Scammers are the WORST...especially for seniors.
- Melissa Allis
- Nov 10
- 6 min read
This topic has come up with many of my clients and is an issue that doesn't look like it is going away any time soon. As if it wasn't hard enough to detect fraudulent emails or voicemails, now there is Artifical Intelligence that can create images out of thin air and will most likely be able to duplicate voices in the near future (I grew up on the Terminator movies). Technology is very difficult to navigate as a senior and some seniors still are not connected to the internet in any way. I asked Detective Chris Seiler of Swatara Township, who specializes in crimes against seniors, to answer a few questions about this topic.
1. What do you see as the most prevalent crime against seniors right now?
Why do you think that is?
Answer- PA Statutes defines an “older Adult” as a person who is at least 60 years of
age.
Although neglect and assault incidents are most alarming; the most prevalent crimes
against seniors that we see are frauds/scams. The total amount of money being lost in
these incidents is staggering; what’s worse, these cases are nearly impossible to bring
to a successful prosecution. Many of these incidents originate from other countries and
are carried out utilizing technology that aids the scammers in cloaking their identities
and other identifiers. This makes the risk to criminals getting caught very low, and the
ability to recover funds unlikely at best. Therefore, there is a concerted effort on
prevention and education to help get the word out about the ever-changing types of
scams and how they work.
2. How can seniors protect themselves or their loved ones against financial
exploitation?
Answer- The best way they can protect themselves and for their loved ones to help
them be protected is to be educated about what scams are prevalent, learn how they
work, and maintain open communication with their financial institutions and trusted
family members.
The number one way to help avoid scams is to screen all phone calls and do not
respond to any unsolicited contacts (phone, email, text messaging, social media).
Almost all scams rely on these initial contacts to further the scam; if you can thwart the
process at the very beginning then you drastically increase your odds of not being a
victim to a scammer.
The most common scams that we are currently seeing are the Romance/Relational
Scams and the Tech Service Scams; however below is a brief overview of some of the
most popular scams and a short narrative on how they work.
*Romance/Relational Scam:
Scammers create fake profiles and build relationships online, often claiming to be in a
distant location (e.g., military personnel, doctors, or businessmen). They then ask for
money for various reasons, such as travel expenses, medical bills, or to help them
escape a difficult situation.
How to test a Romance/Relational Scammer:
1. You can't find information about them online
2. They quickly tell you they love you
3. Too perfect — especially in photos
4. Always traveling or live far away from you
5. Refuse to video chat (or always cancel)
6. Constant family or personal emergencies
7. They ask for money, especially gift cards, bitcoin, wire transfers, etc.
Tech Scams:
Also known as tech support scams, involve fraudsters impersonating legitimate
tech support to trick victims into giving them access to their computers, personal
information, or money, often through unsolicited calls, emails, or pop-up warnings.
Fake Investment Schemes:
Scammers may convince victims to invest in nonexistent companies or assets,
promising high returns.
Sweepstakes and Lottery Scams:
Scammers will contact victims, claiming they have won a prize, but require a fee to
claim it.
Email and Text Scams:
Scammers can use your phone number to send you fake messages, steal your
personal or financial data, impersonate you, or even take over your online accounts.
They might also use it to scam your contacts or access your business information.
Social Media Scams:
Social media scams are fraudulent schemes that use social media platforms to
trick users into revealing personal information, sending money, or clicking malicious
links, with common examples including phishing, romance scams, and impersonation.
Phishing:
"Phishing" is when criminals use scam emails, text messages or phone calls to
trick their victims. The aim is often to make you visit a website, which may download a
virus onto your computer, or steal bank details or other personal information.
Family/Caregiver Scams:
Caregiver scams often target seniors and can involve financial exploitation (elder
abuse), impersonation, and fake job offers. They could also forge checks, use credit or
debit cards or bank accounts without permission.
