Your grandson is in jail in Mexico and wants you to discreetly send bail money. You owe money for unpaid traffic tickets from long ago. A Medicare “representative” needs your personal information. You’ve won the lottery but must pay a fee to collect your prize.
The list of scams criminals use to try to steal from the elderly grows by the day. Attacks on the elderly tend to become more common when the scammers know that they live alone, as the elderly person may not realize that they are being scammed in the first place. This could put the individual in danger and they may start to feel unsafe in their own homes. In this circumstance, other family members may decide that it is safer for them to be moved into a home, like this Senior Care in Placentia so they have around the clock care in ensuring that they aren’t scammed by these criminals.
Ultimately, there are lots of reasons why an older person might fall for a scam. For instance, it is no secret that the elderly are in a financially vulnerable age group. Calls and emails promising to wipe out debts and any other money worries can often seem to be incredibly tempting for someone experiencing money troubles. That being said, it is important to know that genuine debt relief organizations are out there for people that are struggling. Do you have an elderly relative who is struggling to pay off their debts? If so, you can learn more about some of the most reputable debt relief companies like CreditAssociates that offer loans for senior citizens and other debt relief solutions by doing some research online.
But, debt to one side, are there ways that scams can be prevented altogether? The County of San Diego can help you learn how to avoid getting scammed.
Several county departments are teaming up with County Supervisor Dianne Jacob for the first-ever “Don’t Get Hooked” event on Wednesday, Sept. 23 in El Cajon. Seniors and caregivers will learn how to avoid scammers and other crooks.
“A lot of crooks see seniors as easy prey and try to rip them off over the phone or through email and snail mail,” said Jacob. “This event will arm our elderly and vulnerable adults with important tips on how to avoid these swindlers.” It is important that if you do have an elderly relative that could be vulnerable, you encourage them to accept full-time care from somewhere like The Parke Assisted Living. This way, they will always have someone who can check things for them when they’re unsure, and keep an eye out for anything they might have missed. If you’re wanting to try and help your elderly family members avoid scams over the phone, you may want to look at getting them a phone model from somewhere such as this company or others that provide ease of use cell phones to the elderly. By telling them to only pick up calls from known numbers the elderly person in question could save themselves a financial crisis.
The event is free and people will hear from victims of scams; Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood, an expert on elder abuse and financial crimes; and Sheriff’s Department Det. Maureen Perkins.
RELATED: National City Grandma Target of Huge Scam
Experts from the county’s Health and Human Services Agency’s Aging & Independence Services, Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk and Treasurer-Tax Collector will also be available to offer advice and answer questions.
The event is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Community Center, 195 E. Douglas Ave., El Cajon. To attend the event, call (844) 899-1597 or register online by Sept. 17.
The event is part of a broader “Don’t Get Hooked” campaign started by Jacob and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis to bring more attention to the issue of senior scams and to distribute information on how to avoid being scammed.
For more information, go to www.sdcda.org.
Source: http://www.countynewscenter.com/news/helping-older-adults-avoid-scams
Go back to our home page: https://mdtoday.com
