IRS Special Agent Brian Watson spent 28 years in federal law enforcement investigating financial crimes as part of their Criminal Investigation division. He now helps protect the elderly from fraud as the Community Outreach Specialist for the nonprofit Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly (ROSE). 
Brian was always intrigued by law enforcement but felt he was “too small” to be a police officer. A guest speaker at a UCLA Accounting Society meeting changed his life and set him on course to join the IRS. Most of his cases were resolved outside of the courts. Over the course of his career, he only took three to trial.
Data from the ROSE website states that in the year 2020, $5 billion was lost to fraud. By 2024 that figure had risen to over $16 billion. Brian suggests those shocking figures may be too low as many victims do not report due to embarrassment.
Older adults, many not familiar with technology, are often the most prone to be victimized. The most common current scams include; tech/customer support scams, cryptocurrency investment scams and confidence/romance scams. Emerging AI technology has also opened the door to impersonation scams where a younger family member allegedly is in trouble and needs money right away.
Brian shares some advice to avoid scams.
- He suggests making regular use of caller ID. If you don’t recognize the number, don’t pick it up. If you accidentally answer one of these calls, hang up immediately.
- Don’t allow fear and emotions to control you. Check in with someone you trust or call the police before taking any action.
- If an email looks suspicious, hover your mouse over the address without clicking it. Often this will show errors that indicate it is not from the purported sender.
- No reputable company or agency will ever ask you to purchase gift cards or visit a bitcoin ATM.
- If it sounds too good to be true it usually is.
TAKEAWAY: “Often these are organized criminal gangs. They use scripts that have been proven to work.”