Have you ever been scammed as a senior ?

pchrise

pchrise

Member
Location
West Coast
Or any other time for that matter. I find it hard to belive that todays seniors would be taken in. Even if someone knocks on your door , my motto no appoiment I do not open it. Saw a crime show two people asked to use the phone , yes thet were killed. today that one does not work with cell phones. Even if a police stops you I ask for an ID a lady, got assaulted by a fake police . How do you stay safe and avoid scams.
 

AprilT said:
Sorry, I should have said, so far I haven't fallen victim to those scams and hope not to. I do realize they are happening to many other seniors.
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Also keep bank cards in a protected shield, you can be robbed from far away and never know it until you checkout your account. Also do not give out your medicare or insurance info.
 
At 77 years old Im wayyyyy the hell too smart to be scamed and those that do get scammed are not very bright to begin with.
These scammers are VERY smart and do their homework especialy with the eldery.
Its really very simple,dont answer the door uness you know who is there,the same goes with the phone HUNG UP if you dont know, personally, who it is.
 
pchrise said:
Also keep bank cards in a protected shield, you can be robbed from far away and never know it until you checkout your account. Also do not give out your medicare or insurance info.
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I've seen all the 20/20 and other shows featuring those shim shams and how their done. If we're talking these kinds of scams, I think most on here are pretty savvy enough to avoid them, but, I wouldn't call everyone else idiots for having fallen victim to such scams there are plenty of seniors that just aren't tech savvy aren't street smart, never had to deal with such people aren't familiar with these types of people. Anyones senior parent or very elderly relative may have or become victim to such scoundrels. It's really sad to see when it does happen so some little old lady or man.
 
Davey Jones said:
At 77 years old Im wayyyyy the hell too smart to be scamed and those that do get scammed are not very bright to begin with.
These scammers are VERY smart and do their homework especialy with the eldery.
Its really very simple,dont answer the door uness you know who is there,the same goes with the phone HUNG UP if you dont know, personally, who it is.
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No one is bad everyone just needs to stay one step ahead of criminals. I got called on the carpet for not filling out my profile, but see no reason to spread info all over the place so a few sites can profit from it. Same goes for emails , you would not believe the tricks to get you to open one. I have just such an email for scams. I hate face book and tweeter who now tracks all your key strokes.

 
A simple way for men to protect your Master card/visa being scanned in your wallet.
CUT OUT SOME ALUMINIUM FOIL THE SIZE OF YOUR WALLET & PLACE IN WHERE YOU KEEP
YOUR BANK NOTES. WHEN YOU FOLD YOUR WALLET OVER IT WILL PREVENT ANYONE SCANNING YOUR CREDIT CARDS.
 
AprilT said:
I've seen all the 20/20 and other shows featuring those shim shams and how their done. If we're talking these kinds of scams, I think most on here are pretty savvy enough to avoid them, but, I wouldn't call everyone else idiots for having fallen victim to such scams there are plenty of seniors that just aren't tech savvy aren't street smart, never had to deal with such people aren't familiar with these types of people. Anyones senior parent or very elderly relative may have or become victim to such scoundrels. It's really sad to see when it does happen so some little old lady or man.
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I'm not that tech savvy, but I am street smart, and I don't trust people easily, or fall for scams and schemes. Once I was called on the phone by someone saying I owed money for taxes, and unless I paid them right away, there would be a sheriff at my front door to arrest me, and they would take away my home and my possessions.

Well...I gave that character a wake up call, that I would easily make sure he was behind bars for his telephone scamming. I looked up the number online afterwards, and there was more confirmation that this number was a SS scammer that tried to get people to pay money to them. I added myself to the list of complaints against that number. I don't fool easily, and as you said April, I think most seniors on this forum would not fall for such scams, but there are some who may be too trusting.

GDAD said:
A simple way for men to protect your Master card/visa being scanned in your wallet.
CUT OUT SOME ALUMINIUM FOIL THE SIZE OF YOUR WALLET & PLACE IN WHERE YOU KEEP
YOUR BANK NOTES. WHEN YOU FOLD YOUR WALLET OVER IT WILL PREVENT ANYONE SCANNING YOUR CREDIT CARDS.
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I never worried about it too much GDAD, but that seems to be a frugal approach to privacy regarding credit cards.
 
