Fraud Scam Prevention Tips for Seniors to Stay Safe | Community
Lunch with Friends (LWF) hosted over 100 seniors on June 18th at the Marco Lutheran Church. The guests were treated to a lunch of baked chicken breast served with cooked pasta, alfredo sauce, steamed broccoli, green salad, and homemade cookies. Thanks to Chef Michael Brown, Jr., sous chef at the Hideaway Beach Club for the delicious lunch treat.
Lieutenant Joseph Belardo, the Crime Prevention Specialist for the Marco Island Police Department (MIPD), was the guest presenter. He was named MIPD Officer of the Year in 2022.
Marco Island is the safest City in Florida for the second year in a row, shared Lt. Belardo. “Our island is a very safe place compared to other Florida cities, but crime does occur even in the safest places, and everyone can take action to improve their own safety,” Lt. Belardo said. “This is due to our efforts in problem solving and community policing, which means that we have a very good relationship with residents and the community, and when people see something, they immediately call us.”
According to Lt. Belardo, scammers stole more than $3.4 billion from older Americans last year; some reports put that number at more than $6.1 billion. Older adults are often a target for scammers. They are even sending out couriers to collect large amounts of cash, and once that money is gone, it is gone, added Lt. Belardo.
Denise Holmes, founder of Families of Grace, shows a package of NARCAN. Each guest took home a package of NARCAN, and they are available for free at MIPD/MIFD.
Lt. Belardo shared, “Tech support scams are the most common, along with impostors from government, banks, or a distressed loved one. If you get a call/text/email from your bank, whatever you do, do not click on the link or attachment or share sensitive information such as your social security number or bank account number. Be skeptical and call or visit your bank’s local branch and talk to the people you deal with regularly.
AI is being used by criminals using voice cloning, and you would not know the difference, according to Lt. Belardo. You may receive a call from a relative or a friend, but it’s actually a scammer using a clone of their voice. Conversations from FaceTime, Zoom, and even voicemails are being used by scammers to clone voices. If you are not sure, hang up and call the family member using a trusted phone number. Scammers play on your emotions to make a hasty reply.
Lt. Belardo also said that the use of AI technology has exponentially expanded even since last year. Deepfakes are usually digitally altered videos or audio created by AI to make your loved ones say or do something they never did. Scammers will try to trick you into clicking on a link.
Lt. Belardo explained ransomware and malware to the guests as well. It starts like this: You get an email/text that looks legitimate, and you click on it. The next thing you know, you get a message, “This computer has been locked.” All the content of your computer is being held for ransom until you pay a ransom. Usually, they want payment in cryptocurrency or bitcoin as these are harder to trace.
Luncheon guests checking in at the front registration desk.
You can prevent ransomware by updating your anti-virus software and your operating system, not clicking on links you don’t recognize, and using a VPN (virtual private network) to secure your data and communication and backup important files.
Lt. Belardo also Denise Holmes, a tireless activist against the opioid crisis in SW Florida and the founder of Families of Grace, a local non-profit committed to saving children, adults, and even canines from opioid overdoses (dogs can sniff). Denise distributed packages of NARCAN to all the LWF guests. NARCAN (Naloxone) is a medication that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose and is available for free from MIPD and the Marco Fire Department.
Many thanks to the June luncheon sponsors: Marco Lutheran Church, Al’s Pals, Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, the YMCA, and all the volunteers.
Over 100 guests attended the June Lunch with Friends.
Common Senior Scams
- AI-Powered scams
- Funeral scams
- Tech support scams
- Government impostor scams
- Grandparent Scams
- Internet scams
- Investment scams
- Check fraud
- Reverse mortgage scams
- Caregiver scams
- Sweepstakes scams
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Powered Senior Scams
- Voice cloning
- Impersonation fraud
- Investment and crypto scams
- Phishing and deepfakes
