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Last week we looked at seven of the most common ways scammers prey on our elders. As I pointed out, living in a senior care community doesn’t make a person immune to these scams.
That’s why I urge you to have an open discussion with your older family members and friends who may be at risk. You can use these ten tips as conversation starters.
1. Scammers use a sense of urgency as a ploy to get people to make rash decisions. In reality, there’s rarely a situation where you don’t have time to think it over, do research, or review the situation with someone you trust.
2. Be aware that government agencies like the IRS or Medicare don’t do unsolicited business over the phone. If you get a call from someone who claims to be from one of these agencies and asks for money or personal information, hang up the phone.
3. If you question whether an organization that contacts you by mail, email or phone is legitimate, call the organization using a phone number you know is accurate. For example, if you get a call from someone claiming to be from your credit card company, hang up and call the number on the back of your card.
4. Help protect yourself from identity theft by using a secure location to send and receive mail. Shred any documents that contain personal information before discarding them.
5. Scammers bilk millions of older adults each year. So, you’re not alone if you discover you’ve become a victim. There’s no need to feel embarrassed. The important thing is to report it right away. This increases the chances of catching the scammers, and it helps prevent the same thing from happening to someone else.
6. Many resources are available to answer questions and provide help if you’re concerned about a potential scam. Excellent places to start are your local bank, police department, or adult protective services.
7. As difficult as it may be to think about the possibilities, it’s crucial to have several legal documents in place as we age. These assure that people we trust will make healthcare and financial decisions according to our wishes if we become incapacitated.
8. Remember that you can’t always trust the number that shows up on your caller ID. Scammers do what’s called spoofing to make it appear that a call is coming from another location. For example, a number from someone claiming to be from the IRS might show up as a Washington DC number.
9. Take advantage of the many fraud prevention classes offered by local organizations. These may include senior centers, banks, community education programs, or universities.
10. Consider signing up with federal consumer agencies to reduce unwanted sales promotions by phone, mail, or email.
Now it’s your turn. What advice can you add to help stop scammers? Please share in the comment section.
Update: After publishing this post, I stumbled upon an excellent resource from the Consumer Financial Bureau. They offer a variety of free tools that will help elders understand fraud. These include printable handouts, placemats, and activity sheets.
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