Scammers may try to cheat seniors by claiming that seniors have outstanding tax debts. They also sometimes will try to convince seniors that they can get an early tax refund by allowing the scammer to file their taxes. Seniors should know that the IRS will never call or use social media to message them. All communications from the IRS will come in letters that are delivered by the USPS.

If you’re worried that your senior loved one could get scammed make sure that they:

Have Home Care

Home care can help seniors avoid getting scammed. A home care provider can be the one to answer any calls to the house phone, which is usually how seniors are targeted. When a care provider answers the phone instead of your senior parent they can listen for the telltale signs of a scam and get rid of the caller before they can talk to your senior parent. The care provider can then block the scammers’ number so that they can’t call back. A care provider can also run interference in other ways to make sure that scammers don’t ever get the chance to directly talk with your senior loved one.

Have Spending Limits On Their Accounts

Another way that you can prevent scammers from taking advantage of your senior loved one is to have spending limits put on their accounts. If you are a cosigner on the accounts you can have a spending limit put on any accounts so that your senior loved one can’t spend more than a certain amount. That way if a scammer does manage to get access to your senior parent’s information they won’t be able to take more than that amount of money. It can limit the amount of damage that a scammer can do if they are successful.

Have a Prepaid Credit Card

Another option for limiting the damage that scammers can do is to get a prepaid debit card for your senior parent to use. They will only be able to spend the amount that is prepaid on the card and once they have hit that limit the card won’t work anymore. That will make it much more difficult for scammers to get any significant amounts of money from your senior loved one.

Have Identity Theft Protection

Tax scammers will often try to get personal information from seniors not just access to their bank accounts. If a scammer gets your senior parent’s information they can steal their identity. Having identity theft protection and monitoring can stop scammers from stealing the identity of your senior parent.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Home Care Services in Voorhees NJ, please contact the caring staff at Attentive Care Inc. at 1-800-493-5660

The post Things Seniors Can Do To Avoid Tax Scams appeared first on Attentive Care, Inc..

Computer tech support scams
Government impersonation scams
Grandparent scams
Lottery and sweepstakes scams
Robocalls and phone scams

The FCC is trying to crack down as there are about four million robocalls going out to Americans every month. The FCC issued cease-and-desist notices to any voice service provider where the calls originate. If they don’t stop, their service shuts down.

While this helps, it doesn’t stop all calls, text messages, online chat requests, and door-to-door scams. What can you do to keep your dad safe from scams?

Set Up His Phone Service

If your dad has a cell phone or VoIP phone, take control and change the settings to block all unlisted or unknown callers. If he happens to have a Pixel, Google offers a service where it prescreens calls to only allow legitimate calls to go through after the caller responds to the AI.

When callers slip through, make sure those phone numbers are added to your dad’s blocked caller list. Eventually, the only calls he’ll get are the legitimate ones.

Install a Doorbell Camera

To keep unwanted scammers from your dad’s door, install a doorbell camera. When someone is at his door, you can use the app on your phone or computer to talk to the person. If it’s a legitimate visitor, you can tell your dad it’s okay to open the door. If not, you can tell them to leave and even call the police if they’re being persistent.

Place Warnings Near His Computer

Whether your dad uses a tablet, computer, or laptop, make sure you put a warning note on or near it that offers the important safety rules on the internet. Include items like never giving out his personal information to a stranger, not opening links in emails without first verifying the link is legitimate with the company and using passwords that are not easy to guess.

If your dad forgets his password, he’ll click a “Forgot My Password” link or button on the bank, store, or other online service’s webpage. At that point, he’ll get an email that will likely have a link. He’s expecting that email, so he’s okay clicking the link.

But, if he gets an email from his bank saying he needs to click the link and log in to check his account, he needs to stop and call his bank to verify they sent it. It’s very likely a phishing scam.

Use Home Care Services to Prevent Loneliness

Is your dad alone all week? If so, he is more likely to talk to strangers who come to his door, send him an online message, or call him on the phone. Keep him safe from scammers by making sure he’s not feeling lonely. Arrange home care services to ensure he has others to talk to throughout the week.

Sources: https://ncoa.org/article/top-5-financial-scams-targeting-older-adults
https://www.fcc.gov/spoofed-robocalls

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Home Care Services in Williamstown NJ, please contact the caring staff at Attentive Care Inc. at 1-800-493-5660

The post Keep Your Dad Safe From Scammers appeared first on Attentive Care, Inc..