Outsmarting the scammers

CountyFM series aims to protect seniors from fraud

They are well-versed in preying upon the vulnerable. They can be charming, courteous, cajoling or crafty, but above all they are cruel and manipulative and their primary job is to entice the unwary to send them money. “They” are the online and telephone scammers, and they are very, very good at what they do. CountyFM station manager Craig Mills had a relative who fell prey to an online scammer, and after hearing other stories of seniors who were also victim to similar scams, he conceived the idea of a radio series to help inform listeners of the various fraud schemes and how to better protect themselves from exploitation. Over the past few months, CountyFM, together with the County OPP Detachment, Community Care for Seniors and the Municipality, have been presenting a series of community information sessions across the County to help educate and combat fraud that targets those who are most vulnerable. The radio station has also been conducting a series of interviews with seniors who have been victims or near-victims of fraud attempts. Radio host Renay Weissman-Stanners interviewed nearly 30 County seniors who have had a brush with fraud attempts—some of them losing a significant amount of money—and is presenting a series of six weekly radio shows to spread information about these scams and how to protect against them.

The radio series is being funded by the federal New Horizons for Seniors program, and Ms. Weissman-Stanners said she was surprised at the number of County seniors who have been exploited by scammers. “It’s phenomenal the number of people who were sent to an ATM in downtown Picton to purchase Bitcoin for other people. This was the ‘grandparent’ scam. There’s was also someone who received an email supposedly from their brother-in-law and then sent them money in the form of gift cards,” she said. “A few people we interviewed were caught up in online dating and got scammed. The scammers are very knowledgeable when it comes to human emotions. They have a very well-rehearsed script and they have an answer for everything.” She said the people are generally very embarrassed after realizing they had fallen for a scam. “They are ashamed, they’re shocked, they’re embarrassed. They are aware of scams going around, but it’s amazing how, when that scammer approaches you, you forget. They have a way of making people feel like they have to make a decision right now. They have a sense of urgency, and they get you wound-up,” said Ms. Weissman- Stanners. Some of the scams are incredibly sophisticated, with artificially generated voices that mimic the sound of a relative.

They prey upon a person’s loneliness and vulnerability, such as the Netflix scam, where the fraudster says that the person’s account could be terminated if they don’t make a payment. “For people who are at home and spend a lot of time watching these shows, it’s their comfort and enjoyment, and it’s terrible to think they’re going to lose their account,” said Ms. Weissman-Stanners.

Each of the radio shows looks at a different type of online or telephone scam, with the interviews edited to support the point of the episode. The introductory scripts were written by Astrid Young and are narrated by Wendy Mesley. The format follows that from a series on homelessness that the radio station broadcast last year, but this time with a video component as well. “I’m hoping that the series will make people become more aware and feel less embarrassed and ashamed. There’s a shocking amount of money that is being lost to scammers. If we can encourage people to talk about what’s happening, and to ask first before they say ‘yes’ and not be afraid to say ‘no’, that’s what I want this radio show to do,” said Ms. Weissman- Stanners. The shows will be broadcast on the following five Thursdays at noon, and repeated at 6 p.m. on the same day. They will also be available to listen to online at any time after the initial broadcast. There are also five additional community presentations on fraud awareness and prevention. For more information, please visit 993countyfm.ca.