GrowingOlderHopeWiser

It’s time to be extra careful and protect ourselves from scam artists. They love to target senior citizens. This fish got away three times!

The first time I got away was a bit before I became a senior citizen, and while it helped me prepare, it did not protect me from scam artists the more I became a target.

The Miss Cleo Fiasco

In 2002, psychic Cleo (Youree Dell Harris), the spokeswoman for the pay-per-call minute service, was very popular, but I had never used her services. Growing up with my elderly aunts, I learned about Tarot and tea leaf readings and was aware of the tricks psychics could use. Still, Cleo’s people reached me by robocalling my landline. Later, I learned from the Federal Trade Commission that answering the call let scammers capture my phone number. I didn’t answer the phone, but a friend living with me did. My phone was used to make a phone card, and this card was given to one of their clients as a freebie. I was charged for their consultation $700. I got a bill demanding payment or else. However, I quickly sent a reply letter through regular and certified mail. Then, I contacted the Federal Trade Commission which gave me advice and helped me resolve the issue by sending them a legal notice and warnings.
In 2002, the Federal Trade Commission charged the company’s owners and Harris’ promoters, Steven Feder and Peter Stolz, with deceptive advertising, billing, and collection practices; Harris was not indicted. The network had billed its victims for an estimated $1 billion.

This Fish Almost Got Caught Again

In 2022, I received a call on my cell phone claiming to be from my bank’s fraud department. The caller said someone had accessed my online banking and requested a large Zelle transfer, urging me to call Zelle to decline it. I called the number he provided and recognized his voice. I contacted my bank directly, which confirmed that the call was a scam and that scammers were using phone IDs to make it look like they were calling from the bank. My warning is if they call you from your bank with something like this. Call your bank and use the direct bank number, not the number the scammer gives you! Above all, do not give your bank account or social security number to anyone who calls you.

Third Time is Not a Charm

I experienced my third scam attempt. This one happened on social media. The scammer followed me and asked me to follow back. He promised the first 2,000 followers $30,000, claiming he had won the Powerball and wanted to share. Since I live on my pension, I decided to check if he was real. After I followed him, he congratulated me and instructed me to download a secure app and enter a code. I stayed on the line all night, thinking he was genuine, until he asked for a processing fee! Frustrated, I finally said no.

Stay alert! The older we get, the more the scammers try to exploit us. Please share any experiences you might have encountered.