Lowey and Law Enforcement Officials Warn of Alarming New Techniques Used by Criminals to Scam Seniors Out of Thousands of Dollars

Press Release

Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland), Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, today was joined by representatives from the state Attorney General's office and the Westchester District Attorney's Office at the Anthony J. Posillipo Community Center in Rye Brook to warn senior citizens, caretakers, and families about the spike in financial scams using new, sophisticated methods against senior citizens in the Lower Hudson Valley.

"My constituents have been talked into giving away thousands and thousands of dollars because they've been told a grandchild is in serious trouble," said Lowey. "Some have even spoken to someone they are sure is that grandchild. It isn't. It is an imposter who knows, as the grandparents always tell me, information only their own grandchild would know, which generally the crooks have learned from the Internet."

In the basic "grandparent scam," the scammer will impersonate a senior citizen's grandchild, often describing a situation in which the child is in a foreign country, has gotten into trouble, and is asking for immediate cash payments to escape a bad situation. In a panic, many senior citizens, even some who are at first skeptical, fall for the scam and pay. One recent news report highlighted a scam of $5,000 and another at $20,000. According to the State Attorney General's Office, elderly victims across the state lost $441,000 in 2012 to the grandparent scam.

The scam can take many forms and has different variations. However, the use of cell phones, voice mimicry, information taken from the internet, and new ways to pay quickly and easily have made this scam more sophisticated and it is causing grandparents in the Lower Hudson Valley emotional and financial pain.

"It is hard to imagine a scam worse than one that preys on senior citizens," said Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. "I am committed to doing everything I can to prosecute consumer fraud across our state and to educating New Yorkers on how to avoid scams that target older adults. Programs like our statewide "Smart Seniors' initiative help seniors avoid becoming victims in the first place. I am pleased to join with Congresswoman Lowey in getting the word out to seniors about how to recognize scams and stay safe."

Gary S. Brown, Assistant Attorney General In Charge at the Westchester Regional Office and the Statewide Elder Abuse Coordinator, attended the event, handed out the Attorney General's "Smart Seniors" brochure, and pointed out other helpful tips for seniors, caretakers, and families on how to avoid the grandparent scam.

Lowey said her office has received an increased number of calls for assistance from constituents who have been scammed and want help to recover their money, and others seeking information to report attempted scams to the authorities.

"These scams, which have become highly sophisticated, are virtually impossible to resist unless you know to be suspicious, even when the story they tell is personal, believable, and terrifying, "said Lowey. "Together, we can help our senior citizens access resources to avoid these awful scams. I hope that awareness will help arm our seniors to protect themselves against scam artists seeking to steal their nest eggs."

If you or a senior citizen you know suspects that he or she is being scammed, or has been a victim of a scam, please call the New York State Attorney General's Hotline at 1-800-771-7755, or find out more information at www.ag.ny.gov.

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