A study from True Link Financial in 2015 found that senior financial abuse in the United States costs more than $2.9 billion dollars per year.  A significant proportion of the financial abuse that occurs to seniors in the USA is caused by scammers. This article discusses the importance in protecting seniors at home from scams.

Scammers will often use the telephone or Internet to approach a senior, selling them a bogus product or pretending to be a government official.  Scams are particularly effective against seniors because they are often home alone and willing to trust someone they have just met.  The main reasons why scammers target seniors include:

• Seniors are asset-rich

  Seniors tend to have a lot of assets, including cash in the bank

• Most seniors are not technologically savvy
  

  They can often be fooled by a scammer who is talking about a new technology that the senior is not familiar with.

• Seniors are Less likely to report crime

  Older Americans are less likely to report fraud because they feel ashamed after being scammed

• Seniors are more polite and open

  People who grew up in the 1920-1950s were raised to be polite and trusting of strangers. They are more willing to talk to a stranger and listen to what they have to say.  This gives scammers “a foot in the door”

• Seniors are often lonely

  Seniors who are lacking companionship are more open to talking to a stranger

• Crimes involving seniors are difficult to prosecute

  Financial crimes against seniors are more difficult to process because elderly people are often poor witnesses. Because they are older, their cognitive function may be declining which makes it difficult to remember specific events.

• Seniors are susceptible to certain scams
  

  Because some seniors are often battling painful health conditions, they are vulnerable to scammers peddling a cure for that condition. Scams involving anti-cancer therapies, arthritis cures and pills for improved cognitive performance are all effective against older people.

How to protect seniors from scams

There are a range of techniques you can use to protect a senior from being scammed, including:

Add your relative’s phone number to the do not call list

Telemarketers can be fairly aggressive and mislead seniors on the phone.  Reduce the risk of a telemarketing scamming money from your relative by putting them on the do not call list.  Educate your relative about the risk of telemarketer scammers and tell them to never give financial or personal details over the phone.

Make financial statements paperless

Scammers often steal mail to determine how many assets a senior has before they attempt a scam.  Remove this possibility by making all financial statements paperless.

Do not put outgoing mail in the mailbox

Don’t leave any important mail in the mailbox to be collected.  That includes any financial statements, documents with personal information or checks.

Shred documents before putting them in the trash

Scammers will even go through the trash to find out how much money a person is worth!  Be safe by shredding all important documents before they are placed into the bin.

Install security devices at the front door

To help your relative avoid door-knocking scammers, install a security camera on the front porch, a peep hole on the door, and a chain lock.  Post signage on the front door that states: No Soliciting. Tell your loved one they do not have to open the door to someone they don’t know and make them aware of the danger that scammers present.

Only give money to charities you know are authentic

Avoid giving money to door knocking charities as they are sometimes run by scammers.  Give money to charities that you know are trustworthy.

Discuss scams with your relative

Make a habit of mentioning the ways that people have been scammed in the past.  Remind your relative to not provide financial details or personal information to people they don’t know well.

How All Heart Home Care Can Help

All Heart Home Care is the leading provider of home care in San Diego.  We provide talented home care staff to work in the homes of seniors, the disabled, and people with a debilitating illness.  Our non-medical home care services include cooking meals in the home, domestic duties around the home, providing transportation to appointments and much more.  We can help seniors avoid scams in several different ways, including:

Answering the phone

Dodgy telemarketers and scammers won’t have much luck getting past one of our caregivers!  You relative won’t have to deal with their intrusive and annoying phone calls.

Provide transportation to important meetings

One of our caregivers can transport the client to doctor’s appointments, social gatherings, and important meetings.  By attending important meetings in person, they won’t be confused by phone calls from scammers pretending to be their accountant or financial adviser.

Performing errands

Our staff members can visit the post office to deliver important mail and pay bills on behalf of the client.  This reduces the risk of a scammer obtaining important financial or personal information.

Providing companionship

Caregivers will talk to the client and make sure they are comfortable.  Your loved one will be less likely to seek companionship from a person who calls them on the phone or knocks on the door.

Answering the door

Our caregivers can determine if the person at the door is genuine or not.  Your loved one won’t have to deal with pushy scammers and marketers.

Checking the mail and sorting it

Our caregivers can sort, organize, and discard any mail that resembles a scam. This method of prevention is extremely important as many seniors enjoy opening mail and responding.

If you are interested in learning more about protecting seniors at home from scams and our services, contact All Heart Home Care at 619-736-4677.  We offer in-home consultations and would love to discuss the many home care services we provide!