find it through our app and
through the click 2 Houston Dot
com website.
>> Are divisive and draining
and for seniors. It’s even more
upsetting.
>> That’s why the U.S. Justice
Department expanded its trans
national elder fraud strike
force to combat scams
originating overseas in 2022,
the DOJ notified more than a
half million people. They might
be eligible for remission
payments. Zac Lashway is here
to show us the impact these
scams are having on southeast
Texas. Now you can avoid
becoming a victim. Zach own
good morning. It’s through this
strike force. DOJ added 14 new
U.S. attorney’s office to fight
scams, targeting older adults
last year. Federal grand juries
in the Southern District of
Texas return charges.
>> In 10 cases involving more
than 15 defendants and get this
loss amounts totaled close to
38 million dollars. All from
elderly folks.
>> It’s the hardest call any
parent will answer.
>> MS Sanders, this is
Jennifer.
The medical examiner’s office.
He said, but I have some bad
news for you.
He’s a I have your phone.
>> Days later, another call
saying that they will from
CenterPoint Energy and that my
like we’re going to be
disconnected in one hour.
I was crying. I was a food.
He told me my bills were behind
my light bill by 3 months.
You needed $800 to keep it from
being disconnected. Barber
panicked and paid up.
>> She’s Elle the person, $800
and it was within minutes she
realized she had been scammed.
I told him.
>> Trying to bury muscle.
Same the same. I saw this in
the mark as we speak. And you
taken money from me.
I’m not looking for sympathy
I must stop with that being
saved. Something has to be put
in place here. We just can’t
keep doing is we put pending
on debit called in to put
pending on these ending on
that. Why can’t avail
transaction be
pending for our two-hour
throughout was called with an
obvious time that I’ve been
scaled. Barbara reported the
scam to local and federal
authorities chase Zelle and
Better Business Bureau. We see
what we call imposter scams and
they pretend to be from like
the gas company. The electric
company.
>> All these different
companies. And they’re
basically saying that if you
don’t pay today, we’re going to
cut you off. We’re going to cut
you off today. Jennifer Salas
are is executive director of
Better Business Bureau
Education Foundation.
>> She says scammers use a
tactic called spoofing to
change their name and phone
number. They never take a
holiday. They call you whenever
they want.
>> They can call from anywhere
in the world. They can change
the caller ID, make it look
like anyone.
>> They’re after your money.
And one reason why they like to
prey on the greatest generation
of Americans. 65 and up.
It’s because they might not
have much but they have
benefits.
>> Here are some tips to avoid
falling victim to imposter
scams, prepaid debit cards,
payment apps and wire transfers
are all big red flags, pressure
to pay immediately. Hang up
and call customer service.
Never allow anyone into your
home unless they have a
scheduled appointment. What is
your message to other people
watching? Just take a deep
breath that goes
>> Cole had been calmer.
That would never happen to me.
>> According to the FBI last
year, the total number of
complaints received from victim
60 or older was close to
90,000. The bureau says more
than 3.1 billion dollars were
reported stolen in 2022.
while tacking customer support
schemes continue to be the most
common type of fraud reported
by seniors. DOJ officials are
pursuing cases against
perpetrators of grandparents,
schemes. These scams are when
fraudsters often someone
overseas contacts, a senior
citizen posing as a friend or a
family member who is allegedly
in jeopardy or in trouble.
They have course demand money.
Sadly, we know how this ends.
I also spoke with an
investigator with adult
Protective services and they
say some of the scams they’re
seeing are from loved ones.
Caregivers taking care of, you
know, elderly folks, folks that
these people trust a while and
they scam them out of money
they were seeing according
local records here. They have
fielded more than 17,000 cases
in Texas last year of these
types of scams to 1000 of them
right here in Houston. So the
true inside job. Yeah, all