PHONE and Discount Club Scams
Direct mail is not the only way that scammers take advantage of and abuse the elderly. Because they are often lonely, seniors fall prey to telephone solicitors who will engage them in conversation (often over multiple calls) long enough to earn their trust or wear them down. They take advantage of this and any decline in the elderly’s cognitive abilities.
If you can get a look at your elderly parents’ or grandparents’ credit card and/or bank statements look out for recurring charges from:
- ITD
- WC Value Plus
These are two known scammers that somehow get access to account information via the purchase of another product and then enroll the buyer in a “discount club” membership that never materializes. The only action is the money that “dematerializes” via recurring credit card charges and/or EFTs.
If you have a parent or grandparent that you suspect may have fallen prey to scammers–either in mail or on the phone–look carefully at past statements for recurring charges of any kind. Take the time to investigate and cancel them–you can save them hundreds of dollars (or more) over the course of a year.
Kip Koelsch Author 
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