- October 1, 2024
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Jennifer Smidt of the Northeast Florida Area Health Education Center speaks at the FCSO's second annual Summit to Protect and Serve Seniors. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler County Sheriff's Office Commander Mike Lutz speaks at the FCSO's second annual Summit to Protect and Serve Seniors with Sheriff Rick Staly in the background. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly speaks to senior citizens at the FCSO's second annual Summit to Protect and Serve Seniors. Photo by Brent Woronoff
John Cannizzaro, Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, speaks at the FCSO's second annual Summit to Protect and Serve Seniors. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Last year, when Palm Coast resident Joanne Johnson started helping her 79-year-old friend organize her bills, Johnson noticed her friend was getting multiple mailings stating her home or vehicle warranty may be expiring.
One mailing was headlined, “Final Notice.” It stated, “Our records indicate that you HAVE NOT CONTACTED us yet to get your coverage up to date.” Another said, “Please call customer service toll-free at … as soon as you get this notice.”
Johnson’s friend did not have a warranty with any of the companies, but the wording on the mailings made her think she did, so she called and she sent money.
When Johnson went through the paperwork she found her friend was paying home warranties with two different companies plus a car warranty. She paid one company about $300 a month.
“The letters looked so official,” Johnson said. “They’d say, Urgent, urgent, you’re past due. Pay now.”
According to a 2022 Federal Trade Commission report, the median individual money loss to fraud for seniors ages 70-79 was $800. For people 80 and over the median loss jumped to $1,500.
Commander Mike Lutz of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Community Engagement and Public Affairs Section, said the officer who takes walk-in reports at the FCSO’s District 2 Palm Coast office calculates that over 60% of the walk-ins are about fraud.
Billions of dollars a year are lost to fraud and scams, Lutz said.
John Cannizzaro, an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the Middle District of Florida, described some of the most common types at the FCSO’s second annual Summit to Protect and Serve Seniors on Sept. 19 at the Sheriff’s Office Operations Center.
There is government imposter fraud where scammers pose as government agents and employees from the Social Security Administration, Medicare, the IRS or the FBI. In romance fraud a relationship or friendship is developed online and then they trick you into giving them money. There is lottery fraud where you may be told you won a jackpot but need to pay fees and taxes first.
If someone tells you to send money or gift cards, it’s a scam, Cannizzaro said. Frequently check your bank accounts and change your passwords, he said.
Lutz added that if you lose your credit card, ask for a card with a new number.
The other speaker at the Summit was Jennifer Smidt, the wellness programs manager at the Northeast Florida Area Health Education Center. Smidt provided information for caregivers on the different types of dementia and their symptoms.
There are over 200 different types of dementia with different symptoms and different subcategories, she said. The Area Health Education Centers provide free senior programs, funded through grants. For more information, call (877) 784-8486 or (904) 482-0189.
Lutz said the FCSO has been making presentations to community groups and senior residences on senior issues and fraud protection for years, but with the prevalence of cybercrime and scams via phone, mail and computer, Sheriff Rick Staly started the senior summit last year.
Lutz asked the crowd of seniors attending the summit how many have received notifications that their warranty has expired. Hands shot up.
Johnson said her friend had been making payments for several months before Johnson called the companies to cancel.
“She did not have warranties with any of the companies. But the wording on the mailings made her think that she did,” Johnson said.
Canceling was not easy, Johnson said. When she called one company to say her friend never signed up, she was told they could put a hold on the warranty until her finances improve.
Eventually Johnson canceled the warranties but her friend received no refunds.
Johnson asked them to remove her friend from their mailing lists, but the letters keep coming, she said. But now when her friend sees a mailing, she asks Johnson, “Is this something I need to pay?” Before, she was just paying them, Johnson said.
“She, like many seniors, is on a fixed income and gets confused easily, so in order to not be delinquent, she paid what appeared to be due,” Johnson said. “It’s predatory.”