Hi everyone, I found 7 aluminium credit card cases online for $18. After hubby and I picked the colors we wanted,they made 5 great Christmas gifts. I had a right time of it getting the resipenents (?) to believe they were so cheap. It worked out to be $2.57 for each gift. I just love a good bargain. :wave:
 
Ina said:
Hi everyone, I found 7 aluminium credit card cases online for $18. After hubby and I picked the colors we wanted,they made 5 great Christmas gifts. I had a right time of it getting the resipenents (?) to believe they were so cheap. It worked out to be $2.57 for each gift. I just love a good bargain. :wave:
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I also have a few of those
 
SeaBreeze said:
I'm not that tech savvy, but I am street smart, and I don't trust people easily, or fall for scams and schemes. Once I was called on the phone by someone saying I owed money for taxes, and unless I paid them right away, there would be a sheriff at my front door to arrest me, and they would take away my home and my possessions.

Well...I gave that character a wake up call, that I would easily make sure he was behind bars for his telephone scamming. I looked up the number online afterwards, and there was more confirmation that this number was a SS scammer that tried to get people to pay money to them. I added myself to the list of complaints against that number. I don't fool easily, and as you said April, I think most seniors on this forum would not fall for such scams, but there are some who may be too trusting.



I never worried about it too much GDAD, but that seems to be a frugal approach to privacy regarding credit cards.
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FRUGAL it may be but a bloke can't put an Alumunium case (like the women carryin their purse) into their back pocket,
My wife carries about 10 different cards in a AL/case.
 
pchrise said:
I also have a few of those
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Ina said:
Hi everyone, I found 7 aluminium credit card cases online for $18. After hubby and I picked the colors we wanted,they made 5 great Christmas gifts. I had a right time of it getting the resipenents (?) to believe they were so cheap. It worked out to be $2.57 for each gift. I just love a good bargain. :wave:
Click to expand...

Great minds think alike I done the same for all the women in our family:cool:
 
I see the scam ads online all of the time. When I am reading Craigslist, there are always ads offering a pedigreed puppy for free, and anytime you post an ad online, you usually get all kinds of scammers answering your ad.

We do not answer the phone if we don't recognise the area code and number, most of those turn out to be telemarketers anyway when you do answer them.
I don't even have a credit card, so that is one good thing, I don't have to worry about scammers. Most anything I get online, I can use my paypal to pay with.

It seems like there are always new scams coming out though.
Also thieves.
I was just reading that thieves put a $100 bill under the windshield wiper, most people will get out of the car to get the money, and the thief then either steals your purse, or sometimes , the whole car !
 
Butterfly said:
I'd like to point out that many, of not all, scams are aimed at anybody gullible enough to fall for them -- not just seniors.
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Very true also another tip keep your keep keys hidden, all someone need to do is take a photo of the front and back then get a duplicate
 
And DON'T drive in traffic alone with the passenger window down and your purse on the empty seat beside you. At a stoplight someone can just reach in and grab your purse. And DON'T drive with your doors unlocked.
 
I came close to being scammed and smelt a rat just in time but they sounded so genuine. It started when I decided to update my car I advertised my old car on a free site on line ,I received a text message about the car to reply to a email address which I did as it sounded geniune but lucky I realised it was a scam when they started saying they were away working on an oil rig as well as other comments they made ,I thought if that was the case they would be able to buy new cars not a 17 year old car I had advertised
I deleted the add and left it two weeks and re advertised The car, again received the same text message from the same number but a different name which I then at the advise of the site I advertised on reported the messages the police who advised they had that number on file and advised me someone in my area had in fact fallen for the scam and had lost a boat as a result
So it's just as well I'm an oldie and was a wake up to them ,and didn't fall for the scam. However we are still targeted every other day with the computer
Scam no matter how many time you hang up on them they persist
 
A common one I've read about is also calling to say your grandchild is in prison in Mexico or some place far away from you and needs bail money which, of course, you wire to the scammer. I read that and thought why would you just assume that's the truth. Why wouldn't you at least pick up the phone and call said grandchild? I can just see an older version of my grandson and me having a good laugh over that one!

Naw, I too don't open my door to strangers no matter the claim. Every time I hear of a scam, I think how could anyone fall for that stupid line but we have to walk a mile in some one else's shoes and, yes, there are some people who haven't learned from bad experiences and are still naive and trusting at our age. They're the target. Scammers also believe stereotypes about the aging like we're easily confused and will go along because we're embarrassed so we're often the target.

I can't judge, though. When I was young and naive, I did fall for my grandson's grandfather and, man, did that one turn out to be a real nightmare. I got took but good.
 
During this time there is the steal packages from peoples front doors. Also add someone trying to divert your mail or just stealing it from mail boxes.
 
I personally have never been scammed.. Probably because I really don't trust anything anyone says... and only about half of what I see them doing.. lol!
 

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