by Nora Kovacs

Created on: January 27, 2010

Scam Snail Mail That Preys on Seniors

Todays technology have made it easier than ever to scam the elderly. We take notice of those living alone, in retirement or assisted living facilities or just the lonely.

According to Randy Tuckett, postal inspector for the U.S. Postal Service in Salt Lake City, Utah, elderly people have lost roughly $4 million annually from scams. Utah is just a sampling of how hard the elderly is hit across the nation.

The U.S. Postal Service reports about 60 percent of scams-sweepstakes, victimizes elderly 60 and over. This number may be under-estimated due to the fact that some victims fail to report the crime.

Scammers have become so proficient with their operations that it is really hard to spot the bogus mail. The elderly are usually easy targets because some still have that dream of becoming rich and living out their retirement years in comfort. Though it is a nice dream, that is all that it is, and scam-artist count on the elderly's vulnerability.

Geoffrey Fattah of the Deseret Morning News reports that: "Many of the letters will promise big cash prizes. But an "administration" or "delivery" fee is required before the receiver can become eligible for the prize.

Some of the letters say they have been trying to find the person to award a cash prize - and only a small fee is required to receive the money.

Senior-citizen advocates say these operations prey upon the hopes of the elderly, many of whom live on fixed incomes and who are lured with a one-last-chance promise of a better life".Geoffrey Fattah Deseret Morning News

Some scams to avoid are debt settlement or debt relief offers, sweepstakes winnings for offers or contests that you did not enter, government grant scams, the big vacation giveaway, and though it is really inhumane, the solicitation for funds for disaster relief and charitable organization.

I started investigating a 'to good to be true' offer a few years ago. I was offered a job with a company in Nigeria, through an email, that supposedly had trouble collecting payments from clients here in the U.S., for some unknown reason. I was sent money orders ($25,000) via 'Western Union', which I was to take to my bank, cash, take my 10 percent and wire the balance to this company in Nigeria. I took the money orders to my bank and asked the head cashier to test the money orders for authenticity. You guessed it, they were very good copies, but not good enough. I talked to one of the banker heads at my banks and inquired about potential risks and consequences of trying to 'pass' these money orders as genuine. Jail time is all I heard. I then called a number that I was told to call once I had received the money order. Kids in the background, a definite American accent, a dog barking and a very bad cell phone connection was another dead giveaway. I forwarded the email to the FBI office, hoping that I could help catch these people. In the following months I received over a million dollars in faux money order.

I eventually, received notification from the "Victims of Crimes" Organization that some of these scammers had been caught, tried and jailed. I am updated on a regular basis concerning these criminals.

It is a good practice to check with the Better Business Bureau, Consumer's Affairs and even Google the company's name, address or phone number...before you lose your money.

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