By now, you’re probably exhausted from hearing about the common schemes scammers use to defraud seniors out of their money. And you probably think, “That could never happen to me or anyone I know.”
In 2023, however, fraud complaints filed by individuals over age 60 increased by 11% over 2022, totaling 101,068 instances of reported elder fraud to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The associated amounts involved with these complaints in 2023 reached $3.4 billion (FBI, 2023). That’s right, BILLION!
Let’s face it. As much as we don’t want to admit, it can happen to us or someone we know. The odds are not in our favor unless we educate others and ourselves to these criminal activities. Between romance, tech support, lottery/sweepstakes, investment, and grandparent scams - just to name a few- our seniors are finding themselves inundated with fraud.
What’s worse, criminals are doubling down and getting our seniors to help them with their crimes. More commonly, scammers are turning romance scam victims into Money Mules, whether the victims know it or not. A money mule is someone who transfers or moves illegally obtained money on behalf of another person; they add a layer of distance between the victims of crimes and the criminals. Acting as a money mule is a crime, even if you do not realize that is what you are doing. Scam victims who act as money mules can be held liable for their actions – actions they are convinced are innocent tasks to help their newly-found romantic interest.
Just ask Glenda Seim, an 81-year-old female who met a scammer in 2014. The scammer proceeded to use their budding romance to have Glenda conduct various fraudulent transactions to send her “love” the financial proceeds. Mrs. Seim was sent counterfeit and stolen checks to deposit into her bank accounts, as well as receive various unemployment benefits for people she did not know (Mowers, 2022); after conducting a myriad of activity to get money, she would forward the illicit funds to the person she thought was the new love of her life… a.k.a. the scammer! Mrs. Seim did all this even though she had never talked to or met her romantic partner in person.
Despite multiple warnings from law enforcement and her bank that the individual she was communicating with was a scammer, Mrs. Seim continued to engage in this fraudulent activity. On November 2, 2021, Mrs. Seim plead guilty to two federal felonies that involved upwards of $1.5 million in transactions. Mrs. Seim is now serving her five-year sentence and is having to repay the scam victims who she helped to defraud. You can watch Mrs. Seim tell her story here: Victim of Romance Scam Who Became Money Mule Tells Story
Let Mrs. Seim’s story provide encouragement to approach internet connections with skepticism…especially when people you’ve met online begin asking for financial assistance. The FBI (FBI, 2024) offers a list of steps you can take to protect yourself or a loved one, which includes recognizing scam attempts and ending all communication with the perpetrator, as well as resisting the pressure to act quickly. They also recommend that you never give or send any personally identifiable information or money to unverified people or businesses.
If you have become a victim of fraud or if you know of someone who may have been the victim of elder fraud, you can contact your local FBI and file a complaint with the IC3 at ic3.gov. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help! Involve a trusted friend or family member when someone you met online is suddenly talking about money.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry, and protecting yourself can prevent you from falling for a scam that could cost you thousands of dollars or, even worse, have you serving time all in the name of love.
References
FBI. (2023). Internet Crime Complaint Center. Retrieved from 2023 Elder Fraud Report: https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2023_IC3ElderFraudReport.pdf
FBI. (2024). How We Can Help You. Retrieved from Elder Fraud: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/elder-fraud
Mowers, J. (2022, March 7). Woman Sentenced After Helping Scam Artist. Retrieved from Webster-Kirkwood Times: https://www.timesnewspapers.com/webster-kirkwoodtimes/woman-sentenced-after-helping-scam-artist/article_1b2ae9e0-9b02-11ec-bb64-5ff45577d3b2.html
