Posts Tagged ‘scams targeting older americans’

Scams are nothing new, but as technology evolves, the scams evolve right along with it. But scams don’t always come in the form of emails or hacked online accounts, especially when they’re targeting older adults. There are a few things that tend to make older Americans more vulnerable to scams, and the fact that they’re often thought of as having significant funds at their disposal makes them prime targets.

That said, it’s not just the wealthy older Americans who fall victim to scams and financial abuse. Low-income adults are just as likely to be the targets of scams, so let’s take a look at some of the things for which you should be on the lookout.

Medicare Fraud

One common technique is for scammers to call Americans over the age of 65 and pretend to be calling from Medicare so they can get their target to give them their personal information over the phone.

Another tactic is for scammers to provide bogus medical services for older Americans in mobile clinics, then they use the information they collect from their “patients” to collect money from Medicare. They make sure to use mobile clinics so they can disappear before anyone realizes what they’ve done.

Fake Prescription Drugs

With the cost of prescription drugs going up, older Americans, who are most often living on a fixed income, are increasingly turning to the internet to find more affordable options for the drugs they need. This has created an opportunity for scammers to sell fake prescription drugs online to seniors who need certain medications, but can’t always afford the high prices charged by their local pharmacy.

This scam is especially dangerous because, not only are older Americans robbed of what little money they have to spend on their medical needs, but the fact that they are then given something that won’t help their medical condition could ultimately lead to the worsening of that medical condition.

Funeral Scams

We all know that funerals can be expensive, but people who are unaware of just how expensive a funeral can be are vulnerable to unscrupulous funeral home owners who often use this lack of familiarity with the actual costs of their products and services to grossly overcharge the grieving family members of the recently deceased. One common scam is for funeral homes to insist that even direct cremations need to be made in one of the most expensive caskets, even when a much less expensive casket will do.

Another common funeral scam is for strangers to attend a funeral, then approach the grieving next of kin and insist the deceased owed them a substantial amount of money.

Telemarketing

This generation of older Americans is accustomed to buying things over the phone, which leaves them vulnerable to scammers calling them and offering to sell them bogus products or services over the phone. The problem with these scams is they are incredibly hard to trace. Once the payment information has been provided, the scammer is essentially able to take the money and run, and to make matters worse, the name and phone number of the target is often shared with other scammers, so the same person is often scammed multiple times before they even realize it.

Whether you want to help protect your aging loved one from scams, or just the normal hazards of aging (or both), we at Stillwater Senior Living are here to help. Just reach out now to see how we can help your loved ones age as safely and comfortably as possible.