Dear Grandparenting: Last month I got taken for a ride to the tune of $5,800. I’ve been lonely since my wife died and guess my heart got the better of what’s left of my brain.
I am not a stupid person but whoever did this had me right in the palm of her hand. She was that good. I bought what she was selling hook, line and sinker.
I am not about to reveal exactly what went down since other would-be crooks might get ideas. Tell your readers to wise up and watch out. There’s no telling where this scam will show up next. Anonymous, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Dear Anonymous: Sounds as though you got taken by a romance scam, like so many others. Seniors looking for love, many via dating apps and social media, are frequently targeted by fraudsters according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Among all scams the FTC tracks, romance scams account for highest financial losses for those aged 60 to 79.
And that’s just for starters. There’s the old “grandparent scam” — wherein the bad guys pretend to be a grandchild or relative in need of money to escape some dire situation — another of the schemes afoot nowadays to obtain the personal information necessary to separate seniors from their money.
The National Council on Aging compiled a list of the top 10 financial elder scams. Phone scams that solicit money for bogus reasons are the most common. Internet scams that play on technically naïve seniors aren’t far behind.
Beware of the exciting news you have…
