This is the time of year when you should talk with your elderly parent about the scammers that are out there. While you certainly can’t tell your elderly parent exactly what time they will be coming or when, you can help to make sure your elderly parent is aware of the types of scams that could happen. The more aware your elderly parent is about the types of scams, the more they can help to prevent them from happening in their own life.
Mailing Scams
One of the most common types of scams that target the elderly is mail scams. This type of theft can happen after the scammer has gotten a hold of your elderly parent’s address. They might come to your loved one’s home address and pretend they are collecting donations. They might try to get tax information, bank accounts, and other information from your elderly parent. In some cases, they are even able to get people to give out their Social Security information. If someone comes your elderly parent’s home, have them give their information to your parent. From there, you can assess whether it is a scam or not.
Phone Scams
Your elderly parent might be prone to phone scams, too. This happens when fake solicitors, debt collectors, and telemarketers contact your elderly parent. They might pretend to be from their bank, the IRS, other government agencies, the police station, or from a bill collector. This happens to a lot of senior citizens. It is important to make sure your elderly loved one knows how to spot phone scams. You can look for more information about common phone scams online and how to identify them.
Digital Scams
Your elderly parent might be a victim of a digital scam. This can happen when their accounts are hacked. They may have their password stolen and changed on them. Their data from a company or from their personal accounts might be stolen, as well. They might get an email with a virus that they click on. This can infect their computer. From there, the scammers can take all the information they want. Be sure that you or an in-home care provider talks to your parent about what they should and shouldn’t click on when getting emails or when going to certain websites.
These are some of the ways to help ensure that your elderly parent is aware of potential scams. There are so many senior citizens that get scammed every single year, especially around tax time. Now is the time to talk to your elderly parent and make sure they know how to prevent certain types of scams.
Sources: https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/elder-fraud