Though your parents may not want to admit it, older adults are prime targets for scammers. This is because con artists believe the aging to be more trusting than other people.
In addition, people running scams think seniors have large retirement funds they can tap into. While this is not always the case, cons are hoping to get lucky.
Be aware of scammer red flags
Making your aging loved ones aware of the potential scams they could encounter helps keep their bank accounts intact. Hoaxes targeted at seniors include requests to wire money in order to claim a prize, calls from government agencies and emergency calls or emails from a grandchild in dire need of quick cash. Let your family members know that they should check with the person or official organization before sending funds.
Avoid unsolicited calls
Many frauds on the aging population start via telephone calls. To help your family decrease the likelihood of becoming victims of such a deception, you can do several things to keep them from receiving those calls. First, you can place your parents’ names on the national do not call registry. In addition, this will reduce the number of telemarketing calls they receive.
Next, check with the phone service provider to learn how to block anonymous calls to the landline. Most cellular carriers also allow you to thwart spam calls for a nominal fee. Lastly, arm your folks with a plan for refusing the request of hoaxers.
Keeping your aging family aware of the risks of scammers can go a long way to help them fend off such perils.
