PfCAYUNE ITEM
'ICAYUNE, MS
Circulation r 6093
DAILY
0211 812009
Tips f ~ avoiding
r 7;',
-,.
senior con games
'-
Suhmittrd to rhe Item
Home Instead Senior
Care worked with the
National Assoc$tion3,0f Tri:
i ads, Inc. (a division' of;$
National SheriffsAsioci$-
tion) to identify five senior
scams to watch for. The two
organizations also devel-
oped a list of tips designed
! to help seniors and family
caregivers protect them-
selves from con artists.
Following, from the
National Association of Tri-
ads, Inc. and Home Instead
Senior Care, are the top sen-
ior scams and details about
how they work:
- Prizes and sweep-
stakes scams. Seniors arc
told they've won a sweep-
stakes and all they need to
do is send a check to cover
the taxes. Or, they receive a
fake check for $5,000 and
I are encouraged to deposit
the money and send back
$2,000 to cover the taxes.
By the time it's determined
that thcse checks, which
often come from an over-
seas bank, are worthless, the
senior has lost his or her
1 money. Magazine sale
scams, where seniors order
magazine subscriptions that
never show up, also are
prevalent.
- Home improvement
frauds. Criminals will
knock on a senior's door
offering to fu their drive-
way, then paint it black and
charge the senior $3,000.
Or seniors are asked to pay
up front to have their roof
fixed never to see their
alleged repairman again.
One 81-year-old woman
who was caring for her h u s
I 1
hand with Alzheimer's dis-
ease paid a criininal
$800,000 and drained her
savings to have repairs done
on &,:home, according to
the National ,Associarion of
Triad$, IJW;- ~ !,
- Phishing schemes.
Seniors receive a call from
someone clamming to rep-
resent a hank or other rep-
utable financial institution.
They're warned that their
financial information or
credit card has been com-
promised and are asked to
verify their hank account
number or call an 800 num-
ber w-here they're asked for
their personal financial
information.
- Internet fraud.
Seniors, unfamiliar with
how to use the Internet, can
unwittingly give their credit
card number to a scammer.
- Identity theft. Seniors
who give up their birth date
and Social Security cumber
can open up their entire
financial history to a thief.
Following. from the
National Association of Tri-
ads, lnc. and Home Instead
Senior Care, are suggestions
for family caregivers on
ways they can proteet their
senior loved ones:
- Watch for unusual
activity. Seniors who are
scammed may be emhar-
rassed and try to hide what
happened. Watch for
changes in their lifestyle as
well as any other unusual
financial or business activi-
ty.
- Be on guard for indi-
viduals who have hefriend-
ed your loved one. Lonely
or isolated seniors may he
vulnerable to con eriminals
who befriend them and pro-
vide them with companion-
ship. Ask to talk to your par-
ent's new Friend to find out
more about him or h a . A
thief won't stick around
long to chat.
- Investigate organiza- ;
tions looking for money.
Often seniors want to
donate to organizations and
other worthy causes. Help
your loved ones check those
out by requesting written
information on the organi-
zation and reviewing that
thoroughly. Or contact the
Better Business Bureau.
- Assistseniors with
their finances. If a senior
can no longer handle his or
her finances, encouiage
your loved one to put a plan
in place that can help ensure
hills are paid and his or her
assets are protected. That 1
plan may include your sen-
ior designating a financial
I
power of attorney.
- Destroy information
that could be compromised.
Make sure your senior 1
shreds all financial informa-
tion and credit card offers ,
before discarding them in
the trash.
- Seek out a second set
~i
:
of eyes. If you live a dis-
tance from your loved one
or can't always he there,
help your senior build a sup-
port network. This can
include neighbors, friends.
tmsted church members or
professional CAREGivers
like those from Home
Instead Senior Care.
Additional Telemarketing
and Internet Fraud Tips are
available from the National
Fraud Information Center
at www.fraud.org.