A few generations back, I might have expected that, but it is a bit shocking today. From the NY Post: Scammers get away with billions from elderly Americans every year
Sophisticated overseas criminals are stealing tens of billions of dollars from Americans every year, a crime wave projected to get worse as the U.S. population ages and technology like AI makes it easier than ever to perpetrate fraud and get away with it.
Internet and telephone scams have grown “exponentially,” overwhelming police and prosecutors who catch and convict relatively few of the perpetrators, said Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention at AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.
The total, according the FBI, is up to 3.4 billion dollars in 2023.
Read the whole thing. Pass it along to your elderly relatives. If they are starting to slip mentally, it may be time to limit their access to their own funds. Do you want to have that conversation, or do you want to explain to them how they gave their life savings away?
In a lot of cases, you won't get the money back. This isn't like a bad charge on a credit card. This is the money is gone.
Why do I say "too trusting?" They see an notice/text message that claims to be from their bank, or Amazon, or wherever, and the assume it is true. "Just click this link and we will take care of everything." In this day and age it probably isn't true.
This was (somewhat) the subject of the recent action film, The Beekeeper, staring Jason Statham. While it wasn't great, it was a solid action movie.
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