The elderly are often made targets of scammers and con artists because they are the perfect victim. Usually with retirement and investment savings, an elderly person is typically trusting, knows little about technology and makes for an ineffective and forgetful witness, notes the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If your parents have been the victims of identity theft, scamming and other schemes, protect them by education them about future scams and making sure that they aren't taken my con men again.
Step 1
Protect your parent's identities. Make sure that they know how to properly order items from the Internet and to look for signs of a reputable store. Have them call you before making a phone or online purchase so you can check out the company before telling your parents to give the company their credit card information. One disreputable website is all it takes for your parents' credit card and personal information to be sold to unscrupulous scammers.
Step 2
Purchase your parents a paper shredder and make sure they retrieve their mail as soon as it comes each day. Any documents that have personal information such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers or Social Security numbers should be shredded, notes the Attorney General's website. Scammers can go through your parent's garbage to find personal information to use against them during a scam.
Step 3
Hire a neighbor or family member to come check on your parents, especially after being scammed. Your parents are likely scared and embarrassed, so they may not recognize another scam immediately. If a scammer knows that your parents are always alone, they may be easy targets. If you don't live nearby, make sure your parents have regular support from someone who cares about them, suggests BankRate.com.
Step 4
Place your parents on the "Do Not Call" list and explain to them that they should no longer receive telemarketing calls, says the California Department of Consumer Affairs. Your parents should be immediately suspicious of any telemarketer that contacts them. After being scammed, it's important that you teach your elderly parents to question even the nicest-sounding salesman and check with you before committing to any sort of donation, time share or purchase.
Step 5
Report any further suspicious activity to the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission or the AARP. All have scam-reporting departments that track suspicious companies and individuals to protect other seniors from the same experience. By reporting the scam, your parents can feel like they are taking control of the situation rather than being hapless victims.
Things You'll Need
- Paper shredder
