American Indians and Alaska Natives report experiencing a wide range of financial scams, with older adults being particularly vulnerable, according to new AARPsponsored research. The research included focus groups and individual interviews in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Vermont. It is the first research of its kind for AARP as it focused solely on scams targeting the American Indians and Alaskan Native communities.
The reported scams include social media, online ads, emails, text messages, phone calls, mailings and face-to-face interactions. Reported scams include; * Sales of fake regalia, Native art and homeopathic products * Fake lottery, charity and romance scams * Student loan repayment scams * Impostor scams such as IRS, Social Security or utilities * Fake offers to eliminate credit card debt “Scam victims tend to underreport fraud because they feel embarrassed, self-blame, or fear of shaming. Reality is fraud victims are not ‘tricked’ or ‘duped’. Criminals robbed them and should be treated with the same compassion as any other victim,” said Mashell Sourjohn, AARP Oklahoma Sr. Associate State Director of Outreach. “When victims don’t feel judged, they feel more empowered and confident to report the financial crime, get help, and help prevent others from becoming a target.”
The research also showed that lack of trust in government, law enforcement and banks, plus the general sense of shame or embarrassment, leads to many of these crimes going unreported.