Senior Citizens and Scams
Have you heard of all the scams that are targeting senior citizens this year? If you are taking care of your elderly loved one, this is something that you may want to keep up on. You can find out more about these scams on the federal government sites and many professional accounting sites, as well. Basically, scammers generally know that senior citizens are easier targets being that they don’t question as many things when it comes to their family or paying bills. Once you learn about these scams, you and home care providers can ensure that your elderly loved one isn’t giving out their personal information to random people.
Medicare/IRS Scams
There are two types of scams that go around every year and are on the rise again this year – Medicare and IRS scams.
The Medicare and IRS scams are people posing as employees for these two companies. They call up senior citizens and tell them they owe Medicare premiums or a large sum of money to the IRS or to keep their insurance active. Most senior citizens don’t want to mess with the IRS or Medicare and they certainly don’t want to get into trouble with them, so they may not question when these scams come about. As a family caregiver, have your elderly loved one beware of these types of scams.
Internet Scams
There are far too many internet scams to even mention. They are finding their way in through email, Facebook messenger, Zoom, Google Meet, and many other platforms. These scammers will show up in a multitude of ways including asking for money, demanding a senior citizen click on a link to save their computer data (yet, the data gets sent to the scammer when they click), and pop-up advertisements that include links to false bill websites. If your elderly loved one gets contacted by anyone, you should have them check with you or another family member before paying anything or clicking on random links.
Sweepstake/Lottery Scams
The elderly are also prone to sweepstake and lottery scams. These are scams that have been around for a long time. They call people up and pretend the person won money. However, in order for that person to claim the money, they have to give out their personal bank card information first. These scams are also coming by email now, too. Let your elderly loved one know that unless they signed up for something (which they shouldn’t do without someone else making sure it is valid), they should never give out their information to anyone.
Unfortunately, there are many senior citizens who lose their savings due to these scams. Others will have their identity stolen. If you are caring for your elderly loved one, learning about the old and new scams out there can help you to protect the elderly. If you need more help to ensure your elderly loved one is avoiding these scams, hiring home care providers may be a good idea.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Care in Glastonbury, CT please contact the caring staff at Happy Home Care LLC today. (860) 709-1072
Sources
https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/seniors