One afternoon, my grandmother called, sounding frantic, panicked and worried. She asked me, “Is your fiancé in jail?!” I answered completely concerned and unsure of what was happening, “No….Why?” Apparently, my grandmother was enjoying her late lunch when the phone rang. She answered and heard, “Grandma, is that you?” As the conversation evolved, a man, who claimed to be my fiancé, explained to her that he was coming home from a friend’s wedding where he had a glass of champagne. He got into a car accident and was arrested for a DUI. His nose was broken which explained why his voice sounded different. He wanted money. Luckily, my grandmother is a smart cookie—first off, no one in our family calls her ‘Grandma”, it has always been “Gammie.” Red flag #1. Secondly, she was smart enough to ask him a question only my fiancé would know the answer too — She asked, “If this is really who you say you are, tell me where you will be October 10^th.” If this had been my fiancé, he would have answered, “My wedding!”, but instead, the con artist knew he had been duped and hung up.

Despite the bad people in this world, there are some whose only agenda is to help you. If you are a senior living independently and you are looking to feel more secure in your home, you can trust Life Alert to do just that. There are no tricks when it comes to this emergency medical system. Whether you experience a fall and cannot get up, a home invasion or fire, Life Alert can ensure the proper authorities are contacted on your behalf, with just a simple touch of a button. Life Alert is so reliable that they guarantee service, 24/7! So don’t get scammed by the imitators, get the real deal, with Life Alert!

But in case you do receive a scam call don’t take it personally. A study has recently shown that, even though seniors only represent 12% of the population, they represent 30% of the scam victims.[1] So how can seniors protect themselves from scams such as the one my Gammie faced?  Here are some simple tips from The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)[2] to follow to ensure you don’t ever fall victim to “The Grandparent Scam.”

1.       Resist the pressure to act quickly.

2.       Try to contact your grandchild or other family member to determine whether or not the call is legitimate.

3.       NEVER wire money based on a request made over the phone or in an e-mail, especially overseas. Wiring money is the same as giving cash—once you send it, you cannot get it back.

4.       If at any time you feel uncomfortable, hang up and dial 911. Let the proper officials handle the situation so you can get some piece of mind. 

Guarding yourself from scammers is in your control and so is your well-being. Protect yourself with Life Alert and don’t leave anything up to chance! In the event of a life threatening emergency, simply push the HELP button located on your lanyard or wrist and receive medical attention fast! And if any of these scammers show up at your front door trying to con you, you can push your HELP button and Life Alert will send the authorities.

Life Alert is the industry leader in personal protection, and is such a trusted name that medical alert scammers try to con people by saying they are Life Alert.  So just know that Life Alert does not telemarket or cold call, so don’t fall for the scammer’s tricks.  The only way you can get Life Alert is if you called 1-800-513-2934.  So call today and protect yourself.

Works Cited:

1.       “Senior Fraud Initiative.” Retirement Industry Trust Association.

<http://www.ritaus.org/senior-fraud-initiative >.

2.       “The Grandparent Scam.” Federal Bureau of Investigation. April 2012.

       <http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/april/grandparent_040212 >.

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