Montana State University grad student helps seniors guard against scams

Montana State University graduate student Connor Green turned a personal encounter with an AI scam into a mission to help seniors avoid fraud.

Last summer, Green’s grandfather received a call from a scammer using AI to mimic Green’s voice, urgently requesting $15,000. Recognizing the deception tactic, Green quickly ended the call—an experience that later inspired his academic research.

As part of a fraud examination course, Green and his team created an informative presentation to raise awareness and prevent scams. Initially delivered at the Bozeman Senior Center, the presentation was later shared with the MSU Alumni Foundation Retiree Association.

Led by Professor Angela Woodland, the class project focused on educating those most vulnerable to these schemes.

Discussion of common scams targeting seniors

The students, including Dylan Nelson, Nicholas Caiazzo, and Ethan Egan, covered various types of deceptive practices in their presentation.

Ethan Egan explained that tech support scams often begin with notifications about a refund for a purchase that was never made or warnings about a computer virus. These messages typically appear as online pop-ups and should never be clicked.

Egan advised that requests for remote access to a computer or bank account under the guise of resolving an issue are likely scams.

In his talk, Dylan Nelson shed light on government impersonation scams, deceptive tactics where scammers falsely pose as legitimate representatives of government agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service.

It’s important to note that legitimate government agencies typically reach out to individuals via official mail or face-to-face meetings and would never start a conversation by calling or texting someone.

Often, scammers will try to create a sense of urgency, pushing their targets to act quickly and demanding payment through non-refundable means like gift cards, which can be particularly harmful as they are difficult to trace and recover.

Caiazzo focused on phishing scams, which are commonly carried out through emails or text messages that are sent out in bulk and include links that are meant to deceive recipients into clicking on them.

Such messages are designed to appear authentic but often contain grammatical errors or other inconsistencies that can help identify them as fraudulent attempts.

Engaging with these links can lead to malware being downloaded onto your device, making it imperative to reach out to the company independently to verify the authenticity of the communication.

Green tackled family imitation scams and he emphasized the importance of establishing verification phrases with family members to avoid family imitation scams. The phrase should be unique and not easily guessable, such as a birthday or hometown.

The students also highlighted the growing complexity of scams, stressing that their advice is relevant to all individuals, not just the senior demographic.

Real scam examples shared with attendees

The Bozeman Senior Center presentation was scheduled for 15 minutes but extended to two hours due to the seniors’ enthusiastic engagement and questions.

During the MSU Alumni Foundation gathering, roughly 70 attendees, combining in-person and virtual, were shown printouts and screenshots of real scam attempts by the students.

The seniors who attended the presentations by Green and his team were not only grateful for the valuable information provided but also opened up about their own encounters with scammers, illustrating the widespread impact of such fraudulent activities on the senior community.

A senior participant in the presentation shared a harrowing account of falling victim to scammers and losing a substantial sum of money, thereby emphasizing the crucial role of these educational programs in protecting individuals from financial fraud.

Fraud prevention tips for seniors

To safeguard against impersonation scams, it is essential to create unique verification phrases with family members, allowing identities to be confirmed when someone requests help.

Avoid online pop-ups that claim to offer refunds or warn of computer viruses, as scammers frequently use these tactics to deceive and trick individuals into falling for their schemes.

Be cautious of unsolicited calls or texts from government agencies, and never provide immediate payment to an unknown source.

It is crucial to independently verify any email or text message from an unknown sender by contacting the company directly using a verified phone number or website rather than replying to the message or clicking on any links provided.

Conclusion

By exploiting feelings of urgency and fear, scammers pressure their targets into making quick and potentially harmful decisions, which can be detrimental to the victims and their financial security.

Scams can be especially damaging to people with limited financial means or fixed incomes, often leading to substantial financial losses that can have long-lasting negative impacts on their lives and overall well-being.

By staying aware and vigilant, seniors can effectively protect themselves from the increasingly complex and ever-evolving tactics used by fraudsters.

The project led by Green highlights the significant impact of community engagement and education in the fight against financial fraud, emphasizing the necessity of such initiatives in safeguarding at-risk individuals from sophisticated deception strategies.