The $1200 government stimulus checks are providing scam artists with another reason to target senior citizens.  Jennifer FitzPatrick, author of “Cruising Through Caregiving”, says anyone can be vulnerable to a scam.

“Sometimes people feel like they’re really smart.  ‘Oh, I just bought this cure for the virus’ or ‘I was able to get my stimulus check early.’  And I think what’s really important is to remember smart people fall for scams; educated people fall for scams.  And I think that’s one of the reasons why one in 44 (scams) according to AARP get reported because people feel embarrassed, people feel ashamed.”

FitzPatrick also says if you get a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS or FBI, look up the actual phone number of that agency.  Because it’s possible for a scammer to make a call look as though it’s coming from somewhere else.