Seniors Warned Against Scams (Michigan, USA)

Seniors warned against scams
Thursday, June 12, 2008

By LISA SATAYUT
Sun Staff Writer

Shepherd resident Ron Windgaston is fed up with the number of Internet scams that are targeted towards senior citizens, including himself.

Windgaston is 67 and no stranger to the Internet. So when he received an email on Monday from someone claiming to be in the U.S. Marines asking for his checking account and routing numbers, he knew right away that it was a scam.

Scamming senior citizens out of their hard earned money is becoming one of the fastest growing crimes as well as one of the least reported in Michigan.

Attorney General Mike Cox said that 12 people from west Michigan, northwest Michigan and the Upper Peninsula have been charged with felonies for financially exploiting seniors. Another 85 cases are currently under investigation.

He said that in some of those cases, it was a family member who tricked their relatives out of money.

"Taking advantage of seniors is terrible enough, but financially exploiting your mom, dad, aunt or uncle is despicable," Cox said. Windgaston said he has an elderly friend who was recently scammed out of a large sum of money, and even had to change banks three different times.
IRS scams enable con artists to get bank account information, Social Security numbers, or credit and debit card details that are then used to commit identity theft.

He said that if someone gets an email or phone call from someone who claims they are with the IRS not to open the email. Instead they should forward it to phishing@irs.gov.

Consumers who think they may have been scammed or are the target of one can contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division at P.O. box 30213, Lansing MI, 48909. Or call (517) 373-1140, or toll-free at 1-877-765-8388. An online complaint form can be found at http://www.michigan.gov/ag.

Abridged
SOURCE: TheMorningSun
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