PROTECT YOURSELF BY:
-Securing your valuables and using an Inventory List
-Monitoring transactions
-Using security cameras
-Hiring through a third party so you’re legally protected and insured
-Following your instincts
Lastly, and regrettably, it is more of a matter of “when” versus if you or a loved one will
be a victim of a scam. Scammers are very good at being manipulative and often times
it seems that the victim gets blamed for “falling for” the scam; and there is little
consideration for how convincing a scammer can be.
When a scam happens, it is imperative to get it stopped as soon as possible - Stop the
Loss. Unfortunately, we see many older people who become victims of a scam and are
too embarrassed or fearful to tell their family (usually their children). They report being
ashamed and fearful that their children will remove their independence or more readily
recognize a cognitive decline. When that happens, we see the scam carry out for
much longer time with significantly more money lost. We have seen scams that have
carried on for multiple years with losses over $100,000.
Attached is a link to “I’ve become a victim of a scam/fraud, now what do I do?” form that helps people navigate through the 5 part process.
Recognize you’re not alone,
Stop the loss
REPORT
Watch out
Moving forward.
3. Do seniors typically report the above-mentioned crimes or do their loved ones?
Answer- We receive reports from a variety of sources, but generally older people do not
report incidents themselves. Most often we receive complaints/allegations from family
members calling on behalf of their loved ones. Again, financial exploitation incidents go widely underreported.
Other places we receive reports from are:
*Care Facilities (who are required by statute to report such incidents)
*Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging
*Financial Institutions
*In-home care provider agencies
4. How can the police be a community resource to help keep seniors safe from
these crimes?
Answer- We as a police agency and entity within Dauphin County began an initiative three years ago. The initiative is targeted to better serve our community seniors and care dependent
community members. We formed a three-pronged approach to bolster resource awareness, education, and criminal investigations.
Prong one- When we looked closely at the vast number of resources throughout
the local area, we realized that there was a disconnect with our seniors being aware of
what was available. We noted that many people only seek resources when they need
them and don’t always know where to turn. This prompted us to organize the Swatara
Township Senior Resource Fair. It's goal is to connect people with resources. Through the
Fair, a vendor list is provided to each participant which contains contact
information and a general overview of the service the vendor provides. We are hopeful
that this list will be maintained as a guide for people to get connected with what they
need. Our last fair had approximately 100 vendors and about 500 attendees. It has
grown well each of the past three years and we are already starting to plan the 2026
Swatara Twp Senior Fair.
Prong two- We have participated in and organized numerous programs to help educate our seniors and their loved ones.
*We coordinated a monthly educational component to our “Coffee with the Chief”
program.
*We partnered with PSECU (Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union) for the past two years as a panelist on a statewide Fraud
Forum.
*We also partnered with Belco Community Credit Union who sponsored specialized training for investigators.
*Also with Belco we provided a two-part scam/fraud awareness radio broadcast and a
Widows fraud/scam presentation.
We are always looking for opportunities to help share information and help
prevent victimizations.
Prong three- Dauphin County formulated a Multi-Disciplinary
Investigative Team (MDIT) and it has become the nationally recognized standard. The team is coordinated by the Dauphin County DA’s Office and its members consist of at least one representative from every police agency in the county, DC Area Agency on Aging investigators, DC Ombudsman, DC Coroner’s Office, PA Attorney General’s office, PA State Department of
Health, Liberty/Adult Protective Services, PA Department of Human Services and several
others. We realized that each one of these entities took on or had information regarding
allegations of financial exploitation, but were not communicating with each other. Now we are better able to provide a more accurate, more thorough investigative effort, which enables us to better serve our community members as well as ensure that incidents are not overlooked.
Lastly, we want to encourage our community seniors and their families to contact their
local police departments if they have questions about potential scams/frauds. The earlier that we are involved, the more quickly we can help prevent loss. We want our community members to know that we are available to help before they become a victim.
Thank you Detective Chris Seiler of Swatara Township for your insight!
