The Scam Alert Blog

The vast majority of scammers, both offline and online, are targeting one segment of our population; our elders. There are reasons that scams involving older people are effective and sometimes unreported, but there is a simple way to keep this from happening.

One of the main reasons that senior citizens are more at risk than their children is that they for the most part come from a more trusting time and background. A time when you didn’t have to be suspicious of everyone around you. It comes as no surprise that people who are more trusting of strangers are more taken advantage of.

Another reason seniors can be targetted far easier is that they often don’t want to feel like they are being a burden to their children so they seek help from someone who, unknown to them, does not have their best interests at heart. A potential victim of a scam may answer an unscrupulous advertisement for handy work around the house because they feel they’ve already asked too much of their adult children when it comes to helping take care of their home.

Then there is the embarassment factor that happens when someone realizes they have been scammed. Thieves are getting better at their “jobs” and are coming up with more elaborate and deceptive ways at separating people from their money. There is no shame in getting scammed, only shame in not doing something about it. Older people often have a hard time admitting to their children that they were the victims of a scam. They feel it will make them look less intelligent or wise in their kids’ eyes. This misplaced pride can often times result in nothing being done to either apprehend the scammer or to get the word out and protect others from being scammed.

The solution to this problem is communication. Older people need to be informed that they are a target and to approach most financial situations with a cautious eye on the person or company they are dealing with. Adult children need to stay involved in their parents’ lives and let them know that its okay to seek their advice or check something out with them. Don’t let pride or fear of embarassment be the crook’s best friend.