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phosphorusBermuda police say online scammers have taken about $1.5 million from seniors since January last year and are reminding the public to “help protect seniors and avoid becoming victims of scams.”
The Bermuda Police Service (BPS) said its financial crime unit investigated 18 cases in just a few months, including one in which fraudsters defrauded an elderly man of $250,000.
The Border Patrol described the scam as “a form of elder abuse” and urged the public to “help protect our seniors from falling victim to scams that exploit their vulnerability and steal their money.”
“These criminals take advantage of the elderly’s vulnerability and force them to provide personal and banking information. There have even been cases where family members have forced the elderly to conduct transactions against their will.”
Inspector Jason Smith, of the specialist investigations unit, said: “The BPS is seeing an increase in reports of these types of cases. To date, five people have been arrested and two have been convicted by the courts for these offences.
“We want to encourage the public to help protect our seniors by reminding them not to give their personal information to anyone without first verifying that they are from a reputable organisation with whom they have a genuine interest.
“We also call on family members to come forward and report these matters to police if they discover that other relatives may be pressuring older people to give money to others, or trying to trick older people into signing a will or contract.”
Source: CMC
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