Attorney General Bird Warns of Scams Ahead of National Senior Citizens Day

DES MOINES—Today, ahead of National Senior Citizens Day, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is warning Iowans about scams and fraud targeted at older Iowans.  

Scammers often target older Iowans, exploiting their kindness and good will. These schemes can take many forms, such as a scammer posing as a family member in urgent need of help or falsely claiming the older Iowan is involved in a crime and needs to pay to avoid arrest or jail. It’s important for senior Iowans to be on alert, recognize the warning signs of a scam, and know how to avoid and report scams.  

“As attorney general, my goal is to protect Iowans from criminals who exploit and take their hard-earned money,” said Attorney General Bird. “Scammers are smart and know when people are most vulnerable. I urge older Iowans to be cautious. If you think you are being scammed, contact my office for assistance.”  

Attorney General Bird’s office presents at regular Stop the Scammers events around the state to educate Iowans against scams. At a June event, Iowan Lynne Caltrider approached a representative from the attorney general’s office concerned that she might be involved in a scam. An investigation revealed that she had indeed been scammed out of a considerable amount of money. Working with state and local law enforcement, several individuals in relation to the crime have been arrested.   

While the investigation is ongoing, Attorney General Bird’s office was able to recover a small part of the money Lynne deposited in a cryptocurrency ATM at the direction of scammers.  

In July, Lynne was awarded the Meritorious Service Award by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau for her willingness to share her story and aid in the arrest of criminals connected to the scheme.  

You can watch a short interview with Lynne here.  

If you or someone you know is a victim of or suspicious of a scam, contact the Iowa Attorney General’s office at 1-888-777-4590 or file a complaint online: https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/for-consumers/file-a-consumer-complaint. 

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For More Information:

Jen Green 

jen.green@ag.iowa.gov