Protecting Mom or Dad from Identity Theft
Caregiver in Hudsonville MI: Protecting Mom or Dad from Identity Theft
Identity theft is using or attempting to use private information to open a new account, accessing or trying to access an existing account, or misusing private information for fraudulent purposes. Identity theft is a serious crime that can have devastating effects on the victim’s life. Unfortunately, senior citizens can be particularly susceptible to identity theft, which means that seniors and their caregivers must be especially vigilant to scams and know how to prevent identity theft.
Common Scams
Seniors are more vulnerable to identity theft because they are often more trusting and sometimes don’t closely monitor their finances. Since they are more likely than younger people to have built up home equity and savings, they are favorite targets of criminals. Some of the scams that often target seniors are:
- Estate Identity Theft: This kind of theft occurs when someone collects the Social Security checks, tax returns, or other financial benefits of a person who is recently deceased, which can leave the surviving spouse in financial distress. Sadly, this kind of theft often involves a member of the family.
- Medical Identity Theft: Medical identity theft involves stealing a person’s personal information and using it to bill Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance for medical costs.
- Phone Scams: Phone scams are abundant and can come in all sorts of disguises, but the end goal is always to obtain personal information, like credit card or account numbers.
- Tax Fraud: Tax fraud happens when a criminal uses someone’s social security number to file taxes and steal the victim’s tax return.
Tips for Protecting Seniors
There are many ways you and your parent’s caregiver can help them to avoid identity theft. The good news is that they are all easy changes to make, and can be accomplished with just a little extra care. Here are some ideas for helping to protect your mom or dad:
- Don’t talk to telemarketers. Remind the senior that they should never give personal information to telemarketers. Instead, just hang up. It’s a good idea to have your parent’s phone number put on the National Do Not Call List to minimize calls from telemarketers (donotcall.gov).
- Reduce snail mail. Criminals sometimes get personal information from credit card and insurance offers sent via regular mail. You can opt out of those kinds of offers by visiting optoutprescreen.com. Shred any mail or other papers that include personal information.
- Leave important documents at home. Senior citizens should not keep Medicare or Social Security cards in their wallets or purses. Instead, make copies of the cards and blackout the Social Security number up to the last four digits. Keep the originals in a safe place at home.
- Use the Internet wisely. Make sure the senior is aware of the dangers of online scams and keep virus protection up to date.
While many of these tips might seem like common sense, for senior citizens who grew up in a more trusting time without the dangers of identity theft, it can be difficult to know when someone is trying to trick them. Caregivers can be a valuable asset in helping senior citizens avoid common scams just by fielding telephone calls and helping seniors to practice online and print mail safety.
If you or someone you know needs help with caregiver services in Hudsonville, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.
Sources:
https://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=42
https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/public_comments/ftc-seeks-public-input-how-identity-theft-impacts-senior-citizens-project-no.p065411-00009%C2%A0/00009-83187.pdf
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