How to Help Your Elderly Loved One Avoid a Scam

Elderly Care in Needham MA

The FBI has some tips that can help your elderly loved one to avoid fraud, but it’s important that you have conversations with your loved one, too. If your loved one fears that you might judge him or take away some of his freedoms if he were to become the victim of a scammer, he might not be as open with you. Here are some things you can do to help your loved one avoid being the victim of a scammer.

Coach Your Loved One about Common Scams

There are some scams that your loved one is more likely to hear about than others, such as “government agencies” requesting money or charities requiring donations of specific amounts. Your loved one could face other scams, too, though. Disreputable companies might try to have your loved one pay in full for a service or job before the work is done, and then not show up at all. It’s important to give your loved one information about what to look for in a scam of any sort.

Have Your Loved One Ask for Information in Writing

Any time your loved one is speaking to someone and he suspects that it might be a scam, coach him to request information in writing. Scam artists don’t want your loved one to have anything in writing because that can come back to bite them later. They also aren’t likely to have the requested information in any sort of permanent format. Companies and individuals who are on the up and up won’t have a problem giving your loved one information that he can peruse at his leisure.

Help Your Loved One Keep Other Family Members in the Loop

Your loved one might not feel comfortable talking to everyone any time he suspects he might be dealing with a scammer, but if the lines of communication are open and non-judgmental, your loved one is more likely to reach out for help if he suspects there’s something wrong. Make it easy for your loved one to get help from a family member if necessary. Another option is to make sure that non-medical caregivers know who to contact for your loved one if he’s upset about a potential scam.

Keep Up with What Your Loved One Is Involved With

Do everything that you can to stay up to speed with anything your elderly loved one might be involved in. That doesn’t mean that you need to do the old “bare bulb” interrogation, but when the lines of communication are open and you’re regularly touching base with your loved one, you’ll be more likely to sense when something might be off.

Talk to your loved one openly and honestly about scammers who might think that he’s an easy mark simply because he’s older.

Source
https://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud/seniors