#23. Identity theft and fraud criminals are turning their attention to senior citizens
If you have a senior member of your family, you can help them to become aware of identity theft and show them what they can do to protect their identity and fight this growing crime.
A lifetime of savings may be safely sitting in a bank account to take care of retirement years. Identity thieves know they can steal that money in a matter of minutes if they can convince a trusting older person to disclose sensitive data. Most seniors grew up in a time where trust was very important, and it was rude to question a person's motives. Times have changed, but most seniors are still very trusting. Unfortunately, criminals are anxious to turn that trust into a nightmare. If you have a senior member of your family, you can help them to become aware of identity theft and show them what they can do to protect their identity and fight this growing crime.
Seniors And Technology:
Seniors have fallen in love with technology just like everyone else. They enjoy the email that allows them to contact friends right away. It's especially nice to have the convenience of email when the weather is cold or snowy. Seniors also love social media. It puts them back in touch with friends that moved away years ago. Photos of children and grandchildren are treasures to post on social media pages and share with friends. Many seniors, however, are not really technology savvy and are not aware of all the dangers that can befall them online.
Encourage your senior to buy a paper shredder, or buy a shredder for them if they are concerned about the expense. Explain that just tearing pieces of paper in halves or quarters is no longer a safe option. Teach them to become ardent shredders and then the shredded paper can be distributed to recycling centres.
Explain that it is not safe to store any important data in their wallets or handbags. ID cards, benefit cards, passwords, PINs, and other sensitive information should be kept in a drawer or cabinet that can be locked. If they are unable to memorize their passwords, they can be written in a small notebook that is also kept in the locked location. Have your loved one keep all their credit papers and contracts in the same locked place, and ask for a key for yourself in the event he or she loses theirs or if they are away on a trip and need you to access some information.
If your senior is using online banking, teach them how to identify a secure site. On a secure site, the "http" will have the letter "s" in front of it, as in "shttp//www". Secure sites also display a small yellow lock in the lower toolbar section of the page.
Email is another area where identity thieves can target seniors. The practice of "phishing" deceives many people, not just seniors, into giving away personal information without even knowing it. The "phishing" emails will usually appear to come from a bank or credit issuer. Instruct your senior to delete all mail from any bank or creditor they do not do business with, and to never log into any kind account through a link in their email even if appears to be a legitimate email. Banks seldom include a link in their emails. Your senior should login to his or her bank or other credit account through their browser. If there is important information the bank wants customers to know, it will be on the web site.
Assist your senior with monthly balancing of bank and credit statements. Look for any discrepancies. Also check credit reports on a regular basis and look for suspicious activity. It's important to catch a thief's attempts at establishing credit in the name of your loved one. Contact any organisation where an attempt has been made and be sure they know it was not the account owner making the credit applications.
It is very difficult to think of your loved ones being separated by the death of one. Unfortunately, that is a time when criminals like to prey on the survivor. Identity thieves scour the obituary columns looking for information they can use to establish a new identity. Resist the temptation to include more than a small amount of non-personal information in the obituary.
There is no reason seniors should not be able to safely go online and enjoy the social aspects of the Internet. Their trusting nature must be just a little less trusting in order to protect their identity and keep their personal information safe. By following the suggestions they can have their money in the bank and not in the pocket of a thief.