SYRACUSE -- A company posing as a medical alert service offered by Franciscan Companies, which is affiliated with St. Joseph's Health Center, is targeting seniors.
The fraudulent company calls itself Senior Alertline and has been using automated dialing system to call large numbers of seniors with the goal of gaining access to their credit cards. Some of the tactics being used are the promise of a free gift, inexpensive service and free equipment.
Senior Alertline created a website that was almost identical to the Philips Lifeline site. It had the same design and photography and some of the same phone numbers.
Mark Rutherford, Senior Director of Health Care for Philips Lifeline, says that the fraudulent outfit is fast moving and has already changed their website (www.senioralertline.com) to copy another provider's site.
The enterprise is also being pursued in the Midwest by a state attorney general, where hundreds of scams involving seniors have been reported.
Franciscan Companies is informing their customers about the scam and is telling them not to give out their credit card to anybody that they do not know or trust.
