Scams that take advantage of seniors have sadly become more common in recent years. The older generation is often seen as easy targets because they are often alone, might not know much about technology, and tend to trust people without question. To keep them from falling for scams, it’s essential to tell them about the most common ones and teach them how to spot and avoid them. With support from home care and loved ones, seniors can be protected.

Breaking Down the Scams

Phone Scams

These are some of the most common scams that seniors deal with. Unfortunately, it can be hard to establish if they’re fake, which is why seniors need home care aids and their loved ones on their side.

Scammers may pretend to be government officials, charity workers, or even family members to get personal information or money from seniors.

Tips: Home care aids can encourage seniors not to give out personal or financial information over the phone and to check the caller’s identity by calling the group directly using the official contact information.

Email and Internet Scams

Seniors may get fake emails that look like they came from legitimate sources and ask for private information or send them to harmful websites.

Tips: Loved ones can remind seniors to be careful when clicking on links or getting attachments from people they don’t know and to only give out personal information online if they are sure the site is accurate.

Financial Scams

There are several financial scams, from winning a giveaway to scammers pretending to be family members. Home care aides can remind seniors to consider the tips below when things seem too genuine.

Tips: Before making important financial choices, tell seniors to talk to a trusted financial advisor or family member and to be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. It’s also good to explain to seniors that real lotteries and games do not ask for money or personal information upfront, so they should not believe such claims. And last, tell seniors that before giving any money, they should ask the caller personal questions that only their real grandchild would know.

Face-to-Face Scams

Fraudsters may go to seniors’ homes pretending to be salespeople, contractors, or service providers to get them to pay for services or goods they don’t need. When home care aids are in the home, they can stop these scams from the beginning.

Tips: Tell seniors to be careful when strangers come to their homes and to always ask for proper identification before letting anyone in.

General Tips to Help With Scams

Do the research: Encourage seniors to check out requests for money or personal information from people they know by getting in touch with them through means they know and trust.

Use strong passwords: Teach seniors to use strong, unique passwords for their internet accounts and, when possible, to turn on two-factor authentication.

Pay attention to documents: Help seniors check their bank statements, credit card bills, and other financial transactions regularly so they can spot any strange behavior.

Tell seniors to report scams: If they think they are being scammed, they should tell their local officials or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Remember that scams are constantly changing, so it’s important for home care aids and loved ones to keep talking to seniors and staying alert to keep seniors from falling for these tricks. By working together, seniors can remain protected.

Sources:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/money-scams-elder-fraud-abuse/

https://www.consumerreports.org/elder-fraud/ways-to-stop-senior-citizen-scams/

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/how-to-prevent-and-report-scams-targeting-older-adults/

https://ncoa.org/older-adults/money/management/avoiding-scams

Griswold Home Care for Northern Virginia West is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Woodbridge, Manassas, Montclair, Dumfries, Centreville, Bristow, Fairfax Station, Clifton, Gainesville, Lorton, and the surrounding areas.