Los Altos Town Crier: County deputy DA talks senior scams at LACC meeting

Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Cherie Bourlard highlighted common scams perpetrated against seniors during her online presentation “Fraud and Scams: How to Avoid Being a Victim” at a Los Altos Community Coalition meeting Oct. 20.

Iterations of the “Hi, Grandma” phone call are among the ways older adults are being swindled, according to Bourlard. Pretending to be their grandchild, a scammer calls a senior and asks for money because they are in an emergency situation.

 Other scams – including those involving tech support, lottery and sweepstakes, and government impersonation – also pose threats to seniors, whom scammers often take advantage of and see as easy targets. Some victims may be impaired physically or mentally, Bourlard said, and scammers often exploit their inability to sufficiently protect themselves. People age 50 and older control 70% of the country’s household net worth, she added, which makes them even greater targets.