Senior Citizens Being Targeted In Scams

The Acadia Parish Sheriff says he is worried about senior citizens as several scams are operating in the area, and seniors are being targeted.

Sheriff K.P. Gibson says that some of the scams that are being perpetrated on seniors are working and some or not. He says he just wants people to be protected.

Gibson says there are a list of recent scams about well-known products or names that are circulating including the following:

• Scams about the IRS
• Scams about Outstanding warrants
• Scams through Facebook Messenger
• Scams trying to use the name of the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes

The Sheriff says some of these scammers have been successful in getting money out of these senior citizens over the span of a few weeks and even a few months.

When you talk to your loved ones about these scams, you can also encourage them to talk to their friends about information you have obtained, and you suggest that they always ask a trusted friend, family member or member of law enforcement if they are worried about something that sounds to good to be true.

One reason that scammers will target senior citizens is that they can have success with this age group listening to what they have to say, and if they have been successful with one person, they will often share that information with other scammers. Your senior citizen can then be victimized by many people.

It can be hard to have a conversation with someone you love, of any age, when it comes to their finances. No one really ever wants to be told what to do, but asking permission of your loved one to be involved in their affairs can be one way to get the discussion going about how many thousands of ways there are these days to scam someone.

Some seniors will be open to allowing you to have access to their bank account information so that you can help monitor their activity. Other senior citizens may not feel that they are comfortable with this. You should at least have the discussion.

Imagine if your mom or dad is the victim of a scam and that their financial stability is jeopardized or ruined? Their credit can be ruined if someone not only steals their money but also gets control of their personal information.

Someone can ruin your credit and leave you in debt if they get your personal information.

If something like this has happened to you, a family or someone you know, please make sure that you report it to your local law enforcement agency.

You can also find out plenty of good information by visiting the Better Business Bureau's website.