Seniors are often the targets of scam artists who view this demographic as particularly vulnerable and trusting. Scams range from phoney lotteries to prize offers to business opportunities. The Better Business Bureau warns the public about the variations on these scams.

One old scam has taken on an alarming new twist. The so-called Grandparent Scam generally worked like this - the grandfather receives a distressed phone call from who he believes is his grandchild. The supposed grandchild typically explains that she is travelling abroad and has been arrested or involved in an auto accident, and needs him to wire money to post bail or pay for damages - usually amounting to a few thousand dollars.

The scammers' basic tactic is to pose as a grandchild and let the unsuspecting grandparent fill in the blanks. For example, the scam caller might say, "It's me, your favourite grandchild," to which the grandparent will guess the name of the grandchild it sounds the most like, and then the call proceeds from there.

In the updated scam, callers identify themselves by the name of the grandchild or other family member. They say they are being held in jail in Mexico and they need bail money wired immediately. They lace their conversation with accurate references to other family members, increasing their credibility. One caller even knew that the person they were impersonating had a twin who was born two minutes later.

There are many ways that scammers can get this kind of detailed information. One is through social media, where people update their status on Facebook or send a message on Twitter announcing details of their travel plans. A quick Google search on the user can yield a lot of information for scammers to take advantage of: name, hometown, employment, even relatives.

To protect people from this nefarious scam, and other scams that may use a distressed loved-one tactic, BBB advises that you remain calm and confirm the status of the caller. Get their phone number so you can call them back directly, or verify the story with other family members before taking any further action. Even developing a secret code that is known only within the family can save lots of heartache and distress.

The BBB also encourages people to limit the amount of personal information shared on social media sites, and to only "friend" people they know personally.

For more advice, tips, and alerts, or to check out a business, visit www.mbc.bbb.org (Vancouver) or vi.bbb.org (Vancouver Island)

SEPTEMBER 2011 SENIOR LIVING MAGAZINE VANCOUVER ISLAND
SEPTEMBER 2011 SENIOR LIVING MAGAZINE VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND