Medical Alert Scam Targets Seniors
DETROIT (WWJ) - Authorities are sending out a heads up to Michigan seniors — and those caring for aging loved ones — about a new scam targeting older adults.
Melanie Duquesnel, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, says the scam involves telemarketer-type calls to elderly people with medical issues.
The callers tell the senior that they've being given a medical alert system -- free.
But, Duquesnel said it's really anything but.
"There's been situations where the recipient who has actually taken delivery of the product is being charged anywhere upwards of $800 to $1,000 a year for the service," she told WWJ Newsradio 950's Pat Sweeting.
Duquesnel said seniors targeted by this medical alert scam are also asked for their address and social security number, putting them at risk for identity theft.
The State Attorney General's Office has been alerted to the issue.
Anyone receiving calls like this is advised to simply hang up the phone.
