AARP Warning: Telephone Scam Operation! - Texas

[Why Syzygy]

AARP Warning: Telephone Scam Operation!

AARP Texas warned its members and consumers generally today to immediately suspect anyone purporting to be with the organization and who is asking for personal information about assets over the telephone. Four cases have been reported in Fort Worth to date in which a man representing himself to be with AARP in Houston inquired if the member had $50,000 in a bank account or the stock market. "Don't fall victim to a scam," said AARP State Director Bob Jackson. "AARP does not ask for this type of confidential information over the telephone. It looks as if someone is using our good name and reputation to bilk unsuspecting people and separate them from their hard earned money." AARP has alerted the Consumer Protection Division at the Texas Office of the Attorney General. Anyone receiving a call like this should file a complaint with the OAG at http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/complain.shtml or call 1 (800) TX-AUDIT (892-8348) If at all possible, it would be helpful to the OAG if the person receiving the call is able to obtain any additional information from the bogus callers, including their Caller ID number. AARP has more than 2.4 million members in Texas, and 40 million nationally.

[sonias]

1. kicking this

I hate people who try to scam seniors!

I hope someone sharp records the call and they get these scammers. :grr:


Sonia

[Why Syzygy]

2. Check this out...

Texas Legislators Crack Down on Criminals Who Target Seniors
Filed in Dallas Lawyer, Lawsuits on Sep.05, 2009

According to an article in the Dallas Morning News, Texas legislators have created stiffer criminal penalties for those who defraud senior citizens. The influential group, the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature urged that decisive action be taken against criminals who target senior citizens for foreclosure scams, credit card scams, identify theft and other types of financial abuse.

The article said:

“It is a fairly widespread problem, which is being made worse by the increasing number of seniors and the tight economy,” said Carlos Higgins, a representative of the group who lobbied for the new law. “As folks get older, too often they are less able to recognize and defend against the sharks out there, and we know the sharks are targeting seniors all over the state. Unfortunately, we also too often see seniors abused by their own family members.”

This is an unfortunate reality. Many seniors find themselves at the mercy of unscrupulous family members who abuse their credit cards, deplete their bank accounts and eventually cause them to lose assets such as their home to foreclosure. This new legislature will increase the penalty and “level” of the crime when it involves a senior citizen. For example, if a scammer committed a crime against a senior that was originally a state jail felony with a maximum jail sentence of 2 years, it could increase to a third-degree felony with a maximum jail sentence of 10 years under the new law.

Hopefully this new legislation will deter would be scammers who target one of our most vulnerable populations for credit card scams, foreclosure scams and other tricks designed to siphon off their assets.

Source: Dallas Morning News

http://www.allmandandlee.com/bankruptcy_blog/lawsuits/texas-legislators-crack-down-on-criminals-who-target-seniors/
(linked from facebook)

[sonias]

3. They should cover insurance companies that target seniors too

You know sell them insurance they don't need, convince them to buy supplemental policies that don't cover anything. The insurance industry is a totally organized scam for vulnerable populations. And we know they target seniors, too. :eyes:

Sonia