Scams Across Generations (2 of 2)

By: Harmoni Brennan

Older adults aren’t the only target groups scammers focus on. Adults ages 21 – 61 can be victims of schemes commonly centered on digital and phone-based financial fraud. These traps include fake remote job or internship offers, government and law enforcement impersonation extortion calls, phishing/smishing bank text alerts, scholarship or financial aid fraud, and high-pressure utility or housing voucher scams. SMP Hawaii wants you to be diligent – make that, vigilant – with these types of fraud that can have lasting impact not just on the individual adult but on their ‘ohana and other loved ones.

Common Scams Targeting Hawaii Adults

• High Loss Investment Schemes: These types of scams use misleading information and platforms, social pressure, or community trust to encourage people to invest large sums of money. They pray for the collapse of victims unable to withdraw funds once invested (Investment Scams: Spot Ponzi Schemes, Fake Crypto & More ).
• Fake Job Offers: A scam where someone pretends to be a legitimate employer or recruiter to trick you into giving out your personal information. They often offer an individual a job then ask for information such as your social security number (Fake Job Offers – Search)
• Online Shopping: These types of scams occur when a seller may take your money but fail to deliver the product or service that you this may also look like refusing a legitimate refund or creating fake websites where they can steal your credit card information. (Shopping online? Here’s what to do when things go wrong | Consumer Advice )
• Crypto Investments: Cryptocurrency scams are when fraudsters trick individuals to invest large sums of money through fake promises or guarantees of market success. Crypto currency scams are usually hard or impossible to (Scammers impersonate well-known companies, recruit for fake jobs on LinkedIn and other job platforms | Consumer Advice )
• State Agency Text Scams: Fraudulent smishing texts mimic the Hawaii Department of Transportation or DMV regarding urgent toll or license fees.

This is the second part of our “Scams Across Generations” blog series. Over the next week, we’ll share how scams also impact teenagers, and how we can work together to keep Hawaii safe.

If you’re interested in joining SMP Hawaii as a volunteer to help protect people of all ages from Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse, we welcome you with aloha.

Visit: https://www.smphawaii.org/
Call Toll Free: 1‑800‑296‑9422
Email: info@smphawaii.org

Help SMP Hawaii “Swat Those Scams!”