Conning the Curious

This article is protected under copyright law, and no part of it may be copied, excerpted, or written without it being used in its entirety. No part of it may be left out. Further, the user must send notice to the writer informing her that the article is being used. Conning the Curious! By Janice Lauderdale @2009. All rights reserved under the Urban Classic Books banner copyright and New Image Writers copyright seal.
www.writethewrong1.com
www.premiere writers.com
jlauderdale@premierewriters.com
janicelauderdale@yahoo.com
Conning the Curious
In the AARP’s most recent publication, it highlighted another scam targeting the elderly. In the article “Conning the Curious” by Sid Kircheimer, it reads: “We have hijacked your baby?” This e-mail began flooding the inboxes of many, not the least of which is the elderly. Most people who have no children would laugh it off as a joke and delete it from their mailbox.”
But to an unsuspecting curious elder, they might just open the e-mail not realizing they had unleashed a computer virus designed to steal the user’s passwords and gain access to on-line bank accounts and other personal information.
After concerned citizens called their children’s schools to check on them and in the process discovering the hoax, Cmdr. Dave Hoffman of the Naperville, Illinois Police Department immediately issued a warning about this hoax.
Two red flags of caution were listed:
1. Poor English was used: “You must pay once to us $50,000”
2. The details we will send later
The reaction the scammers sought was curiosity. According to the article, {the bait was this poorly written but enticing closing line, “we has attached photo of your fume (family).”
Other examples of malicious spam include e-mails with attachments claiming to be airline ticket confirmations and invoices or on-line banking forms from newly merged banks. On the face of it, it might look legitimate, but by clicking on the attachment, you have launched a computer virus that captures personal information. And this is then forwarded to a cybercriminal in another country who experts say is out to commit identity theft.
In 2007 spam viruses forced 850,000 Americans to replace their computers.
Sophos, a computer security firm offers these precautions:
1. Think before you click. Otherwise you are exposing yourself to hackers who want to do nothing but access your personal information and ultimately gain access to raid your bank accounts.
2. Never open unsolicited attachments.
3. Help ensure that your computer isn’t infected by running antivirus scanning software at least once a week.
Protecting and advocating for the elderly is what it’s all about. In the
breakthrough book “Wealth of the Wicked: An American Tragedy of Elderly Abuse,” Janice Lauderdale has pulled the covers off the abuse of our elderly population. She advocated for her 87 year-old aunt who was duped by her caregiver nephew and taken to the bank where he emptied her safe deposit box of $70,000.
Our senior population is at such risk! Millions of them are exploited and abused every year. This elder’s story is not unlike so many of our seniors. This senior is so vulnerable. With the aging process, the older person’s ability to make sound decisions is compromised. There are 1.2 million elderly people abused every year, either mentally, physically, emotionally, or financially.
About Janice Lauderdale: She has authored the cutting-edge book Wealth of the Wicked: An American Tragedy of Elderly Abuse, which chronicles her own personal encounter with elderly abuse, a modern-day scourge upon society. She is acutely sensitive to the abuses suffered by the elderly and is committed to shining a light on this disgrace. It puts a face on 1.2 million seniors who are abused annually, which illuminates the tragedy. Contact her at:
1. www.writethewrong1.com,
2. jlauderdale@premierewriters.com