Protecting Your Senior against Scams

Seniors are, unfortunately, targeted by con artists, thieves, and other criminals with scams on a regular basis. It seems as though there is always a new approach to trying to take advantage of elderly individuals—and it can be difficult to keep up with the latest methods employed by these dishonest fraudsters. To help you protect your senior, elder care professionals at the National Council on Aging have compiled the following list of scams for which you should be on the lookout.1

1. Fraud: Senior care professionals warn that fraud is among the most prevalent of these cons, as it can take many shapes and forms. Medicare and insurance fraud occur when individuals pretend to be associated with healthcare organizations and gather sensitive information from seniors. Additionally, con artists may try to get seniors to buy into fraudulent anti-aging products, such as fake Botox. Finally, Internet fraud occurs when software steals personal information, such as financial and other details. 
2. Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals: These scams normally take place online, where individuals are lured in by low prices and are provided pills that are not what they are said to be. 
3. Funeral Scams: This type of con can take place in two ways. The first is the scammer taking advantage of widows and widowers by claiming the deceased owed them money. The second is the unethical practice of adding to the bills of families who are unfamiliar with the funeral process. 
4. Telemarketing: There are several scams that occur over the phone, as seniors are more likely to conduct purchases this way than other generations. It is important to encourage your elderly loved one not to make a donation or purchase over the phone without researching the cause first. 
5. Investment Schemes: These scams take advantage of the need for seniors to save for retirement by encouraging them to invest in businesses and other initiatives, such as pyramid schemes.  
6. The Grandparent Scam: In this situation, individuals call seniors and ask something akin to, "Hello Grandpa, do you know who this is?" When the senior names a name, scammers adopt that identity and ask for money. 

Unfortunately, these are just a few of the many scams out there right now. It is a good idea to do a bit of research to keep your senior protected against con artists.
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1 http://www.ncoa.org/enhance-economic-security/economic-security-Initiative/savvy-saving-seniors/top-10-scams-targeting.html