New phone scam targets seniors
Someone is calling seniors around here -- trying to trick them into buying a reverse mortgage.
Mike Gowrylow with the state Department of Revenue says the callers, who pretend they're with the state, claim they can help them get a break on their property tax.
"It seems kind of sleazy to me," Gowrylow says. "They're selling reverse mortgages. And they're just using this guise of helping them with their property taxes as a way to get their foot in the door so they can market their programs."
The salesperson on the phone is not only trying to trick seniors, Gowrylow says they're giving misinformation about whether the homeowner qualifies for property tax breaks.
The callers also ask for a lot of personal information such as age, employment status and income, in order to supposedly see if you qualify for the state's property tax relief program or assistance for veterans programs.
The best advice: Don't do it. Hang up.
The smart way for seniors to find out if they qualify for a property tax reduction is to contact the county assessor's office.
More information is available online.
Mike Gowrylow with the state Department of Revenue says the callers, who pretend they're with the state, claim they can help them get a break on their property tax.
"It seems kind of sleazy to me," Gowrylow says. "They're selling reverse mortgages. And they're just using this guise of helping them with their property taxes as a way to get their foot in the door so they can market their programs."
The salesperson on the phone is not only trying to trick seniors, Gowrylow says they're giving misinformation about whether the homeowner qualifies for property tax breaks.
The callers also ask for a lot of personal information such as age, employment status and income, in order to supposedly see if you qualify for the state's property tax relief program or assistance for veterans programs.
The best advice: Don't do it. Hang up.
The smart way for seniors to find out if they qualify for a property tax reduction is to contact the county assessor's office.
More information is available online.
When does crap like this does not target seniors? If we executed the people we caught scamming like this the problem would eventually work itself out
I have my AARP card and I have a simple rule: if I don't know you, I don't talk to you. Â If someone calls me they better know who I am, or I end the call.
I'm always seeing seniors trying to buy "green dot visa cards with 13 digits and a scratch-able number" so they can give the code to people who've convinced them they've won the lottery in Liberia or have a lost grandchild. And I don't understand why normally smart people turn into id**ts the minute they qualify for the AARP, although I suspect it has to do with the sudden onset of "liking" bingo.
Unless you are debt strapped or have very little income I don't see the reverse mortgage as being a good thing for seniors. You have to own your home to be able to do this and all you are doing with this mortgage is stripping your home of any equity you have in it. True, you don't have to make payments but when you pass or if
you want to move to a retirement home all the money/interest has to be paid back to the lein holder before you
can liquidate the home for whatever reason. I'd rather sell or give it to my kids.
Herb's segment on the radio this morning sounded like a condemnation of the entire reverse mortgage business. Big mistake. While some clowns deliberately try to mislead seniors, reverse mortgages are a useful tool that allow seniors to age in place or enjoy their retirement years. It is not fair, nor accurate, to continually blast the concept.
There are always going to be those out there that are going to try to make a quick buck off those who can least afford it. ALWAYS investigate something that sounds too good to be true. Most likely it is (too good to be true). Children need to help their parents when they get old and make sure one of these fast talk artists is not taking them down glory road to bankruptcy. The biggest problem I see is the punishment does not fit the crime in most casts. When prosecuted these rats get a slap on the hand and are out doing the same thing again before the ink is dry on their release.Â