State and local lawmakers gathered at the Leo Mintzer Community Center in West Harrison on Dec. 8 to conduct a presentation aimed at helping senior residents identify common computer and telephone scams.
Harrison Mayor Ron Belmont, a Republican, state Assemblyman David Buchwald, a Democrat, and state Assistant Attorney General Irma Nimetz addressed an elderly audience and conducted their “Smart Seniors” presentation at the community center, which is located at 251 Underhill Ave.
Nimetz chose to identify three common telephone scams, and explained how con artists can often use trickery to deceive seniors. She said scammers manipulate people with a distracting “hook,” which causes people to pay less attention to details, and they attempt to appear trustworthy by associating themselves with relatives and mutual friends. According to Nimetz, con artists also present urgent deadlines, which are clear giveaways of a scam.
“They all have emotional hooks and tend to play on your fears,” she said. “[Scammers] usually present something that sounds too good to be true.”
According to Nimetz, three common telephone scams that costs victims nearly $3 billion a year include the sweepstakes scam, in which a caller requests the “winner” to send a check or wire money to cover taxes and fees; the grandparent scam, in which the caller identifies as a grandchild and claims to need money to cover an accident or medical expenses; and the home improvement scam, in which the caller offers free home inspections.
While Nimetz focused on highlighting the number of scams seniors often fall victim to, Buchwald said that it’s imperative for residents to take action by pressuring telephone companies. “Part of the issue is that telephone companies just don’t know where these phone calls are coming from,” he said.
The presentation comes in wake of a major telephone scam that occurred in Mumbai, India, in October, where police busted nine call centers that telephoned U.S. citizens pretending to be the IRS. As of press time, 80 people have been charged in connection to the scam and police are planning to charge 630 more employees. According to Nimetz, the alleged con artists managed to rake in $150,000 a day from U.S. citizens through the scam.
“This is serious stuff,” Belmont said. “It happens every day and it involves people of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of intelligence; as soon as it happens, you should call the police.”
