Fraud Prevention Archives - Golden Heart Walnut Creek

Social media can be a great way for seniors to stay connected to family, make friends, and even find romance later in life. But, there are a lot of scammers using social media to find vulnerable people and steal from them. Seniors who may not know much about social media have a high risk of being scammed on social media. And seniors may also inadvertently share sensitive information on social media that can put them at risk. These tips can help seniors use social media safely and avoid being scammed:

Strong Passwords

Seniors should create strong, unique passwords for their social media accounts. Avoid using easily guessable information, such as birthdays or names, and consider a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. Use a password manager to keep track of your login details securely. Seniors also can ask a home care provider to write down their passwords and keep them in safe space so that seniors can access them if they need to.

Use Privacy Control Settings

Most social media platforms offer privacy settings that allow you to control who can see your content and engage with you. Adjust these settings to limit your information’s visibility to only friends and family, rather than making it public. Seniors who are unsure of how to use their privacy control settings should ask a home care provider for help.

Be Careful When Accepting Friend Requests

Be cautious when accepting friend requests. Ensure you know the person personally or have a mutual connection before adding them to your friends’ list. Fake profiles and scammers often target seniors. Even if a profile says it’s someone that you know verify that the account really belongs to that person before accepting their friend request.

Avoid Oversharing

It’s essential to avoid oversharing personal information on social media. Refrain from posting your full name, address, phone number, or other sensitive information that could be exploited by cybercriminals.

Phishing Awareness

Be cautious about clicking on links or opening attachments from unknown or suspicious sources. Phishing attempts are prevalent on social media, and they often trick users into revealing their personal information. Never click on links in emails or direct messages. Instead, go directly to that website in a secure browser.

Use Two-Factor Authentication

Enable 2FA on your social media accounts whenever possible. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring you to provide a code or use a second device to log in, in addition to your password. Many seniors find two-factor authentication annoying, but it does provide protection.

Recognize Scams

Seniors should be aware of common online scams, such as the “grandparent scam,” where scammers impersonate a family member in distress and ask for money. Always verify the identity of the person making such requests through other means.

Think Before You Post

Think twice before posting anything online, as once it’s out there, it can be challenging to take back. Always consider the potential consequences of your posts, especially if they contain personal or sensitive information.

Report Abuse and Harassment

If you encounter any abusive or harassing behavior on social media, report it to the platform administrators. They take these matters seriously and will investigate and take appropriate action.

Limit Third-Party Apps

Be cautious when giving access to your social media accounts to third-party apps. These apps can potentially access your personal information and post on your behalf. Only use apps and services from reputable sources.

Regularly Review Friend List

Periodically review your list of friends or connections on social media. Remove or unfriend individuals you no longer wish to stay connected with.

Be Skeptical of “Too Good to Be True” Offers

Scammers often entice victims with offers that seem too good to be true. Whether it’s a lottery win or an unbelievable deal, approach such offers with caution and verify their legitimacy.

Don’t Share Financial Information

Never share your financial information, such as credit card details or social security numbers, on social media. Legitimate organizations will never request such information through social platforms.

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Lafayette, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.

When seniors are aging at home, there is a risk that they will become the victims of a scam. Many seniors fall for scams that are cleverly designed to trick them into giving up their personal information, bank account information, or credit card information. Scammers have created very sophisticated scams that anyone could fall for, especially seniors who may not be very tech savvy. If your senior loved one is the victim of a scam they may not realize it, or they may be too embarrassed to tell you about it. But if you see any of these four signs you should act as if your senior loved one has been scammed and take action immediately to try and mitigate the financial damage:

Money Disappearing

If you are a signer on your senior parent’s accounts or if you keep track of their finances for them and you notice that money is disappearing that could be a sign they have been scammed. Carefully check where the money is going. If the money is going to the pharmacy or to local businesses then it could be money that your senior loved one is spending. But if the money is only going to online businesses and the amounts are more than your senior loved one usually spends you should freeze those debits and credit cards and look into those purchases.

Your Senior Loved One Skimping On Things

Is your senior loved one not keeping as much food in the house? Or have you noticed that they have cut back on cable TV or other services that they used to have? If your senior loved one is skimping on things they may have lost money to a scam and they are too embarrassed to tell you. If your senior loved one has senior home care as the provider why those services are disappearing. And ask the home care provider to keep an eye on things like how well the pantry is stocked and to let you know if it seems like your senior loved one is worrying about money.

Bills Not Getting Paid

Many seniors set up automatic payments for their bills to make sure that the bills are paid on time. If you notice that your senior loved one is getting bills in the mail that haven’t been paid even though they are on automatic payments check to make sure that the automatic payments are going through. If there is low money in your senior parent’s accounts the bills could be bouncing because of that.

Debt Collection Calls

If your senior loved one is starting to get debt collection calls but they don’t owe any debts that could be a sign they were scammed. If scammers opened up accounts in your senior parent’s name using their personal information your senior parent could get calls from collection companies when the scammers default on the debt. Ask the debt collectors for information like account numbers and any evidence of the debt. You may need that documentation to fight the debt and prove that your senior parent never opened the account.

Source
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20050516/why-elderly-people-may-be-more-easily-misled

If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Lafayette, CA, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Walnut Creek. (925) 203-3039.

Tag: Fraud Prevention

Social Media Safety Tips For Seniors