For many older adults, a ringing phone once meant hearing from family, friends or neighbors. Today, it could be a scammer.
While fraud can happen to anyone, scammers often target older adults because they know they may be more likely to answer the phone, spend time talking and trust the person on the other end of the line.
"They're used to answering a ringing phone," said Michael Bannon, longtime director of the Bucks County Consumer Protection Department and its current acting director. "Scam artists are more likely to reach seniors during the daytime because many of them are no longer working and have more time to talk. So scammers can invest more time and effort into trying to groom senior citizens."
That grooming can happen slowly. A scammer may spend weeks or months building trust, learning personal details and creating a sense of familiarity before making a request for money or sensitive information.
Bannon said scammers are constantly looking for opportunities to take advantage of people of all ages who are caught off guard.
"Scam artists are really just going for easy money," he said.
"The most common scams targeting seniors in Bucks County today are what we call imposter scams," Bannon said. "People are getting contacted by people that are not who they say they are."
Scammers may pretend to be law enforcement officers, government employees, bank representatives or employees from familiar companies. They may claim someone missed jury duty, owes money for taxes or has a problem with a bank account.
Others send text messages claiming there is an issue with a package delivery or an online account.
Bannon said even people who know about scams can feel alarmed when confronted with a convincing message.
"I got a phone call on my answering machine saying that I hadn't paid my taxes, that I had to immediately pay, and they were going to arrest me," he said. "I know these scams, but just hearing that voice message when I came home from work telling me they were going to arrest me made me a bit nervous."
That feeling of fear and urgency is exactly what scammers rely on.
Bannon's first recommendation is simple: do not engage with suspicious callers.
"I tell everybody that the best thing you can do is not interact with any of it," he said.
Rather than answering calls from unknown numbers, Bannon recommends letting voicemail screen them.
"If you get a phone call and you suspect it's a scam artist, my advice is to not answer the call," he said. "Let the answering machine do the work unless you recognize the phone number."
If someone does reach you and begins pressuring you to send money or provide personal information, Bannon advises ending the conversation.
"If they're not willing to end that conversation, I suggest just hanging up the phone if they keep trying to pressure you into doing something," he said.
Most importantly, residents should verify before taking action.
"If you think it's legitimate, you want to verify, verify, verify," Bannon said.
That may mean calling a family member, contacting a business directly using a trusted phone number or reaching out to the Bucks County Consumer Protection Department.
One of the biggest warning signs of a scam is being asked to pay in an unusual way.
"If a scam artist asks you to get a gift card or some kind of digital payment gift card, stop right there," Bannon said. "Something is wrong. It's a fraud."
Gift cards are popular with scammers because once the numbers are shared, the money can quickly disappear and is extremely difficult to recover.
Cryptocurrency scams have also increased in recent years. Some criminals promise large investment returns, while others pressure victims into using cryptocurrency machines to send money.
"We've seen the rise of the crypto scams that are happening in the past couple of years," Bannon said.
He advises people to be cautious with any financial transaction they do not fully understand.
"If you don't understand the transaction, it's probably not a good idea to do it," he said.
Romance scams are among the most devastating scams Bannon sees because they rely on an emotional connection.
In these situations, criminals create fake identities and spend significant time communicating with victims by phone or online.
"They spend a lot of time flattering them, talking to them, spending time with them on the phone," Bannon said.
Eventually, the scammer creates a reason they need money, such as a medical emergency, travel problem or financial hardship.
"They feel like they have a relationship with this person that they've never met," Bannon said.
Bannon said these scams can be especially harmful because victims are not just losing money; they may feel they have lost a relationship they believed was real.
Another scam that continues to affect families is the grandparents scam.
Typically, a victim receives a phone call from someone pretending to be a grandchild who claims to be in trouble and needs money immediately.
The caller may say they were arrested, involved in an accident or need money for bail. A second scammer may then pretend to be a police officer or another official confirming the story.
Bannon recommends families create a code word that can be used to verify identity during an emergency.
If someone calls claiming to be a loved one in trouble, do not let them prevent you from checking the story.
"Even though they tell you not to, you should call the parents, call that grandson directly to see if they really are in trouble," Bannon said.
Bannon said Bucks County recently saw an increase in gold-buying operations targeting residents of 55-and-older communities.
While some gold buyers are legitimate businesses, Bannon cautioned that others may use deceptive practices or offer far less than jewelry, coins or precious metals are worth.
"There are some legitimate actors, but bad actors out there," he said.
Before selling gold or other precious metals, Bannon recommends doing some research, comparing offers and making sure the buyer is properly registered.
In Bucks County, he noted, legitimate precious metal buyers should have their scales inspected by the county Weights and Measures Department and be registered with the Bucks County Sheriff's Office.
Bannon said one of the biggest misconceptions about scam victims is that they should have known better.
"These scam artists are very smart and work very hard to get your money,” said Bannon.
He encourages anyone who suspects fraud to contact the Bucks County Consumer Protection Department or their local police department.
"We want residents to know that they can call us and we can help verify if a phone number is a legit phone number attached to a business or not," Bannon said.
Reporting scams also helps officials identify new tactics and warn others.
"If you do become a victim, I hope you turn it into a positive by letting us know and sharing the information so we can help prevent future victims," Bannon said.
One step Bannon recommends is placing a free freeze on credit reports through the three major credit reporting agencies.
A credit freeze prevents criminals from opening new credit cards or loans using stolen personal information while allowing existing accounts to continue operating.
"It means nobody can open up new credit under your name unless you give approval in advance," Bannon said.
Above all, Bannon advises residents to slow down whenever they receive an unexpected request involving money or personal information.
"I tell everybody, slow down," he said. "If you're getting pressured to do something or send money, that's a red flag in itself. Slow down and verify."
To contact the Bucks County Consumer Protection Department, call 215-348-6060 or visit buckscounty.org/cp.
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