Fighting Fraud

THE FBI REPORTS SENIOR CITIZENS LOST MORE THAN 7.5 BILLION DOLLARS TO FRAUD LAST YEAR. A NEW STUDY BY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PERSONS OR AARP SAYS ONE IN 4 ADULTS HAS BEEN A VICTIM OF FRAUD EXPERT KATHY STOKES FROM AARP JOINS US NOW TO TELL US MORE. JOINING US FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., KATHY, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. THAT CATCHY REPORTS OF FRAUD. THEY HAVE SKYROCKETED, ESPECIALLY AMONG SENIOR CITIZENS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? >> WELL, COVID GAVE A GRAND OPPORTUNITY FOR CRIMINALS TO REALLY UPPED THEIR GAME BECAUSE ALL OF US WENT ONLINE AT THE SAME TIME AND WE HAD MORE OR LESS UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT RISKS MIGHT BE OUT THERE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE THERE FOR WORK AND FOR PLAY AND FOR SHOPPING. AND SO CRIMINALS REALLY STARTED TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT. BUT THE BROADER PROBLEM IS THAT THAT IS THE PERIOD OF TIME WHEN A HUGE TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME SYNDICATES ENTERED THE FRAY AND THEY'VE BEEN BUILDING THEIR SKILLS EVER SENSE TO THE POINT THAT WE'RE IN A FRAUD CRISIS. >> WHAT ARE THESE SCAMMERS LOOKING TO EXPLOIT AND ESPECIALLY AMONG SENIORS WHO ARE FAR MORE INCLINED TO FALL FOR THESE SCAMS >> I WOULDN'T SAY THAT ACTUALLY THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION HAS REPORTED FOR YEARS THAT YOUNGER ADULTS REPORT FINANCIAL LOSS MORE OFTEN THAN OLDER ADULTS WHEN THEY EXPERIENCE A SCAM. THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS THE OLDER ADULTS ARE SITTING ON ALL THE MONEY, RIGHT? SO THE CRIMINALS WHO USED TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, STEALS $200 AND TECH SUPPORT SCAM ANOTHER GOING FOR EVERYTHING. AND IT'S CREATED QUITE THE SITUATION. >> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR, ESPECIALLY IN ELECTRONIC MESSAGES LIKE EMAILS AND TEXTS SO THAT THEY DON'T BECOME THE PREY FOR THESE SCAMMERS. >> YOU KNOW, I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT WE CANNOT TRUST ANY INCOMING COMMUNICATION CHANNEL RIGHT NOW. I CAN TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, LOOK OUT FOR THE BAD ENGLISH, BAD GRAMMAR WEBSITES THAT DON'T SHOW INFORMATION ON RETURNS AND ALL OF THESE THINGS WERE USED TO BE ABLE TO SEE, AS YOU KNOW, INDICATORS, THE NEW ADVENT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HAS CHANGED ALL THAT. SO THEY'RE BECOMING ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DETECT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, TO DETECT. SO WE HAVE TO GO TO THESE CHANNELS WITH SKEPTICISM. YOU COULD A TEXT MESSAGE AND IT SAYS IT'S FROM YOUR BANK. DON'T BELIEVE IT'S FROM YOUR BANK. LOG INTO YOUR ACCOUNT OR CALL THEM AT A NUMBER THAT, YOU KNOW TO BE IF YOU GET A MESSAGE THAT POPS UP ON YOUR COMPUTER THAT SAYS IT'S MICROSOFT OR NORTON AND THERE'S A PROBLEM. DON'T ENGAGE WITH IT AND GET IN TOUCH WITH IF YOU HAVE ACCOUNTS WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO FIND OUT IF THERE'S A PROBLEM, DON'T CLICK ON LINKS. DON'T SHOP UNLESS YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE THE COMPANY THAT YOU'RE BUYING FROM ITS REALLY A TRAGEDY THAT WE CANNOT USE OUR TECHNOLOGY AS IT WAS INTENDED. >> ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE TODAY FOR OUR AUDIENCE IF THEY'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO IT, KEEP FROM BECOMING A VICTIM OF FRAUDSTERS. >> YEAH, I WOULD SAY 2 THINGS. ONE IS IF YOU LEARN SOMETHING HERE TODAY ABOUT A SCAM THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE, SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS REGULARLY WITH THE PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES AS WE KIND OF HAVE TO HAVE EACH OTHER'S BACKS. YOU KNOW, AND WHETHER IT'S AN OLDER ADULT OR A SIBLING. BUT THE INTENTIONALLY OF THESE CONVERSATIONS AND IF YOU'RE NOT SURE ABOUT SOMETHING OR IF YOU'VE BEEN A VICTIM, YOU CAN CALL OUR HELPLINE JUDGMENT FREE ZONE. +1-877-908-3360. YOU GET TO ACTUALLY TALK TO A HUMAN. >> THAT'S WONDERFUL. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY WITH THIS GREAT INFORMATION. CATHY. >> SO GLAD YOU HAD ME. THANKS.