Home is where a senior should feel the safest. However, it’s usually the place where seniors are most vulnerable to scams & fraud, both inside & outside of the home. Con artists & fraudsters are known to select their targets by roaming around neighborhoods looking for homes that are owned by seniors.

There are many things at a senior’s home that, although seem very normal to us, are considered red flags or obvious scam trigger & target for scammers & con artists. Here are some signs that might pose as triggers or targets of a scam targeting your seniors:

The Condition of the Senior’s Home

Immoral workers often go around neighborhoods to look for homes owned by seniors. Home improvements such as roofs that need to be repaired, driveways that could be re-paved, or trees that must be cut down, etc. are obvious targets for scamming schemes targeting seniors.

The Internet

More seniors are on the Internet nowadays, which also means computers, laptops, and/or email accounts that are unprotected can leave them vulnerable to scamming or fraud schemes. Seniors should also be aware of phishing scams that imply they have won or inherited a large sum of money.

Posts/Mails

The postal service is one of the most effective means for scammers to carry out their con games. Seniors should ask for help from trusted family members regarding reviewing bills, offers, and correspondences from strangers if they are unsure about their ability to assess & evaluate information.

Unsecured Important Documents & Information

Important documents, especially those involves money & financial matters, should be kept in a secure place, like a safe deposit box, and hidden well. Other documents that are not needed but have personal account information should be shredded or at least have the information omitted before being thrown into the trash bin.

Door-to-door Salesperson

While the door-to-door salesperson is now a thing of the past, many scammers will still try to approach seniors by knocking on the door. Remind your loved ones that if they don’t know the individual at the front door, it’s best not to answer the door, especially if they are alone. Tell them to notice other family members or police if they feel unsafe in this situation.

Telephone

While many people are replacing traditional land lines with cell phones or smartphones, seniors often retain their home phone, which offers fraudsters another path to invade their life. Remind seniors not to respond to offers or provide any personal information on calls that they have not initiated.

Sit down with your seniors & go through these points as soon as possible to avoid them getting scammed or getting involved in some complicated situation. Make sure that your seniors are looked after by someone all the time, whether it’s a relative, friend, their neighbors, or a caregiver. Don’t be hesitate to contact local law enforcement if you think someone has defrauded your seniors or might be trying to do so.

If you want to know more on how to protect your seniors from scams & frauds, or need help taking care of your seniors, contact us at Home Instead Senior Care Outer East today via 03 9754 4861.

Thanks for reading through this Blog, I hope you have found it useful. If you require any further assistance please feel free to contact the office.

Kind regards,

Suzanne McLoughlin
Owner of Home Instead Senior Care Outer East

P.S. We provide free Care Consultations and resource guides to support and guide families. Download your free copies from our Aged Care Resources page or Request a Free Information Pack to receive a hard copy.