HOME & GARDEN :: FEBRUARY/MARCH 2007

Senior Con Games: the Stakes are High when Criminals Target Older Adults

Local senior care company and fraud experts say the stakes are high when criminals target older adults.

Senior care experts are warning people to be on the lookout for fraudulent income tax schemes and other scams that are currently targeting senior citizens in Kent and Sussex Counties.

Home Instead Senior Care worked with the National Association of Triads, Inc. (a division of the National Sheriff’s Association) to identify the top five senior scams. The two organizations also developed a list of tips designed to help seniors and family caregivers protect themselves from con artists.

A tip sheet with all of the information is available free of charge from the local Home Instead Senior Care office. For more information, or to order a copy, please call 302-697-6435.

Top Five Senior Scams

Following, from the National Association of Triads, Inc., an 18-year-old organization that is part of the National Sheriffs’ Association, and Home Instead Senior Care, are the top five senior scams and how they work:

Prizes and sweepstakes scams.

Seniors are told they’ve won a sweepstakes and all they need to do is send a check to cover the taxes. Or, they receive a fake check for $5,000 and are encouraged to deposit the money and send back $2,000 to cover the taxes. By the time it’s determined that these checks, which often come from an overseas bank, are worthless, the senior has lost his or her money. Magazine sale scams, where seniors order magazine subscriptions that never show up, also are prevalent.

Home improvement frauds.

Criminals will knock on a senior’s door offering to fix their driveway, then paint it black and charge the senior $3,000. Or seniors are asked to pay up front to have their roof fixed never to see their alleged repairman again. One 81-year-old woman who was caring for her husband with Alzheimer’s disease paid a criminal $800,000 and drained her savings to have repairs done on her home, according to the National Association of Triads, Inc.

Phishing schemes.

Seniors receive a call from someone claming to represent a bank or other reputable financial institution. They’re warned that their financial information or credit card has been compromised and are asked to verify their bank account number or call an 800 number where they’re asked for their personal financial information.

Internet fraud.

Seniors, unfamiliar with how to use the Internet, can unwittingly give their credit card number to a scammer.

Identity theft.

Seniors who give up their birth date and Social Security number can open up their entire financial history to a thief.

What You Can Do To Protect Seniors

Following, from the National Association of Triads, Inc. and Home Instead Senior Care, are ways that family caregivers can protect their senior loved ones:

Watch for unusual activity. Seniors who are scammed may be embarrassed and try to hide what happened. Watch for changes in their lifestyle as well as any other unusual financial or business activity.
Be on guard for individuals who have befriended your loved one. Lonely or isolated seniors may be vulnerable to con criminals who befriend them and provide them with companionship. Ask to talk to your parent’s new friend to find out more about him or her. A thief won’t stick around long to chat.
Investigate organizations looking for money. Often seniors want to donate to organizations and other worthy causes. Help your loved ones check those out by requesting written information on the organization and reviewing that thoroughly. Or contact the Better Business Bureau.
Assist seniors with their finances. If a senior can no longer handle his or her finances, encourage your loved one to put a plan in place that can help ensure bills are paid and his or her assets are protected. That plan may include your senior designating a financial power of attorney.
Destroy information that could be compromised. Make sure your senior shreds all financial information and credit card offers before discarding them in the trash.
Seek out a second set of eyes. If you live a distance from your loved one or can’t always be there, help your senior build a support network. This can include neighbors, friends, trusted church members or professional CAREGivers like those from Home Instead Senior Care.

Additional Telemarketing and Internet Fraud Tips are available from the National Fraud Information Center at www.fraud.org.

For a free tip sheet with more ways to protect seniors contact Home Instead Senior Care office at 302-697-6435, or e-mail homeinstead@ mmhisc.com.

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