With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s not just family and friends that are all around us; the scammers are waiting in the shadows as well.
According to an Experian blog posted in 2020, one in four people fall victim to fraud during the holidays and one in five have experienced pandemic-related scams. These thieves often target the elderly – people aged 70 or more tend to suffer larger financial losses than those below 70. So how can we protect our Seniors from becoming victims of fraud this holiday season?
Financial Eldercare Begins With You
Nothing is foolproof, but taking the below steps may help your family members avoid dangerous websites and reduce the number of unwanted calls from spammers, robocallers, and telemarketers.
Web purchases
Online shopping is an area of concern, costing seniors millions of dollars yearly. Fraudsters set up websites that trick seniors and others by looking like authentic name-brand sites with rock-bottom prices for a variety of products. Web visitors who submit their payment information may have their data stolen, and the products they thought they purchased never arrive.
Remind your senior family members and friends to double-check the site name and make sure they match the company’s official name (e.g., adiaas.com is not adidas.com). And as always, if it looks too good to be true, it likely is.
Red flag warnings
If a senior you know is taking a call or reading a text or email, make sure they recognize the red…
