Elderly targeted in criminal identity theft fraud scam
People are being advised to inform elderly relatives and neighbors about a new wave of "grandma scams" sweeping the country that have swindled unsuspecting grandparents out of thousands of dollars.
Phone callers pretending to be grandchildren in trouble call the elderly folks and ask for money for bail, hospital bills, or some other type of emergency.
How Many People Experienced Identity Theft?
Older adults from Pennsylvania to Arizona have been targeted, and some were fooled into sending money.Connecticut Better Business Bureau president Paulette Hotton Scarpetti commented to Identity Theft Daily on this new criminal identity theft scheme.
"These criminals are preying on the emotions of some of society's most vulnerable people, the elderly. With a little work these thieves can find enough information on the internet to make the calls seem legitimate," she says.
How to Stop the Criminal Identity Theft
Experts encourage potential targets to hang up if the caller and request sounds suspicious or to do some detective work of their own and ask for identifiable names or facts. In some cases, the scammer may be tripped up.
Sensitive data found on New York streets
Potential renters in New York City are required to produce scores of personal documents in order to secure an apartment lease.
Earlier this week, those types of documents including bank statements, W-2s, credit reports, and driver's license copies were found strewn about four blocks on the Upper West Side, reports ABC News.
Citi Habitats, a well known New York real estate broker, has been identified as the source of the "litter."
In a statement addressing the incident, the Upper West Side branch of Citi Habitats acknowledged to ABC News that while the documents should have been shredded after use, they were apparently "improperly placed as trash."
The documents found on the street related to real estate transactions from 2006 and 2007. There is no evidence of how many people experienced identity theft due to the mistake.
Renters vying for apartments in most major cities will be subject to a credit check as part of the leasing process. Most landlords require a good credit history and sufficient income measurements for incoming tenants.
Improving your credit score and learning how to stop identity theft is important not only for renters, but also for prospective homebuyers.
