Oklahoma Department of Securities on scams targeting seniors | #datingscams #romancescams

STATE LEADERS THEY ARE LOOKING TO PROTECT OLDER OKLAHOMANS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO FRAUD AND SCAMS THAT ARE TARGETING OLDER FAMILY MEMBERS OR LOVED ONES. THIS MORNING, WHAT THE TOP SENIOR SCAMS ARE IN OKLAHOMA RIGHT NOW. TO TELL US MORE, LET’S WELCOME IN KEVIN MCCULLOUGH WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF SECURITY’S. KEVIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. WE APPRECIATE IT. YEAH. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. ALL RIGHT. SO YOU ARE AN INVESTIGATOR WITH THE DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? YES. THAT’S CORRECT. WHAT KINDS OF SCAMS ARE YOU SEEING RIGHT NOW? ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE TARGETING SENIORS HERE IN OKLAHOMA? WELL, ALL ALL TYPES OF SCAMS. WE REALLY WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF ROMANCE SCAMS THAT WE’RE SEEING. INVESTMENT SCAMS, IMPERSONATION SCAMS AND ALSO CRYPTOCURRENCY SCAMS. WE SEE ALL OF THOSE ROMANCE YOU KIND OF TALK TO OUR VIEWERS AT HOME ABOUT WHAT IS THAT? DEFINE THAT FOR PEOPLE. YEAH, IT’S APPROPRIATE THAT WE TALK ABOUT ROMANCE SCAMS BECAUSE SATURDAY IS VALENTINE’S DAY. SO ROMANCE SCAM IS IT’S JUST LIKE IT SOUNDS. WE GET INVOLVED IN A A RELATIONSHIP MOST OF THE TIME IT IS ONLINE AND THE SCAMMERS, THESE FRAUDSTERS WILL DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH US. WE BECOME REALLY DEPENDENT, EMOTIONALLY DEPENDENT ON THAT RELATIONSHIP AND THEY START TO ASK US FOR MONEY AND ON OUR END, THE ROMANCE SCAM MANY TIMES WILL TURN INTO AN INVESTMENT TYPE SCAM AND MANY TIMES IT’S CRYPTOCURRENCY. WOW. AND THAT’S JUST ONE OF MANY WAYS THAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE SCAMS. THERE. AGAIN, SENIORS HERE IN THE STATE THAT THEY USE TO GAIN TRUST OF THESE PEOPLE, WHAT ARE SOME OTHER WAYS THAT THEY USE THIS TRUST. AND THEY’RE ABLE TO TRICK THESE OLDER INDIVIDUALS, RIGHT. SO WE WILL AS SENIOR ADULTS, WE COULD RECEIVE A PHONE CALL, A TEXT, AN EMAIL THAT AN EVEN WE MIGHT BE ON A DATING DATING WEBSITE OR EVEN FROM SOCIAL MEDIA. WE WE MAKE A CONNECTION. AND THAT CONNECTION TURNS INTO A FRIENDSHIP, A RELATIONSHIP, AND MAYBE TURN INTO A ROMANCE. AND THE THE SCAMMERS WILL START TO GATHER PERSONAL INFORMATION FROM US. WE SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THEM, AND THEN LATER ON THEY WILL START TO USE THAT INFORMATION THEY’VE GATHERED FROM US TO TO REALLY TRY TO STEAL OUR STUFF. AND AGAIN, YOU’RE AN INVESTIGATOR WITH THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF SECURITY. SO HOW DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT REALLY STEP IN THE INVESTIGATORS THERE, WHAT YOU ALL DO LEARN ABOUT THESE SCAMS? WELL, THAT’S THE IMPORTANT PART, IS WE HAVE TO LEARN ABOUT IT FIRST. BUT WHAT WE WILL DO IS WE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONNECT OUR POTENTIAL VICTIMS WITH THE APPROPRIATE RESOURCES. BUT WE AND WE PROVIDE MANY THOSE RESOURCES TO OUR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE REPORTING THESE CRIMES. AND IF WE IF WE DO HAVE JURISDICTION, IF IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE IF IT IS A SECURITIES FRAUD OR SOME TYPE OF INVESTMENT SCAM, THEN WE WILL WORK WITH OUR THE REPORTING PARTIES AND AND INVESTIGATE THAT, TRY TO TRACK DOWN THE BAD GUYS AND THE BAD GIRLS AND WE WILL WE WILL DO OUR, OUR BEST TO