As long as there are people, there will be a criminal element looking to cheat victims out of their hard-earned money. Scams take a wide variety of forms—from telephone to technology, there is no end to the lengths deceitful people will go to pull a fast one.
Senior populations in Plainview, Old Bethpage and across Long Island are in danger of falling victim to heartless scammers looking to prey on elderly vulnerabilities. Gregg Balbera, founder of Right At Home, an at-home elderly care organization based in Plainview, said that seniors are susceptible to all manner of scams, phone scams in particular.
“Seniors will receive a phone call from someone claiming to be a grandchild in need of money,” said Balbera. “This scam is common. The caller just assumes that the senior has a grandchild and tells them they need money for an emergency. They also beg, ‘don’t tell mom.’”
According to Balbera, seniors also receive calls from scammers who claim to represent the lottery or a sweepstakes company. They tell the senior citizen that they’ve won something and they need to send bank account information to claim their prize. Then, once the information is given, the perpetrator has full access to funds and can wipe them out.
“Clearly, these are con artists. Someone who is greedy and willing to prey on seniors,” he said. “They prey on seniors because they are at a disadvantage; they prey on love or goodwill or fear or desperation. This is a vulnerable portion of society. We tell people all the time to be suspicious and don’t let your guard down.”
