Posted at: 10/04/2012 12:31 PM
By: Gordon Severson

Print Story  Email to a Friend

Increase in Phone Scams Against Seniors

(ABC 6 News)- Officials are concerned about a recent increase in scams against senior citizens.

Olmsted County Deputies know about two cases in the last two weeks alone. They say it's likely there are several others that haven't been reported.

Many victims are too ashamed to report a scam. Officers are urging people to do so, because it helps investigators with their case.

The most recent case involved a scammer who called an elderly woman and claimed to be her grandson.  The woman wired $2,400 to an account in Mexico.

Officials are warning seniors to be aware of potential scams over the next few months.

They say the best way to detect a scammer on the phone is to always ask questions in order to positively identify who they are. Start out with simple things like asking them how old they are, where they're living right now, or any other question you can think of that only a family member would know the answer to.