What Seniors Should Know About Scammers that Target the Elderly

Elderly seniors were brought up in an era of trust. They trusted their butcher to accurately weigh their meat and not overcharge them.They trusted their doctors to heal them without asking questions or doubting their ability. The proof of the ultimate trust shared by elderly seniors was that their front doors were never locked until they went to sleep at night. Friends and neighbors knocked, opened the door and yelled "are you home" then walked in without waiting for an answer.

I was brought up in this era. I lived in a three story apartment building. Each floor had seven tenants. Neighbors became friends, and they genuinely cared for one another. It was not an act. Help when needed was instantly available. No one ever felt alone or lonely. All doors were open and coffee was always hot and ready. Coffee klotches were part of the daily routine.

Elderly Seniors who grew up in the 1930s and 1940s where people trusted each other, make perfect targets by scam artists. Their intent is to bilk unsuspecting and trusting elderly seniors out of their life savings.

The easiest way for con artists to befriend an elderly senior is by using the telephone. Lonely seniors welcome a chance to talk on the telephone. Generally, unsuspecting elderly seniors give out personal information. After all, the goal of the stranger is to bilk seniors out of their life's savings.

A friend of mine placed her husband in a home that cared for Alzheimer's patients. It was filled with his own furniture and pictures on the wall. As you might guess, it was not covered by Medicare.

Care and living costs were over $6,500 a month. Her savings quickly disappeared. She fell prey to telephone scam artists who promised her a way to get rich. She had to follow the caller's advice. The end was predicable by everyone except by my trusting friend. She lost all of her money and now lives on Medicaid.

What an Elderly Senior Should Do When Someone Calls and Asks Personal Questions?

1. Hang up immediately! Do not worry about being rude.You do not have to give them any explanation.

2. If you remain on the telephone with the caller make sure you do not give out your telephone number or tell them that you live alone.

3. Do not tell them your spouse died. They might think you inherited a lot of money.

4. Do not tell them where you live, your home address or if you rent or own your own home. Never give out date of birth or where you were born.

5. Never give your Social Security number even if they insist they need it to help you to get rich.

6. If they ask, do not tell them the name of your bank, your ATM code or your credit card number.

Many elderly seniors are too trusting. They think that others are as honest as they were in the '30's and the '40's. Some learn they have been fleeced when a check is returned marked insufficient funds, when they knew that they had a considerable amount of money in their checking account.

Scam artists prey on elderly seniors in many other ways and not always over the telephone. Win Money contest schemes are sent through the mail. My friend fell for this. She enclosed $5.00 hoping to win a lot of money. After that, her mail was flooded with money making schemes. She spent half a day reading all of her mail.

Family members or friends should make elderly seniors understand that the world today is not like the world they grew up in. Explain the various schemes that are out to take an elderly senior's money. Teach them how to keep their money safe.

Source:

My own life's experience