KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kansas City, Kansas police and Mayor David Alvey are partnering with a local bank to fight scams that victimize senior citizens.
They announced a new program on Friday — Senior Crimestoppers.
Bank of Labor will give workshops and informational classes to senior citizen homes and groups to help them learn how to protect themselves.
On Tuesday, they gave a presentation to Bethel Center seniors.
"I personally get phone calls all the time from all over the United States, so I know what that's like," Sandra Loftiss said.
Chances are, many seniors will tell a similar story.
"It's sad how they convey on the older people because a lot of the older people just don't think," participant Grace Fuller said.
Fuller says someone called pretending to be her nephew in a crisis.
"They wanted me to go to Walmart right then that night and send them a thousand dollars, and I thought, 'I can't do it tonight, but I can do it tomorrow,'" Fuller said.
But, she questioned it. She called her nephew and quickly realized she was being scammed.
"I almost fell for this. Really, I mean, they were so convincing that I almost fell for it," Fuller said.
Many times, a scammer will be in your own family.
Experts in the workshop stressed to always check your accounts, and contact your bank if you notice more money leaving your account than normal.
Other tips:
- Never give out social security numbers or other personal information to someone who calls
- A government agency will not contact you for personal or financial information over the phone
- If someone suspicious calls asking for money, or you think they might be pretending to be someone close to you, always question it
- A common scam is someone telling you that you've won money, but in order to get it, you have to send them money first
- Always contact police to report any scams
"The more people know, the more they can help themselves, be protected against all these scams that are going on," Loftiss said.
If you're interested in a Senior Crimestoppers program in your facility, contact Bank of Labor at 913-321-4242.
