Scams aimed at senior citizens generate a loss of more than $3 billion annually. Please be aware of these five popular scams for yourself as well as family members.
Government Imposter Scams
The scammer pretends to be a government official from the IRS, Medicare, or other entity. They’ll claim if you don’t pay or give information, something bad will happen.
Romance Scams
These scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victims affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.
Emergency/Person-In-Need Scams
Usually targeting parents, grandparents, or other family members, a scammer will call or send a message claiming to be a relative in trouble and urges the victim to wire money immediately to help with an emergency.
Lottery & Sweepstakes Scams
You get a call, email or letter saying you won a sweepstakes, lottery, or prize. Then they ask you to pay money or give them your account information to get the prize. If you pay, you’ll lose your money and find out there is no prize.
Tech & Customer Support Scams
Tech support scammers may call and pretend to be a computer technician from a well-known company. They say they’ve found a problem with your computer, and often ask you to give them remote access to your computer.
Never give your information to someone if you did not initiate the call. If you believe you may have been scammed, contact us immediately at the Riverside Police Department at 708-447-9191 to file a report.