Older adults more likely to lose money from scams | #datingscams #romancescams

SCAMMERS OFTEN TARGET OLDER CONSUMERS. AND ACCORDING TO THE LATEST SCAM REPORT FROM THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, SCAMMERS ARE GETTING TO THEIR TARGETS MORE OFTEN. EIGHT ON YOUR SIDE CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR BRIAN ROCHE SHOWS US THE NUMBERS. HERE’S THE HEADLINE FROM THIS LATEST FTC REPORT. A BIG INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF OLDER ADULTS LOSING MORE THAN $100,000 TO SCAMMERS. SOME KEY NUMBERS TO SHOW YOU TOTAL FRAUD LOSSES REPORTED BY OLDER ADULTS AGES 60 AND OVER QUADRUPLED FROM ABOUT 600,000,000 IN 20 20 TO 2 POINT 4,000,000,000 IN 2024. THIS INCREASE, LARGELY DRIVEN BY REPORTS OF LOSSES OF OVER $100,000 PER CASE. INVESTMENT ROMANCE SCAMS AND TECH SUPPORT SCAMS. THEY ARE THE MOST COMMON WAYS SENIORS ARE GETTING RIPPED OFF THESE DAYS. OLDER CONSUMERS REPORTED MORE THAN $740 MILLION LOST IN INVESTMENT SCAMS, 329 MILLION LOST IN ROMANCE SCAMS, AND 159 MILLION IN LOSSES TO TECH SUPPORT SCAMS. ALL OF THIS LAST YEAR. OLDER ADULTS CONTINUE TO REPORT MUCH HIGHER INDIVIDUAL DOLLAR LOSSES THAN YOUNGER PEOPLE, AND THAT’S ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR PEOPLE 80 AND OVER, WHOSE AVERAGE LOSS EXCEEDED $1,600. CONSUMERS BELOW THE AGE OF 30. THEY HAD AN AVERAGE LOSS OF $420. BUT IF THERE IS GOOD NEWS, IT’S THIS OLDER ADULTS MAY BE MORE INCLINED TO REPORT FRAUD WHEN NO LOSS HAS OCCURRED, AND THAT HELPS WARN OTHER CONSUMERS ABOUT POTENTIAL SCAMS. I AM OFTEN CONTACTED BY THE ADULT CHILDREN OF SENIOR CITIZENS WHO HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT THEIR OLDER PARENTS HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED BY A SCAMMER. DO NOT ASSUME THAT THE OLDER MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY MAY BE UP TO SPEED ON ALL THE LATEST SCAMS. TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THE SCAMS, THAT WILL NEVER BE A WASTE OF TIME, FOLKS.