Today, more scams emerge almost daily where seniors were cheated out of their limited incomes by scammers. The criminals use tactics to manipulate the elderly individuals into believing family members are in trouble or threaten the person with jail time. Each of the scams leads to horrible experiences for the seniors, and sometimes the financial losses are never recovered. By learning new practices, families can protect their elderly loved ones effectively.
Show The Senior Details About Current Scams
Family members can present the seniors with details about the latest scams that are defrauding the elderly. Each time there is a new scam, the family can create a list of the scams and add details about what the scammers do to collect confidential information. By staying educated, the seniors can avoid financial losses, and individuals who live in independent living communities can protect themselves against these crimes.
Block Robocalls Quickly
Residents who have dementia and need memory care and assistance with activities of daily life will need someone to look out for their best interests. Robocalls are a common way that scam artists collect confidential information from seniors.
The callers claim to be from an agency that the senior deals with regularly and ask the person to confirm confidential details. During the call, the senior believes to be confirming the details, and the person is actually collecting the information. The details are used for identity theft schemes or to access the elderly party’s bank account or credit cards. An easy way to prevent the elderly resident from getting robocalls is to adjust the settings to allow calls from contacts only.
Encourage Seniors to Live in A Community
Elderly individuals who are still living in the family home alone could face dire health consequences. These elderly parties are also at a higher risk of becoming a victim of a scammer. The scams involve an in-person visit to the person’s home. The criminal will threaten the senior or present false claims to scare and coerce the person into giving the perpetrator money or confidential financial details. If the senior lives in an assisted living community, the odds of becoming a victim decrease.
Switch to Paperless Statements for Banks and Credit Cards
Paperless statements from credit card and bank accounts stop criminals from obtaining these documents through mailboxes or trash receptacles. The family can also set up paperless statements for the senior’s utilities. By switching to paperless statements, the senior can mitigate common risks associated with scams. The perpetrators make attempts to get account information, but without a paper statement doing so becomes more difficult.
Set Up Alerts for Spending
Credit card owners can get updates at any time that a charge applies to their accounts. The alerts are delivered via email or a notification through the credit card app. Family members that are managing an elderly individual’s financial assets and expenses can set up the alerts and have the notifications delivered to their smartphones. The practice is a fast way to find out if any unauthorized transactions have been posted to the account.
Block Unsafe Content on Computers
While parental controls are often used for children, seniors who aren’t internet savvy need help, too. The settings can block unsafe websites and prevent the resident from opening the websites. This could prevent cyber attacks and stop criminals from scamming the senior. The same setting options are available for email accounts and stop unwanted emails from con artists.
Terrific Homes for Seniors
At Ocean Hills Senior Living, we offer elegant apartments for senior residents and a wealth of amenities to make life easier and safer for everyone. Our community gives residents a private home, transportation services, and meal preparation services, and all residents remain safer and protected against scammers. Families and seniors can learn more about the community by setting up a private tour now.
Con artists and scammers target elderly people because these individuals are vulnerable. A senior who is in the early stages of dementia is a primary target. The person can become confused and forget major details related to their finances or daily events. Perpetrators find ways to use information about the senior to scare the person into providing financial details or data.
A senior community offers more protection for residents and stops unwanted guests from visiting. The community members work together to stop residents from falling victim to these crimes. Community awareness can help residents stay educated about current scams. By implementing new practices, families and communities stop scammers from stealing from vulnerable, elderly individuals.