Unfortunately, in today’s tech-savvy world, scammers are finding more and more ways to target our older population. From scam phone calls to online phishing, it’s now more crucial than ever to protect the seniors in our lives from malevolent scammers. In fact, 85 percent of doorstep fraud victims are over 65 years old.
Some of the newest senior scams being reported involve the Coronavirus pandemic. Don’t let your elderly loved ones fall victim to scammers. Instead, here are four simple tips for avoiding scams for seniors to protect their finances, identities, and livelihoods.
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Stay Aware
Keeping yourself in-the-know about the latest coronavirus senior scams will allow you to spot a scam before any actual damage is done. Familiarize yourself with these popular scams and share this information with the seniors in your life:
- Counterfeit masks and hand sanitizer
- Fraudulent COVID-19 test kids
- Emails or texts claiming new virus information that prompt you to download items after clicking a link
- Fake charity donations
- Remote work schemes
Stay updated with the FDA’s warnings about senior scams, as well. The more you know, the better you’ll be able to ignore a scam before it’s too late.
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Stay Involved
Frequently checking in with seniors and staying involved in their lives is a great way to make sure that they don’t fall victim to a scam. You can plan activities, spend time with them, and try to monitor their phone and internet usage if possible.
Make sure to tell them that they should always talk to a trusted individual before purchasing anything online or by phone.
If you can’t stay involved 24/7, assisted living facilities ensure that your loved one is receiving the care they need and they will have someone looking after them.
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Be Wary Unknown Numbers
The world of scams is quickly evolving, so it’s crucial that you and your loved ones are receiving updated information about how to protect your assets. Now, more scammers than ever are taking advantage of the elderly over the phone.
Inform your loved one to be wary when unknown numbers are calling them. Teach them how to check the area code, and if it isn’t a familiar number, they should decline the call and block the number.
Teach them not to take phone calls that have hidden or private numbers. Nine times out of ten these calls are initiated by scammers.
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Ignore Strange Emails or Texts
Although phone calls are popular, scammers also like to take advantage of seniors through texts and emails. Show your loved one their spam email folder and teach them to ignore any messages that pop up there.
Fraudulent text messages can also reach their phones, and they can fall victim if they aren’t careful. Teach seniors to ignore any strange text messages and to block the numbers so that they aren’t targeted for future scams.
Protect Your Loved Ones from Senior Scams
Nothing is more heart-crushing than learning that your elderly loved one has fallen victim to a scammer. It’s important that we arm the older people in our lives with information that will help them identify and avoid senior scams so that their finances, identities, and livelihoods are protected.
Are you looking for a caring, compassionate community for a senior in your life? Contact us today to learn about our top-rated assisted living communities and so much more.
