Online investigators have revealed that Texas residents who share one particular trait are nearly six times more likely to be targeted by a scam. It doesn't matter if you live in a smaller town like Greenville, Sulphur Springs, or Terrell or a large city like Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio. The scammers are out there.

The scams can range from online attempts to steal money and identity to telephone and text scams that hope to accomplish the same outcome. And, there is one key aspect of every potential victim that scammers tend to seek out to exploit.

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WAVY TV 10 via YouTube
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Between the years 2019 and 2020, identity theft increased across the nation by 47%. In the year 2020, it was reported that nearly 3 billion dollars were lost to scammers by people who shared one common trait. That trait, they were older. In Texas people over the age of 50 make up 28% of the population, and 11% of Texas residents are aged 65 or older.

There are several reasons why ne'er do-wells target older people. The most logical one is this, older people tend to have more money than their younger counterparts. However, that doesn't mean older Americans who live on low incomes or fixed incomes aren't targeted as well.

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Oli Scarff, Getty Images
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It is estimated that people over the age of 50 hold 85% of the country's wealth. That means the "potential victims pool" is much larger and the financial rewards are more lucrative to the scammer. People over 50 also have more access to higher-limit credit cards. This is why scammers target personal information so they can steal the identity of their older victim and apply for an "unauthorized" credit card with lots of spending power.

A study on the subject also revealed that older people are in general more trusting. Perhaps it was being raised in a different and more trusting time or perhaps it's simply ignorance of just how low some scammers will stoop to steal from their victims. One report discovered that almost 60% of financial exploitation scams are committed on the elderly by their own adult children.

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In order to stop scammers family members and close friends suggest you do a couple of things. One, speak to your elderly parents or friends about the latest scams that are going around. You should also make them feel comfortable about reporting any scam that has been attempted or successfully deployed against them.

Since new scams seem to pop up every day it's suggested that you speak to older family members and friends frequently about the dangers of going online or accepting telephone solicitation calls. One of the toughest things to teach an older person is how to "just hang up the phone". That's because those of a certain age were raised to be polite.

Elderly Homes
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Should you or someone you know feel they have been a victim of a scam or potential scam make sure you notify the law enforcement agencies in your area. Many police and sheriff's departments have people dedicated to this form of crime. The information you provide might just help the good guys catch the bad guys or at least be a cautionary tale for others who might find themselves as victims of this cowardly crime.

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