Protecting Seniors from Telemarketing Scams
While Americans ages 65 and over currently make up 13 percent of the population, they also make up a good portion of those targeted by telemarketing scams. Between 50 and 80 percent of telemarketing scams target senior citizens, so it is imperative that you know some of the more popular schemes that telemarketers use when targeting this demographic. These scam alerts for seniors work to ensure that telemarketing scams do not reach you or your loved ones.
Life and Funeral Insurance
The prevalence of life, health and funeral insurance telemarketing scams in this country is high. Dishonest telemarketers take advantage of many seniors’ concerns about financing their funeral costs by selling insurance policies that either mimic the target’s current coverage, do not provide the coverage that was promised or do not really exist.
Games of Confidence
Many telemarketing scams prey upon seniors by taking advantage of their good nature. Scamming telemarketers may call and tell you that you are a lottery winner. These crooks go on to tell you that you cannot accept your winnings because they do not have your bank account. They then ask you to give them access to your bank account. Often, you are asked to make a good faith payment. In exchange for the payment, the scammer promises you a portion of the winnings. Once the scammer receives the good faith payment, he will never contact you again.
Health Telemarketing Scams
Among the common scam alerts for seniors are health telemarketing scams. A scammer calls a target to sell miracle cures that do not contain any curative properties at all. These dangerous scams could cause seniors to delay or refuse medical treatment, jeopardizing their very livelihood in the process.
Travel Telemarketing Scams
Many seniors have more free time than the average younger person, so telemarketers often offer travel packages to this population. These packages often turn out to have substandard amenities, cost more than the market rates or do not provide the services that were promised.
To avoid these telemarketing scams, do not give into high-pressure phone sales tactics. When a telemarketer pressures you to make a decision, either say that you do not understand or ask them to send you information through the mail. Any reputable organization is more than willing to mail information to prospects. If the telemarketer hesitates, hang up and contact one of five Protection 1 call centers, or visit one of seventy branch locations.