Here is a short quiz: When does 202 equal 876? Think of telephone area codes, not mathematics. As the 876 area code (Jamaica, West Indies) is increasingly publicized as a red flag for scams on caller ID, schemers are responding by disguising their true locations with seemingly safe substitutes, such as 202 (Washington, D.C). This scam to shield an underlying scam is known as caller ID spoofing, which is no joke. A more accurate moniker would be caller ID cover-up.

In one version, the targeted retiree responds to a persuasive caller who promises millions of dollars in lottery winnings. The “winner” is instructed to wire thousands of dollars in so-called special taxes and fees to claim the riches. The story, however, does not end with the criminal pocketing the wired funds and the victim left with a mirage. No, there is a follow-up call from someone purporting to be a U.S. government investigator. The 202 area code, associated with Washington, D.C., is a staged detail, as the caller gravely informs the victim that the earlier call was a scam. The victim is then enlisted to help in bringing the scoundrels to justice, by wiring more money to aid in an investigation and prosecution.

With April 15 looming, the false 202 area code is used to cover up calls from scammers saying they are Internal Revenue Service investigators who are performing random audits or other officials seeking the taxpayer’s personal information before a tax refund can be processed. They solemnize their identity with complex badge numbers and threaten the elder with endless trouble for failing to disclose such information as Social Security and bank account or credit card numbers. The pitch may sound official, but the IRS never contacts taxpayers by telephone call or e-mail to request personal information. Tax correspondence is carried out by letters and traditional mail.

Seniors are also targets for health care fraud. Callers advise Medicare beneficiaries that new Medicare cards are needed due to the passage of the federal Affordable Care Act (2010). In some cases, those are labeled “Obamacare policies.” Others offer assistance to hurry delivery of new Medicare benefits or rebates. Yet others hawk “new” government insurance that is not available elsewhere. The reality is this: No government representative sells Medicare products by phone, by e-mail or door to door. If you suspect foul play, report your concerns to a senior Medicare patrol office supported by the U.S. Administration on Aging (contact information for the commonwealth appears at the end of this piece).

A thorough summary of financial crimes that target the elderly would span a catalog, not a commentary. Stay alert to these headliners:

Advance fee loan scams follow a similar playbook to the foreign lotteries. Appealing to would-be borrowers who cannot access conventional credit, these hucksters operate by telephone, e-mail and Web sites. They promise a door to obscure resources and no red tape “to pay off all your debts.” What they do accomplish swiftly is convince the victim to wire an advance fee to obtain the fictitious loan, a down-payment that is never recovered.

Bogus charities have been targeting seniors since long before the advent of Internet fraud. Some fund-raising requests come from organizations whose names shadow legitimate organizations in the fight against cancer or heart disease or Alzheimer’s disease. There are eruptions of scams that follow tornadoes and tsunamis, callous callers who pitch patriotism to commemorate Sept. 11 by buying a trinket, and calls targeted to widows who are told that their late spouse had pledged money to some named special fund.

Do not be fooled by uninvited peddlers offering bargains on home improvements. They tell you they have been working in the neighborhood and have some extra roofing materials, asphalt, or lumber left, “just enough to repair your place.” The estimated cost may be lower than the competition. The value of the repairs, if any do occur, is well below the norm, and the money you pay is gone. Another type of door-to-door swindler arrives, out of the blue, “to upgrade your security system.”

Scammers have a script. They make promises that “you will walk away a winner, that this opportunity is a rarity, that you have been specially selected because of your excellent credit history, and that you should relax and enjoy this windfall because they will help you with the complicated parts.” They pressure those who waiver by insinuating or saying that hesitation means that “you are not smart enough to take this opportunity or that you must not tell a soul about this wonderful secret.” And they persist. “You do not have enough cash for the fee? Just write a check and send us your bank account tracking number. You do not have enough money saved? Just use a credit card, and now repeat the number slowly. You cannot pass up this opportunity. Look, I have put a lot of time into helping you. I want you to have this. Listen, I will reduce the fee, just for you.”

Be up front, alert, and ready to firmly say no. Rehearse a standard line to get off the phone. Do not provide personal information or follow electronic links on unsolicited email purporting to be from government agencies or law enforcement. Ask for credentials from salespeople at the door, and check those out before making a commitment or purchase. Reject pressure to act quickly or without telling others. Refuse to wire money to collect winnings, secure benefits, or to help a traveler in a pinch.

Use modern conveniences, such as the Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call Registry, accessible toll-free at 1-888-382-1222 or at donotcall.gov. Reduce the flow of junk mail by listing your address on thedma.org. While caller ID is no longer a 100 per cent guarantee of who is on the other end of the call, caller ID, call blocking, and unlisted telephone numbers are protections. And while it is difficult for those of us who have lifelong habits of taking deposits to the bank and writing checks to pay the bills, direct deposit and automatic payment services minimize opportunities for identity theft.

There are resources for fighting the fraud that targets older people; however, none is as important as short-circuiting the exploitation and crime. We accomplish that through public awareness, legal and financial planning for incapacity, and above all, preventing the isolation that makes older people prey to financial crimes.

Senior Medicare Patrol contact information for Massachusetts is 978-946-1326, or 800-892-0890. Fax: 978-794-7546; medicareoutreach.org; e-mail lprates@ESMV.org.

The Cape and Islands district attorney’s office has a program for senior victims: 508-362-8113. Contact Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands at 800-244-4630 or 800-922-2275.

Iris C. Freeman is associate director of the Elder Justice and Policy Center at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minn., and a board member of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services. She is a seasonal resident of Edgartown. This is the second of a three-part commentary in the Gazette about scams and exploitation of the elderly. The first appeared on Jan. 20.