Every year, scammers bilk billions of dollars from some of society’s most vulnerable individuals – senior adults. Because they are often less technologically savvy than younger generations and may have cognitive issues at play, they’re more apt to be taken in. That’s not ageism talking – there’s scientific evidence showing that our brain shrinks as we age. This causes changes in the area of our brain that helps decide someone’s trustworthiness, making us less likely to notice when someone is lying.
“Not only are seniors more apt to fall for a scam, but they are also more likely to not share information about it with friends and loved ones because they’re ashamed or they’re worried about retaliation,” says Addie Ricci, Executive Director at Bridges® by EPOCH at Norwalk, located in Norwalk, CT. “And unfortunately, when a senior has been targeted by one scammer, they’re more apt to be hit up by others because they’ve been labeled as an ‘easy mark.’”
This is bad enough when it happens from a stranger, but what about when it’s from someone they know? It’s reported that nearly 90 percent of all reported elder financial abuse cases come from family members. It’s important for caregivers and close family members to help educate their loved ones about scammers’ tricks and how they can protect themselves – whether the scammer is close or half a world away.
“If you think your loved one is being exploited, it’s important for you to take action,” says Addie. “While this can be an embarrassing and traumatic experience for everyone involved, this is one of those times when it’s better to risk anger and hurt feelings and ask forgiveness later. However, by being vigilant and encouraging openness about financial matters, you and your loved one will be on defensive mode to avoid cams.”
The Top Scams to Watch For in 2019.
There are seemingly countless tricks that scammers use to target and fool their victims. Here are some of the top ones that the National Council on Aging and AgingInPlace.org have highlighted as the ones to watch out for in 2019. Some you may recognize as oldies but goodies; others are new and improved twists on classic scams.
Government agency scams.
Recently, there’s been a significant increase in scammers calling their marks and claiming to be agents of the Social Security Administration or the IRS. In these calls, the victim is told they will be arrested or face legal action if they fail to address the issue. This could be anything from getting the senior’s Social Security information to coercing them to buy gift cards in order to cover their “tax burden.”
Malware and other Internet-based scams.
“Phishing” scams are when a fake email, positing as coming from a reputable organization, is sent to a victim. When the victim clicks a link in the email, they’re sent to a site where they fill out their information – giving the scammer free reign to their accounts. Other Internet-based scams are pop-ups saying you’ve “won” a sweepstake or that your computer has been compromised and action needs to be taken. Some emails contain programs called malware that install on your computer, allowing remote users to access all the information stored on your hard drive.
Sweetheart scams.
Lonely seniors can become prey to this insidious scam when they meet someone “out of the blue” online and fall in love without ever meeting them. As the “relationship” develops, the other individual starts asking for money, makes promises to meet up but always seems to cancel at the last minute. Eventually, the senior may end up spending their entire life’s savings to chase their dream of “true love.”
Grandparent scams.
Grandma or Grandpa gets a telephone call from someone who says, “Hi, Grandma, guess who?” The senior will guess a name – Mike – and the caller will go on to confirm that, yes, he’s Mike, and he needs some money because he’s in a tight spot. But it needs to be wired, and please, please don’t tell his parents about this or he’ll be grounded forever. The amount asked for may not be a lot – maybe a few hundred dollars – but it’s a very easy one to pull off.
Tips for Helping Keep Seniors (and Yourself!) Safe from Scams.
The best thing that family members and caregivers can do, says Addie, is to stay in touch with your senior loved one and encourage open communication. This allows you to catch any signs of something amiss, like unusually large credit card bills or stories of “Alice from California.”
You also should make sure your loved one knows about the various types of scams and the most common signs to watch for. Remind them that it’s better to be safe than sorry, and to not just give out personal information because someone (or some entity) asked for it. Here are some tools you can help them use to determine if callers are legitimate or trying to get one over them:
- Ask the caller for proof about who they say they are. Genuine government agencies and companies would rather you be cautious, and they should easily be able to prove who they are. If someone’s calling you asking to verify who you are, that should be a red flag. They called you, after all.
- Provide your loved one with phrases they can use to delay any sort of decision-making. “I need to discuss this with my family,” is a good one. So is “I don’t donate money over the phone.” Having a canned response on hand will give your loved one ammo if someone is starting to pressure them.
- Remind your loved one that a legitimate company will always be okay if you want to call them back later or wait some time before giving them an answer. If the person starts to get angry or demands they need action now, it’s a scam – always.
- Help block your loved one’s telephone number by putting it on the Do Not Call registry.
- Enroll your loved one in a computer class specifically for seniors so they can build confidence online, learn more about the wonders (and dangers) of the Internet and become more savvy overall with technology.
Compassionate Care for All Stages of Memory Loss
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