Ways to Avoid Scams for Older Adults
Scammers focus their attention primarily on the elderly. Older adults tend to have a more trusting nature and find it easy to communicate with strangers. Similarly, they do not have the most expansive knowledge of technology and can easily be tricked by internet scams. Luckily, here are some great tips that you can share with them so they can try their best to avoid these scams.
Share sensitive information with trusted people only. A lot of your banking and personal information is to remain private. Things such as your PIN, SSN, account number, or card number are only to be shared with trusted individuals. Do not share it over the phone or through email, and make sure to shred any paperwork that has the information on it.
Use services that have good references. Having people work near or in your home gives easy access to scammers. That is why it is so important to only use services that come with good references from your friends and family. More importantly, if someone is working closely with you in your home, you should look into getting a background check before hiring them.
Take time before you purchase anything. A salesman that is making an urgent pitch is a red flag. Urgent sales pitches are meant to get you to agree to something without giving much thought to it, which could be a scam. Know that you can take your time and do not have to agree to anything immediately.
Only sign contracts you understand completely. It is easy to get overwhelmed and confused by a contract. If that is the case, do not sign anything until you have someone you trust to take a look over it. You can take your time to read over and understand it before your sign.
Do not believe prize-winning notifications. A lot of scammers want to entice you with the idea of prize money or a free vacation. Do not fall for these messages. Unless you have signed up for a legitimate contest, these are just attempts at trying to get your personal information.
Only shop with established online companies. There is a risk when putting your banking information into websites. Therefore, you should make sure that you are only shopping from accredited online companies that have the lock symbol, which shows the website is safe to use.
Research any charity before donating. There are “charities” that are just the face of a scam. It is so important for you to research any organization you want to donate to.
Got Medicare Questions?
We hope this information on ways to avoid scams for older adults is helpful to you.
If you have questions about your Medicare coverage, call Empower Brokerage today. Let us help with your Medicare questions so you can get back to the activities you enjoy the most. (888) 446-9157 or click here to get an INSTANT QUOTE
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