Lawman Tells How to Avoid Scams
Published: Friday, September 20, 2024
A veteran law enforcement agent specializing in financial exploitation of senior citizens was the keynote speaker at the Elkhart County Farm Bureau's annual meeting last Monday in Elkhart.
Joe Dietz Sr. has spent 45 years in law enforcement, specializing in financial and cyber-crimes. He is a former detective and special agent who now works as an investigator with the St. Joseph County (Ind.) Prosecutor's office in adult protective services. Although his office is in South Bend, he investigates crimes in a four-county area that includes St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshall and Kosciusko counties.
Last Monday, he shared advice on how to avoid becoming a scam victim.
Seniors are a prime target of many of these scams, according to Dietz. He said seniors own a large amount of wealth, are often isolated and happy to talk to anyone, are polite and won't end a conversation, and often have physical and or mental limitations.
He said people 70 and over had a combined net worth of $35 trillion as of 2021. Every year, billions of dollars are lost to scammers, and he said it happens right here in Michiana.
He added that many scams start when you receive an email with a suspicious link.
"Don't click on the links, OK? That's just a means to get you to something that's going to start you down the rabbit hole."
There are many different types of scams, including the following examples:
• PayPal and Apple Pay —Your account has been placed on hold. Act right away to restore service.
• Romance—Scammers send you the profile of a fictitious person who is interested in a relationship with you. Victims may keep paying money to perpetuate the fantasy.
• Grandparents—You receive a call from someone pretending to be your grandchild. They say they are in trouble and need money. The next person on the line is a scammer pretending to be an attorney who demands money. "The next thing you know, someone shows up at your door to take $5,000," Dietz said. Dietz recommends that families have a secret code for such situations.
• Clergy—Someone pretending to be a member of the clergy contacts you and asks that you send them a gift card or money.
• Lottery/Publisher's Clearinghouse—You are told that you've won the lottery and are entitled to a new car. The scammer tries to create a visual image of you enjoying a fancy new vehicle and tells you that the car will be at a certain location the next day. However, you must pay taxes and fees before you can take possession of the car. The victim pays the taxes and fees, but no one ever shows up at the location with the car.
• Computer problems—The caller, identifying himself as an FBI agent, says your identification has been stolen and you need to act quickly to get your money before thieves access your financial accounts. The scammer asks you to send him your money for safekeeping.
Dietz advises senior citizens not to trust anyone who calls by phone. Your bank will never call you to ask that you verify your account number. Also, he said people should realize that caller ID numbers can be faked.
If someone calls, look for the following red flags: they want the money upfront, they share stories of personal need/hardship, they ask for loans or advances, the price is significantly lower than other estimates, they offer no contact information, and they pressure you to act now.
Some scams involve people going door-to-door and offering home improvement, landscape or tree cutting services.
"I tell them to watch out if they have weak or non-existent professional labeling," he said. "They might have just a sign stuck on the side of their vehicle. They don't have any professional billing, professional stationary, advertising, business cards, internet presence," Dietz said.
Consumers should check references before hiring anyone.
Another red flag: "They want paid upfront for labor."
Dietz said senior citizens may be reluctant to report that they have become a victim due to the fear that someone will question their judgment and ability to live independently. In some cases, they continue to pay money rather than admit that they've been scammed.
"Being part of a target group, or having been a victim of a scam, does not mean that you are incompetent, incapable or unable to live independently," Dietz said. "It does not mean that you are dumb, silly or foolish. It does not mean that you can no longer control your finances yourself and decide when or how to spend your money. But what it does mean is that the scammers are very good at what they do, they have experience, skills and tactics to appear legitimate and convincing."
In his role as an investigator, Dietz tries to be proactive by educating consumers about how to avoid scams. He is available to speak to senior citizens groups and can be contacted at jrdietz@stjoepros.org or 574/274-0369.
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