe; you're a brain addled dupe, regardless of age. The reason seniors are targets of scammers is that seniors are more likely to have money, like nest eggs, IRAs, savings, investments, etc. You rarely hear of a homeless senior getting scammed. The purpose of a scam is not to find gullible people, but to swindle cash. And anybody can fall for a line, like the banks, money brokers, investment firms, and the super wealthy, who invested their life's saving in Medoff Investment Securities, LLC, which had AAA+ credit rating. Bernie Medoff swindled hundreds of millions, and landed in jail.

 

[VaughanJB]

Again, I see that as blaming the victim.

There has to be a base level of sensible thinking. Elders are more than grown adults, with life experience and a solid idea of responsibility. When it comes to sending 100's of thousands of dollars into a black money pit, how can it not be at least partly their fault? We can't act as though they were completely innocent and taken advantage of, without their actions, the scam can't work.

I do feel sorry for them, and there may be cases of diagnosed mental illness, but it's not every case. There's a channel on Youtube called "Catfished" which features these stories, and they're all the same.

Sometimes stupid is just stupid, not mentally ill.