The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is warning senior citizens to beware of opportunistic scammers looking to rip off people in 2009.
Each year UK consumers lose £3.5 billion to scams with the average victim losing £850. The OFT has identified older consumers as more likely to be targeted by a scam, and on average they are likely to lose twice as much as other victims. The most common scams that target older people are:

Bogus prize draws – mailings that give the impression that you have won a large cash prize and ask you to send a payment or make a purchase to claim your winnings – in fact you are just being offered the opportunity to participate in a prize draw with a tiny chance of winning and can enter for free

Phoney Psychics – unsolicited mail shots from fake ‘psychics’ that prey on people’s hopes and fears, and ask for money in exchange for promised good fortune, or threaten bad luck if you don’t pay them

Miracle health cures – offers of bogus products to cure ailments such as cancer or arthritis or which promise easy weight loss with guaranteed results or ‘your money back’.

Mike Haley, Head of Consumer Protection at the OFT said:
‘Scammers prey on trusting, vulnerable people. Our advice is to always be wary of unsolicited mailings, e-mails and phone calls tempting you with promises of a large cash win or other good fortune and asking for money up front. Always talk to a relative or friend if you are suspicious of an offer that sounds too-good-to-be-true.’

Gordon Lishman, Director General of Age Concern, said:
“Many people feel they could never be scammed, however millions become victims. People of any age be conned, but unfortunately unscrupulous fraudsters often target older people. The best defence is to know what to look out for, and always remember that if it sounds too good to be true it almost certainly is.”

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