Officers from the Bismarck Police Department stopped by Senior Center to enjoy caramel cinnamon rolls and discuss the issue that puts many people at risk, online scamming. According to the Attorney General, the “Grandparent” scam targets senior citizens, pretending to be a grandchild in need.
“The younger ones are more technology-wise, so they go after us,” says Hilda Horner, volunteer at the Bismarck Senior Center.
Anyone can fall victim to online scammers but senior citizens are especially vulnerable. Ever gotten an email saying, “YOU WON,” when you didn’t even play anything? Scams are a common issue but Officer Clint Fuller with the Bismarck Police Department said they’ve gotten reports of a couple of scams circulating, locally.
“We talk to the Attorney General’s office and they see scams coming out and they’re pretty reasonable in time. We just had one at the police department where somebody claimed they were an officer, calling and saying they had to send money or they’d be arrested. We found out it was a scam and get several calls,” says Officer Fuller.
Officer Fuller said there are a couple of ways to avoid getting scammed: Never share bank info, never share your Social Security number, and avoid unknown calls and emails
“They probably think the older people have some money so they’re going to try and get that,” says Horner.
Another way to protect your information is by creating strong passwords for you…
