Community Chat

[occasionalrain]

There should be a company that provides insurance at a premium for scam loss. AARP should consider it.

[manny2]

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@RetRN wrote:

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@SeaMaiden wrote:

Obviously she is in some sort of dementia and should not be living on her own... she is either really stupid....or mentally impaired

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You know absolutely nothing about this person, so why the nasty comment?

There is nothing funny about the scamming of the elderly. And, to say they are stupid says something about you.

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@RetRN They don't get it. It is not just the elderly. It is more prevalent with the elderly, because they know they are usually more isolated living alone. I had a women in her early fifties that told me the scammer actually stayed on the phone with her while she checked out with the gift cards. She was so embarrassed to tell me. She also said they told her they were watching her, and her daughter. She was scared, and did what they told her. 

These people are very good at what they do. they will use any tactic they to get what they want. Again don't judge so quick. 

[Goodie2shoes]

 @MorningLover wrote: 

ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) -- The pandemic has turned more people into online shopping and scammers are taking advantage of this to to steal money from unsuspecting people.

An 84-year-old Jefferson County woman learned that the hard way when she lost $51,000.

"They know exactly what to say, they know how to scare you," Patricia said. She asked us to only use her first name to hide her identity. "I feel totally stupid and embarrassed to tell the story, really embarrassed, but I thought I want to help other people."

She says the scam started when she got her computer fixed and days later received a message that appeared to be from the same company."I had this little message that it was Geek Squad and I had $423 coming back," Patricia said. "We had to get into my account which I should have known."

She says the man on the phone convinced her he needed her bank information to make a deposit. Patricia says he then claimed that she made a mistake and scared her into buying him gift cards and sending him multiple wire transfers, totaling $51,000.

"It just devastated me. I worked until I was 76 years old," Patricia said. "I feel like I was totally stupid and how could I do something like that, but they were so convincing."

Patricia has since filed a police report. She says she's going a step farther and keeping her computer off and not answering any phone calls she doesn't recognize. If you don't recognize that phone number, just hang up..

Thanks for posting the actual story with additional facts. It's so sad that people are this low that they would take other peoples money and have no remorse.  I just hope others will read this and keep on guard for these scammers. I commend her for coming forward to warn others because she could have kept quiet because she was so embarrased but it can happen to all of us.   

[Goodie2shoes]

ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) -- The pandemic has turned more people into online shopping and scammers are taking advantage of this to to steal money from unsuspecting people.

An 84-year-old Jefferson County woman learned that the hard way when she lost $51,000.

"They know exactly what to say, they know how to scare you," Patricia said. She asked us to only use her first name to hide her identity. "I feel totally stupid and embarrassed to tell the story, really embarrassed, but I thought I want to help other people."

She says the scam started when she got her computer fixed and days later received a message that appeared to be from the same company."I had this little message that it was Geek Squad and I had $423 coming back," Patricia said. "We had to get into my account which I should have known."

She says the man on the phone convinced her he needed her bank information to make a deposit. Patricia says he then claimed that she made a mistake and scared her into buying him gift cards and sending him multiple wire transfers, totaling $51,000.

"It just devastated me. I worked until I was 76 years old," Patricia said. "I feel like I was totally stupid and how could I do something like that, but they were so convincing."

Patricia has since filed a police report. She says she's going a step farther and keeping her computer off and not answering any phone calls she doesn't recognize. If you don't recognize that phone number, just hang up..

Thanks for posting the actual story with additional facts. It's so sad that people are this low that they would take other peoples money and have no remorse.  I just hope others will read this and keep on guard for these scammers. I commend her for coming forward to warn others because she could have kept quiet because she was so embarrased but it can happen to all of us.   

[Boehm Collector]

Years ago I had an elderly woman as a client.  She allowed herself to be taken in by a scam.  A man kept calling her and said she had won a million dollars.  But she had to send him money in order to receive it.  He called her numerous times and each time she sent him money.   There was nothing I could say to her to make her understand it was a scam and the only person who was getting any money out of it was the caller.  But she refused to believe he wasn't legitimate.   She was even taking money out of her savings to send to this man.   The president of her local bank branch even tried to have her stop sending  money,  I don't know how much money she sent this man.   It was so sad.   I referred the case to our County Prosecutors office.  Have no idea what the outcome was.  

[Gorgf]

A man I see daily at the Dog Park who is in his late 70s. Still coaches HS Baseball and active. He was ashamed to be taken in by what he thought to be his Television programming  provider who got money from his credit card. It was a Bank C. Card and his bank helped him get out of the charge along with his wife who of course was mad. He said simply he was too trusting and embarrassed to be that gullible.

[severusgirl]

The remark about the cul de sac and la z boy is patronizing and stereotyping.

[Zhills]

I have a friend with Dementia and have researched the situation.

Currently, there are NO laws in place to protect the elderly and ones with dementia!!!!!!!

As long as they can sign their name, anything they do is legal!!!  

My friend recently got a new phone and of course, they sold him the most expensive one they sold.  They knew he couldn't use it!  Made the sale!  

[VanSleepy]

A friend of mine forwarded me a message her cousin had sent her on Facebook. Apparently Publishers Clearing House was giving up to $250,000 to widows. It wasn't any kind of contest; they were just sending out checks. She sent it to me so that I could apply for it too. Her cousin gave her the name and number of the "agent" to contact.

I immediately called her and told her do not call anybody, it is a scam. She insisted her cousin wouldn't fall for a scam and the cousin told her it was legit. I said either your cousin DID fall for a scam or her Facebook was hacked, and either way you better call her.  Yep, account was hacked.

I still can't believe my friend was about to be so gullible.

[northiie57]

there are two things I will never give over the phone:

Social Security number

Banking Information

[Buffalogal47]

There have been con artists ever since there have been gullible or greedy people. No matter how many times people are told that if a scheme sounds too good to be true, there will always be those people of all ages who fall for it, especially if they think they're going to get money from it.

Like the man once said, "There's a sucker born every minute, and two to take him."