Seniors are often the targets of scams. And scammers who make spam calls are getting more sophisticated at finding ways to convince seniors they are calling from a legitimate business. They can spoof numbers to fool seniors into thinking their bank, their pharmacy, or their relatives are calling them. Even seniors who are pretty savvy when it comes to protecting themselves from scams can fall victim to scam calls.
One way to prevent seniors from becoming victims of a scam call is for seniors to have home care. With home care seniors can have someone else screen their calls for them. Another way seniors can protect themselves is to sign up for the Do Not Call registry. The Do Not Call registry can stop a lot of spam and scam calls. Some other things seniors can do to spot scam calls are:
Check The Caller ID
Seniors should always check Caller ID before answering the phone. Spam calls often appear with generic names like “Unknown,” “Private Number,” or even a familiar number, but with a different area code. If the number doesn’t come up or it’s not familiar to them seniors should wait to see if they leave a message.
Don’t Answer If The Number Doesn’t Look Right
Often scammers who are calling from other countries will have an area code that looks off or that has an odd number of digits. Seniors should always send calls coming from unusual numbers or numbers that look strange to voicemail. If it’s a legitimate call they will leave you a voicemail.
Hang Up On Pre-Recorded Calls
If seniors answer a call and there is a one or two second delay then a recording starts they should hang up immediately. Pre-recorded calls are almost always spam calls.
Listen To What’s Going On In The Background
When scammers call they often call from crowded, noisy, or loud environments that don’t like professional settings. When seniors pick up a call and hear voices talking in another language, loud noises, street noises, or anything that doesn’t sound like a professional office they should just hang up.
Pay attention to the background noise during the call. Spam calls might originate from call centers or noisy environments, which can be a clue that the call is not genuine.
Hang Up And Call Directly
If seniors receive a call where the caller says they are from the bank, the pharmacy, or another business where seniors do business regularly the best thing for seniors to do is hang up and call that business directly. Remember that a legitimate business won’t ask you for personal information like your Social Security number over the phone.
There’s An App for That
Call blocking apps for smartphones do a good job screening out scam calls or at least warning seniors that the number might not be legitimate. The apps are usually free and can be helpful for seniors. They can also block reported scam numbers automatically so they don’t ring through to the phone.
Sources:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200414005127/en/Robocallers-Tried-to-Scam-Nearly-Half-of-Senior-Citizens-Out-of-Money-In-2019
https://ncoa.org/article/top-5-financial-scams-targeting-older-adults
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Vicksburg, MI, please contact the caring staff at Fresh Perspective Home Care today. Call (269) 329-4717.
Fresh Perspective Home Care is a trusted non-medical senior home care provider in Kalamazoo, Portage, Mattawan, Richland, Vicksburg, Schoolcraft, Three Rivers, Gull Lake, Yorkville and Otsego, Michigan.
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