Keeping Your Loved One Safe from Fraud
Elder fraud and abuse is insidious and real. The FBI estimates that nearly 10 percent of this country’s telemarketing services – more than 140,000 businesses – are fraudulent! It’s almost impossible to recover lost money once the fraud has occurred. The scammers are hard to track because they frequently change numbers, website Urls, and post office boxes. They are here one day, stealing money from as many unsuspecting people as possible, and then they are gone.
Most seniors are trusting of strangers and polite to them. It’s not a bad thing; it’s just a fact. It’s up to you to teach them about the dangers we have discussed here. Will it keep them totally safe and secure? No, but the more you discuss the subject, the more likely the senior is to remember the message when one of these calls comes. Education is key. Have a serious discussion with your loved one in a place where she won’t be distracted. Turn off the television and let your loved one know that this is serious business. The simple truth is that there is so much fraud in our society that there is really no way to completely insulate someone from it, however, a serious discussion and education about the problem, ending in the mutual agreement of saying “NO THANK YOU,” will result in a better outcome for the senior.
