From Alliance for Retired Americans
Scam Using Medical Alert Devices was Aimed at Seniors
According to MSN Money (a service of MSN, originally The Microsoft Network), federal and state regulators have shut down a multimillion-dollar scam that they said duped seniors into turning over their credit card information in exchange for supposedly free medical-alert devices. The business blasted seniors across the U.S. and Canada with robocalls and said that they were eligible for “a free alert system purchased by a friend or relative.” Once the person agreed to receive the device, “they were transferred to an operator who took their billing information and immediately began charging them for the service.” Government officials said last week that they received more than 66,000 complaints about the scam, which deliberately targeted the elderly. Medical alert systems are designed to help seniors get quick help in the event of an emergency. The devices most often consist of a necklace or wristband with an emergency button that contacts a company dispatcher. The scam was not connected with any real manufacturers of medical alert devices. The makers of Life Alert had sued the business for using its “Help, I've fallen and I can't get up,” phrase on the robocalls. Prosecutors said the business appeared organized in a way that would evade law enforcement.
“Many Americans have been talking recently about having their information stolen at the checkout lines of retail stores,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “But we should all remember that giving out too much information to people who call you can be equally dangerous.”
