AARP trying to stop scammers from striking

The ballroom was packed with seniors who came for free food and information that promised to save them thousands of dollars. But this wasn't a free lunch seminar pushing annuities or selling estate plans. This was the fraud-fighters forum, an event put on by the AARP, the Better Business Bureau and several government entities to give consumers a toolkit to find and report fraud.

A 2009 study estimated that victims of elder financial abuse lose $2.6 billion each year. A disturbingly large amount of that fraud is perpetrated by family, friends and caregivers, according to the study from insurer MetLife. But the sweepstakes scams, the charity scams, the sale of bogus long-term care insurance -- that's included in this figure too.

"Seniors are targeted for fraud because that's where the money is," Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson said.

Some have dementia. Some are lonely. Both characteristics help scammers find a way in.

The list of scams is a mile long. Companies that promise to help you with your credit card debt for a steep fee. Phony collection agencies. Companies claiming to sell health insurance when they really sell empty promises. Foreign lotteries. Free security systems that are anything but. The scammers are quick to adapt their schemes to the economic circumstances of the day and pay close attention to current events. AARP's state director Michele Kimball said crooks wasted no time concocting a scam where they ask for money to help travelers grounded by the Icelandic volcano ash.

Many of the scams described by the presenters were terribly familiar to Thelma Bivens, 78, of St. Paul. Bivens has received the phone calls claiming she won the lottery. But when she told them to take the taxes out of her winnings, she never heard from them again.

Jack Lundquist of Bloomington receives similar calls from Jamaica "all the time." Police told the baby boomer that his name is on a so-called "sucker's list" that is being sold from criminal to criminal.

So how can you make sure you're not a victim?

If a salesperson won't meet with you if your family is present, that's a red flag, Swanson said. High-pressure sales tactics -- a salesperson who insists the deal will be gone tomorrow or won't leave until you acquiesce are additional warning signs.

When a postcard claiming you're a big sweepstakes winner lands in your mailbox, do your research. C. Steven Baker, regional director with the Federal Trade Commission suggests looking up the company with the Better Business Bureau and searching for complaints online.

Do your due diligence. Just because you see ads in the newspaper or on TV, or hear about something on the radio doesn't mean it's legitimate.

Then there's the smell test. Walk a family member or friend through an offer before nibbling, postal inspector Jeff Long suggests. By explaining it out loud to someone else, chances are that you or your confidant will figure out if the offer stinks.

Victims lose much more than money in these scheme -- they lose their sense of security, their trust in others, and their pride. "They don't talk about it ... they just want it to go away," Baker said.

If victims don't come forward, the crooks will get away. The AARP hopes citizen fraud fighters can prevent friends and neighbors from falling prey to criminals and convince them to report it if they get taken. Sign up at www.aarpfraudfighters.org, to be notified when new scams emerge and learn more about protecting yourself and your community, or call 1-866-554-5381 to reach the Minnesota chapter.