Scams taking advantage of seniors across the country

Seniors and the elderly are being victimized, as a scam sweeps across the nation.

“Unfortunately, people are falling for it and being taken advantage of,” said Felicia Thompson of the Arizona Better Business Bureau.

According to the BBB, consumers across the nation are receiving calls from crooks offering free medical alert systems.

In one scenario, a consumer was told an individual she knew had anonymously paid for all the equipment upfront, so it would only cost her $90 to activate and $35 a month for the monitoring service. The “company” did not disclose who paid for the equipment, leaving the consumer feeling vulnerable to high pressure sales tactics since “someone she knew” had paid for it.

Local consumers report being inundated with these phone calls, some as many as 10 times within a two week period. BBB strongly advises consumers not to provide any information to these callers and immediately hang up the phone.

To stay up-to-date on the latest scams affecting the marketplace, visit BBB’s Scam Stopper Resource Center at bbb.org/scamstopper.