Postal inspectors warn of scams against elderly
'Snail mail' still snares victims who are easy targets
By TOM JACKMAN
Washington Post
Aug. 17, 2008
WASHINGTON — The envelope declared that the 90-year-old man in suburban Fairfax County, Va., had won $2.5 million in a sweepstakes, and that he needed to send in only some small "fees" and "taxes" to collect. When the man from Jamaica kept calling to tell him that he needed to cover a few "costs" to collect the jackpot, the man thought that was reasonable. And he sent money.
When the man's children tried to intervene, saying it was a scam, he went around them.
At one point, at the children's request, U.S. postal inspectors intercepted an envelope bound for Jamaica. Inside: a cashier's check for $18,000.
The children said they think they have stopped about $40,000 from being sent by their father. The 90-year-old is not being named here because he is the victim of a crime and because investigators do not want others to prey on him.
The children have since obtained power of attorney over their parents. "It's sad," one of their children said, "but if we had not stepped in, I believe they would be totally broke right now."
Unsuspecting 'winners'
Inspector Jeanne Graupmann has a thousand stories just like this.
From a set of hidden offices behind the suburban regional post office, Graupmann and about two dozen other investigators for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service track fraud from around the world that involves the mail and winds up in Northern Virginia.
The office also investigates mail theft, identity fraud, mortgage fraud, dangerous mailings and other crimes involving the Postal Service.
When it comes to fraud, it would seem that e-mail scams are the latest favorite of criminals. But many of those scams require victims to send money through the mail. And scam artists have learned that good old "snail mail," particularly advertising a jackpot in a sweepstakes or lottery, still snares plenty of unsuspecting "winners."
Those most often targeted are elderly, Graupmann said.
Abridged
SOURCE: Houston Chronicle
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