Sweepstakes, lotteries and prizes. New data show these are the scams that the Better Business Bureau says lures and targets seniors over the age of 65. The BBB is warning this group to be vigilant as scammers are now using the COVID-19 crisis to prey upon potential victims.
“The full data when you look at all data, usually it’s the younger ones that lose money. But in this specific set of scams the people that lose the most are seniors.”
New data from the Better Business Bureau, The Federal Trade Commission and the Internet Crime Complaint Center shows 80-percent of money lost in lottery, sweepstakes and prize scams is from consumers over the ae of 65.
“These people that are running these scams are very good at convincing people that their life is about to change for the better; these people are seniors, they’re on a fixed income. They don’t have this extra money to lose.”
Troy Baker is with the Better Business Bureau serving Western Michigan. He says they’re continuously warning people about scams, but even with the warnings some seniors still fall prey.
“I spoke to one family in West Michigan. It was the daughter who called me, and said, my parents think this is real and I can’t convince them it’s not. So, I called and spoke with them and they were adamant they had won 500-thousand dollars and all they had to do was pay the taxes. And it took a good 20 minutes to get them to step back and say no, I really shouldn’t put three thousand dollars in a magazine and send it to them. That’s not how you pay taxes on anything.”
The BBB says scammers have updated their sales pitches to potential victims to include COVID-19 twists. To avoid being scammed, the BBB advises that you look for red flags and do some research. For instance, knowing that true lotteries or sweepstakes don’t ask for money, and that you’re a winner even if you never entered the contest. Baker says you can always call the BBB to help determine if something’s legitimate or if it’s a scam.
