An Old Scam on Elderly Men and Women is Back With a New Twist

A CNBC report put the current estimate of losses seniors faced after being scammed at $36 billion in 2017. Not every senior is comfortable admitting they were conned, so experts believe that number is low.

Elderly Care Mooresville NC – An Old Scam on Elderly Men and Women is Back With a New Twist

While some cases involve a senior with declining cognitive skills, the rest are aging adults who don’t suffer from any form of dementia. The American Journal of Public Health reported that five percent of the aging adults who are scammed have no cognitive issues.

There’s a common scam out there that many elderly men and women have fallen for. It’s returning with a new twist. You should make your mom and dad aware of this scam to keep them from paying money to a scammer.

The Arrested Grandchild Scam

There have been different takes on this scam. The senior citizen gets a call from their “grandchild” saying they’ve been arrested for something like a DUI. To bail their grandchild out, the senior must wire money to the jailer.

The latest take involves lawyers. The senior gets a call from a lawyer saying they’re the defense attorney working for the grandchild. To pay the lawyer’s fee, the senior needs to immediately wire money. Seniors fall for these scams because the name of a real lawyer in that area is given. The elderly person’s grandchild’s name is used. As the caller knows personal information, seniors believe it’s true.

How Do Scammers Get Your Parent’s Personal Information?

Look up your mom or dad on WhitePages.com or similar sites. Right on that page, it probably has a box for premium results that list your parent’s age, where they live, and other relations. This makes it easy for scammers to get hold of information that seniors can’t imagine anyone outside the family knows.

If your mom or dad has a Facebook account that’s not removed from public listings and doesn’t keep privacy settings to friends only, it’s easy for scammers to find information. All they need is a list of phone numbers, and they can start trying to scam seniors.

What Do You Do?

Teach your mom and dad to gather information. They want to hang up before sending any money. Then they need to call their grandchildren and see if they are really in trouble. A call to the police station and the lawyer’s office are also essential. You might need to help them make these calls.

If your mom or dad have a companion with them during the day, there’s another person to keep them from falling for a scammer’s con. Elderly care professionals can keep your mom and dad company, take them to appointments, help them with light housework, and cook their meals. Call our elderly care agency to learn more.

Sources:  https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/25/elder-financial-fraud-is-36-billion-and-growing.html

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care Services in Mooresville NC, please contact the caring staff at TenderHearted Home Care today. (704) 612-4132.