CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – Every year thousands of elderly people are taken advantage of, from credit card scams to romance scams, thieves will go to extreme lengths to get the most out of the elderly. In 2020 alone scammers managed to steal over $7 million from New Mexico’s elderly, more than half of that money was lost in what are called “confidence” or “romance” scams.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center – better known as IC3 – stated that in 2020, New Mexicans over the age of 60 were targeted by scammers due to their likelihood of being significantly more financially stable than New Mexican’s under 60. In these scam, elderly citizens lost more than $7 million, $3,880,981 of that was lost in romance scams.
Why did these scams work?
COVID-19 forced people out of stores and online to do their basic shopping, many elderly citizens were stepping into online marketplaces and social media for the first time, exposing them to a world of scammers, according to FBI Agent Frank Fisher.
Types of scams
Scams came in a number of different ways, from robots pretending to be human to loosen a citizen’s wallet, or scammers pretending to be someone famous in need of help with promises of repayment. This reporter received several emails from a fake account for Prince Harry Windsor of England, asking for money to get his wife back to England.
A romance scam is when a scammer poses as a potential love interest online, these scammers typically prey on people’s loneliness for money.
Fisher explained that scammers are relentless, and that the best option to protect not only the elderly, but everyone online, is through prevention.
To view a full list of scams that the elderly are most often attacked with, v i s i t https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/elder-fraud
Protecting yourself
“Older people may know to be wary of physical crimes (like always locking their doors). But they may not have the same level of awareness to protect themselves against scams. That’s why families and caregivers should be aware of the risks and let people know how to report suspected crimes,” Agent Fisher said.
The FBI says to never give any personally identifiable information to anyone online, even if you know them, because scammers often establish fake accounts for members of small communities, like Cibola County.
Every internet user should be cautious of what they download, according to the FBI, because some downloads often have malicious software which can help scammers steal your information.
“The FBI and our partners work to investigate scams and crimes against older adults, but the keys are prevention and awareness,” said Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the Albuquerque FBI Division. “We urge our older residents as well as their families to educate themselves about online frauds and report any cases to the Internet Crime Complaint Center via ic3.gov.”
To report online fraud or scams, call the FBI’s Albuquerque office at 505-889-1300, or leave a tip online at http://tips.fbi.gov/