Safeguarding Your Older Loved Ones From Scams: A Family Caregiver’s Role
Whether it’s an AI-powered scam or a too-good-to-be-true romance scheme, fraudsters are becoming increasingly skilled at exploiting the vulnerabilities of older adults. And as highlighted in a recent New York Times story, even the most engaged family members can struggle to convince their loved ones they’re being targeted. Scammers often use tactics that aim to fill emotional gaps – offering companionship, financial security, or a sense of purpose – making it even harder to intervene. While it’s not always easy to protect someone you care about, family caregivers can focus on reducing the vulnerabilities in the lives of those they care for that scammers often exploit.
1. Educate yourself and your loved one about what to look out for
Being well-informed is a good start to building up your loved one’s ability to fend off scammers. Many people – particularly older adults – don’t realize they’ve been targeted until it’s too late, so it’s important to be proactive in discussing how to identify and avoid common scams before they happen. Providing real-world examples, such as how even financially savvy younger adults can fall victim to a convincing scam (like this financial-advice columnist), helps reframe the conversation as a universal issue rather than one of age or cognitive ability. Given the rapidly changing nature of fraud tactics, you may even want to set aside time for you and your loved one to regularly discuss what new scams you both need to watch out for.
You can read more in this article about common warning signs and how to respond, but here are a few techniques scammers rely on that can help you or your loved one identify them as bad actors:
- What they are offering seems “too good to be true”
- There’s a false sense of urgency or scarcity that pushes you to act right away
- You need to pay or invest first to collect winnings
- They use threats or scare tactics while posing as a representative of a government agency or financial institution
- You’re asked for personal or financial information (e.g. Social Security Number, birthdate, etc.) when they initiated contact
- You’re encouraged to keep quiet and “tell no one”
- They’ll only accept payment via cash, a wire transfer service like Western Union, a payment app like Venmo, or a gift card
Staying informed of emerging scams is also crucial to avoiding fraud. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides updates about scams to avoid regularly. Here are a few examples of those that commonly target older adults:
2. Address the social vulnerabilities that put your older loved ones at risk
While cognitive decline and memory disorders can make older adults more vulnerable to financial abuse, these aren’t the only factors that can put us at greater risk of scams as we age. Research indicates that social isolation and loneliness are also significant risk factors for elder financial abuse. Without regular social interaction, older adults may become more trusting of strangers who reach out, even if those strangers are scammers. Additionally, isolation can lead to an increased reliance on phone or online interactions, where many scams now originate.
Consider these ways of addressing common social vulnerabilities that could be exploited:
Check in more frequently - Regular phone calls, visits, or video chats can help provide connection and reassurance for older loved ones living on their own. For example, try creating and sticking to a weekly time to chat with your loved one so they have something to look forward to, and involve other family members as well. And even if you don’t have time for a full conversation, a check-in text, quick video message, or a shared photo from your day can go far in helping maintain a meaningful connection.
Foster social engagement with a community - When older adults feel connected to a community, they are less likely to seek validation or support from strangers, who may turn out to be scammers. Help your loved one find local senior centers, clubs, or classes that match their interests, such as exercise groups, book clubs, or craft workshops. For those hesitant to join new activities, offer to go with them initially to ease any anxieties.
Encourage hobbies or passions - Involvement in hobbies and passion projects can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment, reducing the emotional void scammers often target. Whether it’s a lifelong interest or a new hobby, staying busy with meaningful activities helps shift their focus from external promises of fulfillment to self-driven satisfaction. Activities like knitting groups, volunteering, or enrolling in painting classes can provide a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
3. Help set up safeguards and boundaries
While technology can be used to defraud older adults, it can also serve as a protection measure. Financial tools, communication filters, and monitoring practices can help reduce risk of scammers succeeding and help catch unusual behavior early, minimizing the chance of more costly losses if the scammers gain a foothold. You can learn more about how technology can help protect your loved one from financial abuse in this article, but here is a highlight of some tools to consider:
Credit and smart account monitoring - Credit monitoring services can help spot errors or signs of identity theft, while smart account monitoring tools also include features to detect suspicious activity, duplicate charges, and spending changes. You can set up these services to alert you and/or your loved one depending on your situation.
Spending safeguards that help protect independence - Tools like the True Link Visa® Prepaid Card can help prevent scam attempts while still allowing your loved one to make purchases on their own and maintain some financial autonomy. Family members can use the True Link platform to set up spending rules, block specific merchants or categories, and limit online or over-the-phone transactions. Text alerts can also help family caregivers stay informed of large purchases, blocked transactions, or low balances, allowing you to detect issues before they arise.
And it’s not just financial safeguards that can be helpful, blocking opportunities for scammers to get in touch with your loved ones can also serve as an important line of defense.
Block calls and text messages from scammers - Tools like teleCalm – built specifically for people with dementia – can be set up to identify and block calls from known scammers and telemarketers, or a caregiver can put in place more customized rules based on their loved one’s unique situation. If texts are a concern, you can turn on built-in features like the iPhone’s “Filter Unknown Senders” or Android’s “Spam Protection” to help identify scam texts. You might also consider one of these third-party apps.
“Parental controls” and app monitoring on devices - As scammers become less successful with phone calls or texts, they are increasingly turning to other platforms and apps, like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or dating websites to communicate with and defraud their targets. As the AARP suggests, family caregivers may want to activate parental control features that restrict or require approval for new app downloads, report on app downloads and usage, and/or limit when a device can be used.
Safeguarding older loved ones from scams goes beyond blocking calls or setting up financial safeguards – it’s about building a support system that addresses their social needs and vulnerabilities and continues to evolve as scam tactics evolve. While no single strategy guarantees complete protection, a proactive and collaborative approach can reduce risks, help them maintain independence, and help protect them from scams.
