Watch Your Step

A Leisure World resident became the victim of a scam phone call over the weekend. The resident has asked to remain anonymous, but wants to share their experience so that others can avoid what happened to her.

When the phone call first came in, the area code revealed that it was from Mexico. The resident answered the phone because she thought it was a friend calling her. When she answered, a man said, “I am from the Mexico mafia and we have your daughter.” The resident was concerned for her daughter and called out to her by name. The scammer then held the resident on the phone for 4-5 hours. He spoke in perfect English and continued to intimidate the resident by suggesting that he would put the resident’s daughter through human trafficking. The resident, worried about her daughter’s safety, followed his instructions to get $1,000 from the ATM at Chase Bank. He then directed her to go to Pavilions and send a Western Union money order to a specific name in Mexico City. He said once an accounting ally received the money he would let the resident speak to her daughter.

Then the scammer put his “boss” on the line, who was rough and vulgar with the resident, and continued to threaten to harm the resident’s daughter if she did not pay them more money.

The scammers then sent the resident to Walmart to send a moneygram. She tried to send more money to them than requested but thankfully, Chase Bank’s withdrawal limit was $1,000 a day, and she could not take out more money. The boss continued to talk to the resident throughout this time, telling her to keep smiling and great harm would come to her daughter if she hung up.

By this time, the resident complains about her fatigue, frustration, and wariness of driving at night, and the scammer relents and tells the resident that they will continue the next day. He instructed her to turn off her phone and not to call or answer anyone because they were monitoring the resident’s phone and would hurt her daughter if she tried to call the police.

The resident drove by her son’s house, who is a retired sheriff, and left a note asking him to come over because she was scared to use her phone.

The resident returned home by 6:30 p.m. and went to her neighbor’s unit to use his phone to call her daughter. The resident was able to reach her daughter and confirm her safety.

The resident immediately reported the scam to Leisure World Security, who instructed her to file a report with a Seal Beach police officer and said they may send a detective some time in the future.

This type of phone scam can happen to anyone at any age. Although the resident sent money to the scammer, she did the right thing by contacting people she trusted when things became too much for her and stopped engaging with the person on the phone.

These types of scams, often called “grandparent scams,” prey upon the love people have for their families. Sometimes scammers pretend to be kidnappers or even a loved one calling from jail. The scammer will often push the victim into trying to collect money quickly via money order, cash, or gift cards. The scammer will threaten or beg the victim not to call the police or a trusted family member or friend and will pressure the victim to stay on the line at all times.

Although it is difficult to do in a moment when things seem so dire, it is important to take a breath, and reach out for help through a neighbor or loved one. Another person might be able to see the situation differently and help you come to the conclusion that it is a scam.

If you end up sending money or personal information to scammers, it is important to file a report with the police as soon as possible. People can also contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-3728311, or visit https://ovc.ojp. gov/program/stop-elder-fraud/

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for more information. The Council on Aging (COA) in Southern California also has many resources available to people who are victims of fraud or are looking for ways to protect themselves from fraud. People can vist www.casc.org or call 714-479-0107 for more information. LW residents can also pick up a free Answers Magazine, published by the COA, in the Cafe located in Clubhouse 5 to read information about different types of scams that target seniors as well as a list of places to contact on pages 60-66.

Those who are victims of a financial scam and would like to speak to someone for counseling can contact one of the following companies that have been approved by the COA:

• Bureau of Medicare Fraud and Elder Abuse: 800-722-0432 or visit https://oag.ca.gov.

• HICAP: 800-434-0222 or visit www.coasc.org/hicap.

• Senior Medicare Patrol: 855-613-7080 or visit www. cahealthadvocates.org.

• Orange County Behavioral Health Services/OC Links:

855-625-4657.

• Independence at Home: 866-421-1964.

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988.