The recent passing of her husband had already made life challenging. Then the call came from a scammer posing as an insurance company. Because her husband had handled their insurance policies, this widow provided the financial information that was requested. It wasn’t until it was too late that she realized that the scenario was a scam.
Bruce Fedor, community involvement officer for the Willoughby Police Department, shared this story and the fact that unfortunately, this type of scam happens all too often to aging individuals in the community.
Scams to Know
Some common scams include insurance (especially common around the Medicare renewal period), and pulling at the heartstrings of grandparents who are told that a grandchild is sick, in an accident or even in jail. All of these types of stories lead to asking for money, most often through the disclosure of bank account information or a credit card number.
Fedor says scammers will take any angle to deceive potential victims. With many senior citizens, the pitch to engage is usually fear-based and high pressure. There is usually some sort of bait, a hook, and then a need for financial information in order to resolve. They may try to hook seniors via phone, email or mail.
With a phone call, scammers work to get people talking. Once that conversation has started, they now have an “in.” To complicate matters, many aging loved ones welcome the interaction and conversations from perceived friendly voices on the other end of a phone line.
Also, emails can often be designed to look authentic and unless carefully scrutinized, can be another way senior citizens easily become part of a scam. Email scams are often followed up with phone calls, once the scammer sees an individual has engaged with an email that has been sent as an initial connection.
Support for Your Parents
Scams can be overwhelming to spot and work through at any age, but how can you help your parents remain safe and vigilant against scammers? Some basic tips are hanging up or not answering phone calls from unknown callers, not opening or deleting emails from unknown sources, and always checking first or investigating further before disclosing any private information.
Fedor also shares the following tips:
• Keep the lines of communication open with your parents. Be wary of a parent talking about a new “best friend” or a connection that seems to have interest in building a relationship with them.
• Consider having your parents freeze their credit. A credit freeze is also called a security freeze and prevents new accounts from being opened. It is one of the best ways to prevent new accounts from being opened in someone’s name, and it does not affect a credit score. Because many people are not actively making large purchases, this can be an effective way of stopping scammers even when people have inadvertently provided financial information.
• Educate yourself about scams, so you can educate your parents. Additional resources and workshops can be found by looking at websites such as the Ohio Attorney General (ohioattorneygeneral.gov) and the FBI (fbi.gov crime prevention). Fedor said even a simple note hung on the refrigerator can be the perfect reminder about staying vigilant against scammers.
• Request access to your parents’ accounts to help keep an eye on things. Yes, financials often are confidential, but as parents age, they may need additional support to ensure all is in good standing. Working in cooperation with banks, credit card companies and your parents, levels of access can be granted, so they can have additional support — and, most importantly — another set of eyes on all. Additionally, help support them in updating their passwords regularly.
What should you do when you believe your parents may have been scammed? First, remember that scammers can be tricky, and sometimes parents who are victims of scams can be embarrassed or feel guilty. It is important to be supportive and help them navigate a resolution to this type of incident.
Fedor recommends filing a police report first.
“Most financial institutions generally won’t do anything until the police report is filed,” Fedor says. “But of course, the best protection is to be proactive and follow the tips above, so a scam never occurs in the first place.”
Jeannie Fleming-Gifford has a MA in family and consumer sciences with a specialization in child development and is the vice president of programming at Lakeside Chautauqua. Her passions include outdoor adventures, volunteering to raise potential autism service dogs, and writing. She recently published her first children’s book, “SymFUNNY,” and a memoir called “The Gift I Never Wanted.”
