Con Artists Use Scare Tactics to Take Your Money

Last year, common tough-talk schemes netted nearly $11 million

It used to be that scammers needed to gain your trust to do their work. They'd smile. They'd show concern. They'd even try to charm you with kind words to get you to open your heart — and your wallet.

No longer: Con artists have found that fear and intimidation are often more profitable, especially with people 50-plus. Last year, Americans 50 and older accounted for about half of the nearly $11 million in losses from intimidation schemes reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Here's how they work. You're threatened with violence, a lawsuit or arrest over supposed missed loan payments; you're told to pay to avoid a bogus court summons; or you're told a virus will ruin your computer unless you pay. Sometimes the bad guys come right to your door.

The $11 million figure is probably the tip of the iceberg. Most victims are too embarrassed to report getting scammed, or too scared when told to keep mum "or else." Below are some variations on the scam.

The hit-man scam: Pay or die
You're told a contract has been placed on your life — but you can avoid death with a payoff.
Don't laugh: In 2012, extortionists collected nearly $2 million from 1,354 people who reported this scam to the complaint center. The crooks use Facebook and other online sites to glean personal information about you and your family to make the threats seem real. The lesson here is to limit what you post online.

'Official' ouch: Impostors at the door
In emails, by phone and occasionally at your front door, it's scammers — not bona fide public servants — who seek your personal data or immediate payment of a supposed fine. They may claim to be from Social Security, Medicare, the police or the court. Just keep in mind these agencies don't dun people this way or demand information they already have.

Cold threat: Shutoff shakedown
As winter approaches, be prepared for bogus threats that your utility service is about to be shut off because of unpaid bills. In this longtime ruse, scammers use special software to falsely display the name and phone number of your utility company on your caller ID.

But there's a new twist. They may threaten to send someone to your home to collect overdue funds — and then, a scowling accomplice might arrive for the shakedown. Don't open the door. You should know that most utilities will mail at least one, if not several, past-due notifications before pulling the switch. And they would never send a thug to collect.

Don't be intimidated by scare tactics. Before you pay, confirm any alleged debt with the utility company.

And new help may be coming. Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party have introduced legislation to expand fraud education for older people and improve complaint reporting and federal monitoring.

http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-08 ... intimidate.html

Awesome right up Alfalfa! I will add a link for this to my arsenal to be sure! :)

Yes, but all the laws in the world will not prevent this scumbags from perpetrating fraud.  Laws don't prevent anything, they just punish the guilty (reportedly).  People need to get out of this get rich for nothing mentality, they need to stand up for themselves, and if they can't or don't have the mental capacity for it as in the case with elderly people, then someone, preferably family could and really should be looking after them.  Unfortunately, a lot of times people that really should know better don't, a lot of people never paid attention in school and have little or no education, and these are the people that are falling for the scams and making the scumbags rich.

Got a call from this number said his name was Brad he's in attorneys-at-law wanted my lawyer to call him set out a little money it's a joke to scam

WE STILL WILL MAKE CALLS AND STILL WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY !

Well you didn't take mine

Hey Its Me - Get a real job. We know where you live!!!!

>>> WE STILL WILL MAKE CALLS AND STILL WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY ! <<<

I have to respect you for that. At least you are an honest shill -- you are admitting you are nothing more than a common criminal.

Good luck trying..  You can wish in one hand and spit in the other and see which you get first..  ROFL!

I want to know what " still will" means.

Tami, did you get that line from 'The Hungry Ocean' by Linda Greenlaw?

CD that old saying is usually a bit more explicit and is older then dirt,lol!  Some things, and sayings, are timeless..
A good example of oldy moldy's would be the Xanth series by Piers Anthony ..  oldy moldy puns take on a whole new meaning in humor, not to mention the plants!

Ah...still, you might want to check the book out when you're not posting on here-you may have heard of the author in 'The Perfect Storm'

I live too far away from the nearest library's.. LOL! I buy my books.  I'm a ST person mainly, Ann and Todd McCaffrey , Mists of Avalon, a bit of Eddings, Sword of Shannarra, Valdemar, Harry Potter, Green Riders, Bones,Ann Rules books,Clan of the Cave Bear, Eragon and the Ghatti series.  My library is pretty extensive, around 500 + books, I don't resell my books, I re-read them. Occasionally sprinkled with Hercules and Xena. They didn't write many of those though :(  

Perfect storm was one of those spooky creepy type movies, haven't watched it in awhile. We buy movies and series rather then dish or cable.

Just go to BN.com-that's Barnes & Noble's website-you can order it online and have it MAILED to you-I have it on my NOOK and am reading it again