As the holidays approach, scams taking advantage of seniors become more common, prompting San Diego County officials Tuesday to offer tips to avoid becoming a victim.
According to the FBI's 2023 Elder Fraud Report, San Diegans who find themselves taken advantage of are scammed out of an average of $30,000.
"No one should be embarrassed if they fall victim to a scam, it can happen to anyone," said Jessica Salazar, supervisor for the financial abuse unit at the county's Adult Protective Services. "It's important as soon as you realize something is wrong to call your financial institution and let them know in detail what happened. That is the best way to try and get your money back."
In 2021, the county's Aging & Independence Services, local law enforcement and the District Attorney's Office teamed up with the FBI to form the Elder Justice Task Force, which heads investigations into senior scam cases. Since its founding, it has helped recover $3.3 million and multiple criminals have been prosecuted, officials said.
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"Every day in San Diego more than a dozen seniors are likely walking into their banks after being traumatized by scammers and are trying to withdraw their life savings, convinced that their financial accounts have been compromised," said Scott Pirrello, deputy district attorney.
According to county officials, the scammers use a variety of ways to fool victims, including phone calls, texts, email and pop-ups that "appear to be legitimate communications from a bank, family member or government agency."
"No government agency will urge anyone to pay something immediately, especially with a wire transfer, gold, bitcoin or gift cards," a statement from the county reads.
Those who feel they may be falling for a scam are advised to do several things:
- Stop engaging
- Hang up, or close the device window
- Look up the business supposedly contacting you online and call that number
- If it's a "friend or family member," call them directly using a number you have used before to make sure
If you or someone you care about has been the victim of a scam, report it to local law enforcement and file a report with the FBI at www.IC3.gov.
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To report any type of suspected financial elder abuse, contact the APS Hotline at 800-339-4661.
