Broad methods of fraud have been used against our seniors

BY STEVEN KASZAB

The fraudsters have got to be stopped! Many of our seniors and elderly have been victimized by fraudsters both domestically and internationally, online and also face to face. Broad methods of fraud have been used against our seniors who are possibly vulnerable to suggestion, easily roused and threatened, fooled by professional criminals.

Just like computer hackers, these criminals feed upon innocence through confusion and intimidation and forced suggestion techniques.

Many state and provincial governments are organizing task forces, committees, allied with their police forces experienced to study the multiple ways these predators: attack our most vulnerable, the needed procedures to protect the innocent and capture these criminals while in the act.

This is very difficult, for instance 31% of such frauds are domestically driven, while the remainder are foreign controlled, or online. How can domestic police forces challenge organized criminals overseas? Our governments are partnering with various international police organizations to take the fight to the very center of this criminal den of thieves. The: RCMP, O.P.P., and several provincial police departments are joining forces with: Interpol, United Nations Anti-Crime Directorate, Hong Kong Police, The E.U. ‘s multiple police forces and several Caribbean based and Latin American Forces too.

The long arm of the law may well pursue these criminals on their own home turf. This will incorporate diplomatic challenges, a little give and take among organizations in order to find a way to stop these criminals, and hopefully tighten the noose of justice, but giving these criminals nowhere to hide.

The management of electronic platforms is under question, with the electronic giants asked to comply with some basic rules that may make fraud more difficult to do:

• Authentication strategies essential.
• Use data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence models with biometrics solutions.
• Reduce identification fraud by requiring electronic providers to fully educate their customers when buying.
• Identifying revenue financial fraudsters and promoting their identities to the public.
• Stopping Wangiri fraud; fraudster calls and hangs up. Receiver calls back only to be unwittingly charged large minute charges.
• End calls to the public by so called charities asking for donations. The public does not know much about these so-called charities while providing their credit card number all the same.
• Purifying/securing unsecure phone networks.

Our electronic providers make large profits on their services and charges, while not giving all that is needed to provide education and instruction to the buying public. That has to stop. Charge top dollar, Provide real full time customer service. Retail telecom/electronic providers must be required by the government to provide education and instruction on all methods that can prevent or stop fraud! Several firms have a monopoly provided to them by their governments, allowing them to sell their products and services to the public. There should be a large array of responsibility placed upon these profiteering firms.

Many of our seniors use technology that they do not fully understand. They do not ask when purchasing the right questions, and the provider will not respond. Senior’s fault for not asking, but the onus should be upon those who provide the technology to fully provide education first hand.