Nail the junk mail vampires OAPS targeted by fraudsters
RESCUERS were still searching last night for survivors of the devastating tsunami that hit an Indonesian island claiming 384 lives.
The 20ft waves smashed ashore at Sulawesi at high speed flattening homes, shops, hospitals and hotels.
At least 540 were seriously injured as screaming people ran for their lives from MILLIONS of old and vulnerable people are being “groomed” by junk mail fraudsters and more must be done to stop them, a charity says.
Think Jessica, launched by the daughter of one elderly victim, wants the Government to crack down on the leeches behind scams like bogus sweepstakes and prize draw letter cons.
The charity thinks it should be easier for families to block unsolicited mail and cold callers targeting vulnerable relatives.
Think Jessica founder Marilyn Baldwin said: “We would like to see the Government wake up and do something about these victims.
“Once a victim is identified by relatives, why isn’t there an automatic block put on their phone or their mail redirected to a trusted person?”
The call comes ahead of a 30-minute Think Jessica documentary showing how pensioners are being targeted. Many of those duped Friday’s catastrophe, triggered by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
Among those still missing are hundreds in a collapsed sports stadium who had been rehearsing for a festival and at least 76 guests at an eight-storey hotel in Palu.
Some people survived by climbing trees. The injured are being treated in tents and there have been major power cuts.