Scammed

Cybercrime targets all ages through various tactics

This screenshot is a real example of a phishing text or human contact tracing scam. Messages like this urge the victim to reply, click a link or call the scammer, which opens them up to other potential scamming methods. ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH | DISPATCH RECORD
This screenshot is a real example of a phishing text or human contact tracing scam. Messages like this urge the victim to reply, click a link or call the scammer, which opens them up to other potential scamming methods. ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH | DISPATCH RECORD

Lampasan Linda Rials answered the phone three weeks ago to a call from people claiming to be Medicare professionals. She later realized they weren’t.

At 72 years old, Rials is one of many senior citizens duped into providing personal information to scammers, and she hopes others won’t make the same mistake.

But scams are becoming harder to recognize, even for those middle aged and younger, and the m…