Elder Fraud Alert: Sarasota County Seniors Losing Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
FBI
The scammers use tech support and government impersonation scams to find their victims. They instruct victims to liquidate their assets into cash and/or buy gold, silver, or other precious metals to protect their funds. Criminals then arrange for couriers to meet the victims in person to pick up the cash or precious metals. They tell victims they will safeguard the assets in a protected account on their behalf, but the victims never hear from the scammers again.
“We’ve had victims report losses in excess of $300,000,” said FBI Tampa Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor. “These criminals follow a well-rehearsed script and are skilled at pressure tactics. Your best defense is to hang up on the scammers, never click on suspicious links, and report to law enforcement immediately.”
“We’re confident, by working with our federal partners, we can help bring more awareness to this type of sophisticated fraud we continue to see. Our Economic Crimes Unit has open investigations, and we continue to monitor these fraud trends, especially towards our elderly residents. We remain committed to bringing these scammers to justice through the dedicated work of our detectives,” said Sheriff Kurt Hoffman.
If you or someone you know is a victim of fraud, contact your local law enforcement. If you are in Sarasota County, email [email protected] or call (941) 316-1201 to make a report. You can call the FBI at 1-800- CALL FBI (225-5324), file a complaint with IC3 at i3.gov, or submit your tip online with the FBI’s easy-to-navigate website: tips.fbi.gov. There’s also a National Elder Fraud Hotline (833) 372-8311.
For additional resources on the types of frauds and scams that exist as well as tips to help you stay safe, visit Common Frauds and Scams.