Alberta senior warns others not to fall for scams targeting the elderly

An Alberta senior is warning others to be vigilant of scams and not fall victim to fraud schemes targeting the elderly.

Betty Stuebing, who currently lives in a retirement residence in Calgary, told Global News scammers recently targeted her with the very popular “you’re owed money” fake text scam.

She received a text claiming to be from MediCare asking her to click on the link and provide her personal and financial information. Instead, she contacted staff to warn the other residents.

“We have to be educated,” she said. “And that’s why I shared the information right away.”

The 84-year-old normally ignores these types of texts, but said this one she had to act on as it involved healthcare and she was worried other seniors would be caught up in the fraud.

“We’re all involved with Medicare. So that’s one that would slip under the radar very, very quickly,” she said.

“I feel that we’re very vulnerable.”

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Global News reached out to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to find out how much more vulnerable seniors are to scams.

Wes Lafortune with the BBB in Calgary said seniors can be scammed, but so can anyone else.

1:51 Grandparent scam ‘very lucrative’ but also ‘heartbreaking’: Alberta police

“There’s a myth that is enduring that seniors or people that are 65 years and older are more susceptible to scams. That’s not necessarily the case.”

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Another myth, according to Lafortune, is the belief that seniors aren’t active online. He pointed to online shopping as one scam that continues to catch a growing number of seniors, as well as many other consumers.

Lafortune said whether seniors are played is really dependent on the scam at play. He pointed to the grandparent — or emergency — scam as an obvious one. The longtime scheme attempts to lure seniors in with a cry for help and cash supposedly from a grandchild in trouble.

Lafortune said that not only is that scam is still going strong, it’s evolved into a bolder one.

“Now scammers are showing up on people’s doorsteps for the money,” he said. “So, extremely dangerous.”

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The BBB said there are courses seniors can take to avoid being taken. The organization will also go out to speak and educate groups, free of charge.

But Lafortune added it ultimately comes down to being connected to others.

“Who is vulnerable to scams? People that are isolated. People that don’t have a big network,” he said.

“If you’re alone in your home and you’re not talking to people very often — family members — you can be a target for scams. You can be vulnerable.”

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Stuebing said she doesn’t even answer her phone anymore, worried it is a scammer calling. She added she’s always very suspicious of anything she gets that she hasn’t solicited.

The senior said it shouldn’t be like this.

“It saddens me. This is an invasion of that privacy at a time when we should be able to enjoy communicating with our family.”

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