Staying Ahead of Digital Scams

For years, criminals have used the internet to scam people out of their money. Criminals have also long targeted senior citizens for a variety of reasons. Loneliness, isolation, naivete, dementia, and other factors are things that criminals know of and can take advantage of.

 

However, knowing what patterns these criminals fall upon can help all of us to stay ahead of them. Some knowledge and awareness can help us to keep ourselves and our families protected.

 

Matt Alderton, of AARP Bulletin, has a few recommendations to help seniors and their families stay ahead of some of the more recent scams out there designed to part the elderly from their money. He recommends that people be wary of internet relationships, especially those that are very close very quickly. An internet friend is not a bad thing in and of itself, but it could be. A common theme amongst scammers is that the feeling of closeness evolves very fast. The building of rapport is important for them, so if a new friendship is moving too quickly for you, take a step back and think about what their angle might be.

 

Additionally, be careful when it comes to secrecy. If you’re giving a lot of information about yourself and not getting much back, you might be the victim of a scam. And even if you are given information about the other individual, there’s a chance that it might not be true. 

 

If you have questions about something, don’t be afraid to ask a trusted friend or family member. Scammers operate on secrecy. If you’re having multiple people check in with you, you are less likely to get caught up in something nefarious.

 

 

Importantly, don’t ever send someone money online. The vast majority of the time, money is the end goal of a scammer. Even if you feel like you have a good relationship with someone online, if they are asking you for money, there’s a good chance that you are being scammed. 

 

If you suspect that you or a family member has been scammed or someone has attempted to take advantage of you in this way, please reach out to law enforcement. They can help prosecute those who have committed these crimes and help protect others from experiencing the same hurt and loss.

 

Also, it’s important to remember that being the target of a scammer doesn’t make you unintelligent, stupid, or gullible. It means that someone preyed upon you by targeting the things that you love and find important. But just because you were scammed doesn’t mean you are alone. Reach out to law enforcement and speak with a counselor. There are resources out there that can help you to recover from this.

 

And as always, let us know if we can help on our end. Someone from Paradise In-Home Care is always happy to help get you pointed in the right direction and get you connected to the resources and services that can help ensure that you and your older family members experience the highest quality of life possible as you age.