Phoenix

It seems cruel to victimize seniors with fraud when they have limited resources and are the most likely to struggle with the state of the economy today. However, predators target the elderly just for this reason; because they are more vulnerable, they are more likely to agree to situations that may boost their financial standing or may trust more easily because they are lonely.

There are many types of scams that target senior citizens, some of which take place online by requesting a credit card or bank account number in exchange for goods or services that are never delivered. Other common types of senior fraud include sweepstakes scams and lottery prizes, investment fraud, “phishing” scams and fake charitable solicitations.

Seniors and their families need to be aware that there are people out there looking to pull the wool over the eyes of the elderly and take advantage of them. To remain safe from fraud, here are a few tips to help seniors keep what is rightly theirs and avoid the influence of criminals.

1. Beware of any sweepstakes or lottery that requires you to pay in order to claim your prize. By law, it should never be necessary to send money or make a purchase.
2. Never give financial information to a telemarketer who has called you. If you are interested in making a purchase from them, ask for a number to call them back after verifying their legitimacy. It is usually safe to provide information to an organization that you have called directly, but never give out your bank account, credit card or Social Security number if you get a bad feeling.
3. Before making a charitable donation, don’t hesitate to ask them how they use the money and if contributions are tax-deductible. If they are not willing to give out this information, they may not be a legitimate charity.
4. Remember these is no such thing as a risk-free financial investment, beware of organizations that guarantee huge returns upon your investment.
5. Make sure when hiring a contractor to do work around your home, that everything is put in writing and avoid working with those that show up at your door offering last minute specials.
6. If you are in a car accident, call the police if someone tries to bully you, claiming it’s your fault, before offering to pay them for the damage
7. Have someone watch your home if you are on vacation or staying in a nursing home.

If you would like to consult with someone from Home Instead Senior Care to provide more information about ways to prevent scams contact your local office at the number above.

Sources: http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/srfraud
http://www.consumer-ction.org/english/articles/just_say_no_to_senior_scams/