Mid-South grandmother says company scammed her while she was job hunting

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – If you are 60 and older, there is a warning from the FBI about what they’re calling elder fraud. The report shows that scammers are targeting the most vulnerable at a higher rate.

The Action News 5 investigators got a copy of the FBI’s 2023 Elder Fraud Report detailing complaints and losses from the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

It shows an 11% increase in 2023 in reported losses from people over the age of 60 compared to 2022.

There was also a 14% increase in complaints filed by people over 60, including a loss of $3.4 billion nationwide in 2023—the loss amount in Tennessee was $43 million for people over 60.

“If you’re presented with an investment scam that sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” said FBI Supervisory Special Agent David Palmer.

Palmer said they’re seeing an increase in scams and reported losses involving seniors.

Rhonda Reaves, 67, said she found out the hard way. The grandmother who lives in Nesbit, Mississippi, is so close to retirement, but she’s still facing the reality that she was scammed last month out of $5,000.

“I’m ashamed for what I did, but I’m here to just say maybe if somebody will listen, just be careful. Just be careful,” she said. “I worked hard for that money. It’s just not right.”

She said she talked with people in online chatrooms for days who she thought were HR employees for a remote job.

“I believe them, everything they said,” said Reaves.

She believes they found her phone number through her LinkedIn account, which she used to find part-time work as a notary.

“One day I get a text to my number from an HR assistant,” said Reaves.

She felt it was the perfect fit to help her continue saving for retirement. But things felt fishy after she was asked to pay her employer and convert the money into Bitcoin so it couldn’t be traced.

“I’m supposed to be making money; how did I let them turn the tables on me?” Reaves said.

She said it’s a lesson learned.

“If you have any doubts, go to the BBB and look at all the scams,” she said.

According to the report, among the biggest scams for people 60+ are investments in cryptocurrency or tech support, such as someone posing as a customer service representative, scams targeting businesses, and confidence/romance scams.

The FBI says California is number one for elder fraud. Tennessee is number 20. Arkansas is number 34 and Mississippi ranks 38.

The Action News 5 investigators asked the FBI why people over 60 are targeted so much.

“{They} primarily have more disposable money, they’ve saved money over the years. They have money they could use to invest in. Also, they are not overly proficient in some of the online services that are offered,” said special agent Palmer.

Palmer said that if you are a victim of fraud, stop sending money and cut off communication with the scammer.

He said you should then call or file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center as fast as possible so they can work to try and get your money back.

Bottom line: don’t send money to someone you don’t know.

You can read the full FBI report here.

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