Authorities Warn of Lottery Scam Targeting the Elderly

Baltimore County authorities are warning about a scam that has been targeting vulnerable elderly citizens in the area--the lottery scam.

According to police, it starts with a letter in the mail, an e-mail, or a phone call informing the senior citizen they’ve won an international lottery.

Unfortunately, the vulnerability of the elderly victim's advanced age makes it very easy for the criminals to convince them they have won something real, police added.

"Some seniors become euphoric," authorities said in a news release Friday. "The thought that the lottery occurred in a foreign country does not stop the person from feeling excited. Nor does the reality of never having set foot in the country it was set in."

The way the victims are scammed, authorities explained, is by telling the victims that in order to claim their winnings, they must send money to cover the international taxes, usually by wiring money through a company like Western Union or by depositing funds into a designated bank account.

"What the senior doesn’t know is that the criminal will call over and over, asking for more money for various reasons. The criminal will say, 'The check is there. Just some small details to work out,'" police added.

The lottery scam has not escaped the attention of the Maryland General Assembly. In 2010, legislation was enacted to give banks “safe harbor” to report anything suspicious or highly unusual happening to a senior customer’s account.

"Before, they could report it, but it was not mandatory," Baltimore County police explained.

That all changed in 2012, when legislators made the reporting of suspicious activity to police, Adult Protective Services or the State Attorney's Office mandatory by law. The report must be made within 24 hours of discovery.

Once the police receive the referral from Adult Protective Services, they have 36 hours to contact those closest to the vulnerable adult.

Unfortunately, even when confronted with the facts, some vulnerable adults refuse to stop sending money to the criminals, they continued. Sometimes, the crafty criminals are so smooth-talking, they convince the victim that they are friends, which can often work on a vulnerable elderly person who is isolated and often home alone, lonely.

"It is difficult to stop seniors from falling prey," local police said. "Guardianships and powers of attorney are tools to help seniors keep their money, but only in the right hands."