Written by Andrea Rincón
Elderly newlyweds Jack and Muriel planned a romantic getaway in downtown San Antonio. They planned to visit the Alamo, take a riverboat ride down the San Antonio River, and take a carriage ride. Shortly after arriving, they were approached by a nicely dressed, friendly young man who offered “FREE” tickets to several amusements in the downtown area. All they had to do was sit on a 30-minute presentation for Wyndham Timeshare and Travel Clubs. The offer was so tempting, and the salesman so convincing that they agreed. They were taken to an office in a nearby building and were treated like royalty throughout the presentation. They were offered “the moon and the stars” if they signed the contract, as their tactics include lying, cheating, and whatever it took to get the sale (Trask, 2020). Jack did not think it over and signed the dreaded contract. The next day Muriel told her daughter about the “FREE” tickets and their timeshare purchase. Her daughter intuitively knew they had been defrauded as she had read about a case about a whistleblower that reported timeshare fraud on the elderly by Wyndham (Trask, 2020). Now, they were in a race against the clock to get the contract revoked. The paperwork was signed and delivered to the same office. As soon as the salesman knew why they were there, his tone changed. The staff that they dealt with were rude and condescending. They lied to them saying it was too late to change their minds, which was not the case. Muriel’s daughter had to contact an attorney who is a friend of the family for assistance. It took one phone call from him to end their scheme and the nightmare they lived those 24 hours.
The victims in this story are my grandparents and I share their experience at the hands of these unscrupulous people to prevent and educate on the tactics of the art of deceit that get between you and your sense of reason (Ianzito, 2022). Criminal fraud is invading older Americans’ homes and lives. The reason it is growing is that the criminals are winning. Do not be the person who thinks they are too smart to be taken in by a fraud. Scammers rely on sophisticated psychological and emotional manipulations to get you to say yes (Ianzito, 2022). Scammers use tactics and strategies to instill fear of loss, love, and trust in others. This is how they operate (Ianzito, 2022):
- THEY ESTABLISH CAMARADERIE: They parrot-back the target’s situation to get empathy in return.
- THEY PLAY ON YOUR AVERSION TO LOSS: Most people fear losing and swindlers use this tactic to hasten the target into acting before the opportunity expires.
- THEY FLATTER YOU: Frequent praising the victim gives a sense of connection and trust.
- THEY MAKE YOU FEEL ANXIOUS: People want to reduce as many existential fears as possible.
- THEY CREATE INSTANT TERROR: When you are afraid, your emotional part of the brain takes over the cognitive. When emotions kick in, it shuns logic.
- THEY SEDUCE YOU: Romance scams are common among the elderly as many tend to be lonely. Sweet words and frequent contact create a sense of closeness, even love.
- THEY INTIMIDATE YOU: They pretend to be a person in authority such as police, IRS officer or government agent.
References
Ianzito, C. (2022). The Art of Deceit. AARP. https://www.aarp.org/magazine/
Trask, J. (2020, September 14). Whistleblower exposes timeshare sales scams that targeted the elderly. Vacation Ownership Consultants. https://vacationownershipconsultants.com/whistleblower-exposes-timeshare-sales-scams-that-targeted-elderly/