Anyone 65 and older is a prime target for scam artists, and these criminals exploit the senior’s emotions to steal money and confidential information. The loved one scam is used most often on these aging parents.
The criminals lie to the elderly and tell them that, unless the senior gives them confidential banking details, their loved one will be in financial trouble or be arrested. These scams and others have led to millions of dollars in financial losses for seniors throughout the U.S. Here’s some advice for helping your senior avoid being scammed.
Set Up Parental Controls on Their Computer
Parental controls are available through all operating systems, and it’s relatively easy to block websites that are compromised. The settings stop the user from visiting any websites that aren’t secure or are known phishing sites.
There are many online games and puzzles that improve cognitive function, and seniors visit safe websites to access alternative memory care tasks and activities. If the seniors live in senior communities, they have access to memory care in Redlands, CA, and any residents that use computers will have these parental controls set up on the devices.
Use Advanced Settings on Social Media
Elderly parents love social media and the ease of connecting with distant relatives. However, social media is loaded with scammers just waiting to find a vulnerable senior to exploit. All social media accounts have privacy settings, and these settings provide an easy way to protect a loved one from scams.
The settings control who can see the profile and posts, who sends friend requests, and who is allowed to send private messages. Parents that live in an independent or assisted living community have access to their smartphones and social media. The staff can help with these settings to prevent criminals from contacting the loved ones.
Block Text Messages and Calls
A new scam involves text messages that are sent to unsuspecting victims. The text messages entice smartphone users to click on links based on political affiliations, religion, and other interests. The best way to stop these messages and robocall scams is to make adjustments to the privacy settings. All smartphones have the option to refuse calls or messages from any party that isn’t in the user’s contact list.
Set Up Paperless and Automatic Billing
All utility companies have websites these days, and they offer online payment options for customers. Instead of paying all bills online, customers can set up automatic billing that takes out the monthly costs directly from the person’s bank account.
An additional safeguard is to set up paperless billing where the aging parent gets an email each time a statement is available. They can view all statements and charges for their accounts through their user accounts.
Create a Plan for False Claims About Family Members
To safeguard an aging parent against the loved one scam, the family creates a plan. Instead of taking a criminal’s word that a loved one is in trouble, the senior sends a text message to the family member. Confirmation from the family gives the parents peace of mind and shows them that the caller or visitor is lying to them.
Adjust Bank Accounts to Two-Step Authentication Practices
Two-step user authentication practices stop other parties from getting into online accounts. The settings ask for a password and user account to sign in, but before the credentials are accepted, the user gets an email or text message with a code.
They must type the code in the login page to open the account and view any of their information. The backup security measure stops criminals from getting into a bank account if a senior gives the criminal their login information during a scam.
Managed Your Loved One’s Finances for Them
Adult children protect their parents, by removing all bank statements, credit card billing information, and other confidential documents from the senior’s home. If the parent signs a power of attorney, this gives their loved ones access and control of their financial assets.
By moving into a senior living community, seniors pay one monthly fee to cover all their housing expenses. This makes managing their finances less complicated and helps their power of attorney holder track expenditures.
Lovely Homes for Seniors
At Summer fields of Redlands, resident safety is of the utmost importance, and we follow strategies to keep all residents safeguarded against scammers and other criminals. Our community is secure and safe, and we don’t allow outsiders to visit residents without permission. Want a safe home for your aging parent? Set up a visit now to view our community.