BRING THAT TO A GOOD RESOLUTION. REPORTING PARTIES CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM WHAT LOCAL POLICE TO DO. YOU EVEN GET FEDERAL AGENTS INVOLVED SOMETIMES. SURE WE DO. AND WE WORK HAND IN HAND WITH AND EVEN IF IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE DON’T HAVE JURISDICTION IN, IN OUR AGENCY, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE CONNECT THEM WITH THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES. BUT YES, WE NEED TO REPORT THOSE TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE NEED TO IF YOU’RE UNSURE, CONTACT US, REPORT THAT TO US. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE HAS MULTIPLE ENTITIES WITHIN THEIR ORGANIZATION THAT HELP HELP IN THESE MATTERS AS WELL. AND THAT’S IMPORTANT. HELP IS OUT THERE. I WANT TO TALK MORE HERE ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK ON THESE TYPES OF FRAUD CASES. AND REALLY, WHAT YOU’RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT IT, TOO. AND WE STARTED DOING THAT JUST RECENTLY. AS FAR AS OUR SENIOR ADULTS IN OKLAHOMA, WE’RE SEEING THESE THESE SCAMS, THIS FRAUD COMING IN SO, SO FREQUENTLY THAT AND MANY TIMES WHEN WE LOSE OUR MONEY. AND IT’S TOO LATE FOR US TO GET THAT BACK. THAT WE CAN COMBAT THIS FRAUD IS PUBLIC EDUCATION. LIKE YOU SAID, GETTING THE WORD OUT. AND REALLY, THAT IS MY MISSION NOW IS PUBLIC EDUCATION AS SOMETHING THAT JUST KIND OF BREAKS MY HEART THERE. AND HEARING YOU SAY RIGHT NOW IS THAT YOU’RE SAYING THAT THIS IS PRETTY COMMON, RIGHT? IT’S WE ARE SEEING WE ARE GETTING REPORTS DAILY. WOW. WHAT ARE SOME EASY WAYS THAT FAMILIES, PEOPLE WATCHING RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE LOVED ONES THAT ARE SENIORS HERE IN THE STATE OR JUST INDIVIDUALS THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT JUST BE VERY TRUSTING OF PEOPLE ONLINE WHEREVER? WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT THEY CAN PROTECT THEMSELVES? WELL, THE FIRST THING I WOULD SUGGEST, IF WE ARE APPROACHED AND OFFERED SOMETHING THAT’S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, WE SHOULD PAUSE. WE SHOULD STOP. THINK ABOUT IT. NEVER MAKE CRUCIAL FINANCIAL DECISIONS IN A ONE DAY PERIOD. WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES, TRUSTED CONTACTS, TRUSTED PERSONS THAT WE CAN BOUNCE THESE IDEAS OFF OF, ESPECIALLY IF WE IF WE FEEL THAT SOMETHING IS SUSPICIOUS. SOMEONE THAT I CAN GO TO, THAT I CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH AND ASK THEIR ADVICE AS WELL. ABSOLUTELY. SO TAKE THAT PAUSE. TAKE THAT BEAT, TAKE THAT DAY, AND THEN REACH OUT TO SOMEONE THAT YOU TRUST, THAT YOU KNOW, THAT CAN GET YOU SOME HELP. FOR PEOPLE AT HOME WATCHING RIGHT NOW, BEFORE I LET YOU GO, WE TALKED ABOUT WHERE CAN THEY FIND SOME PLACES FOR RELIABLE INFORMATION. AND YOU ALSO SAID REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICE IF YOU DO HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR MAYBE WANT TO REPORT A SCAM, HOW CAN THEY DO THAT? THEY CAN GO ON ON THE WEB, INVEST AD OKARCHE DOT INVEST.ORG IS OUR WEBSITE. WE HAVE GREAT RESOURCES THERE. YOU HAVE A WAY THAT YOU CAN REPORT. IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU’VE BEEN A VICTIM OF A SCAM, YOU CAN REPORT THAT TO US. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON TODAY. WE APPRECIATE IT. WE’RE GOING TO PUT SOME MORE INFORMATION UP ON OUR SCENE ON SECTION RIGHT NOW. KOCO.COM. SO ANYONE WHO NEEDS MORE INFORMATION,