Post-Valentine’s Day Warning for Seniors: Beware Scammers Posing as a Romeo (or Juliet)

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woman hugging man
Image via Andrea Piacquadio at Unsplash.
Valentine's Day can leave many seniors susceptible to seasonal scammers.

The Bucks County Crimes Against Older Adults Task Force has issued a Valentine’s Day warning for seniors that continues to resonate after the holiday: Beware of love-struck suitors who may be nothing more than scammers.

It is raising awareness of the crime by providing the following facts:

  • Thieves target seniors, hoping to cash in on their loneliness and isolation.
  • The scams are particularly damaging to this demographic, which lives on fixed incomes or retirement savings.
  • The threat can come online, over the phone, or in person (inside senior residences and around senior-frequented businesses like supermarkets and banks).
  • The crime is committed by men and women, strangers and family members.
  • Vulnerable assets include credit/debit cards, bank/checking accounts, benefits/pension checks, and physical assets such as property.

The task force therefore recommends wariness around new relationships with strangers, especially those who flatteringly claim to be falling in love instantaneously.

Further safety can be found in online checks before a first date.

And perhaps the most important advice is for those who have been victimized: Overcome the embarrassment of being swindled and report the crime.

More on combating Valentine’s Day scammers in Bucks County is online.

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