3 Tips for Preventing Identity Theft in Seniors
Identity theft is a unfortunate reality for many people. According to LifeLock, 16.7 million Americans were subject to some form of identity theft in 2017.
Seniors can be prime targets for these crimes for a multitude of reasons:
- They often have more money since they have had more time to save than younger individuals.
- Generational differences play a role; this is not only shown in comfort with technology, but a general feeling of trusting others more easily than younger generations do.
- They also may be more trusting as they are used to accepting help from not only family and friends, but also complete strangers if the senior lives in a hospital or nursing home.
- Living in one of the aforementioned places also causes a risk for identity theft, as the senior’s personal information is passed through many unknown people during the course of the day for care purposes.
- Seniors who are living at home and in control of their finances may be hesitant to tell anyone if they believe they are the victims of identity theft. They could fear that, by admitting this, their family will believe that they can no longer remain independent.
If seniors are prime targets for identity theft, how do you prevent identity theft in seniors?
Before you start prevention, you should be aware of how identities can be taken. Criminals steal information in many different ways. They may steal mail, gaining access to bank accounts and other sensitive information. They could send mail that looks official from a charity or bank asking for personal information or account numbers or money to be sent; this is also a common occurrence in online “phishing” over email. Phone scams occur as well, often trying to convince the individual to share sensitive info over the phone. Finally, credit card swiping can happen any time you hand your card to a salesperson or waiter.
But, like we mentioned, there are ways to prevent this!
Protect Private Information & Documents
Make sure unused financial documents, sensitive mail, any credit card information or even solicitations, and any documents or mail containing personal information gets shredded.
Credit cards should be guarded carefully. Watch what your server and salespeople do with your card when finalizing your purchase. If you have any credit cards that you rarely or never use, cut those up!
If someone asks to copy your loved one’s license, don’t let them. Anyone who copies a license has access to and is able to give away freely the information such as name, address, and license number and use it in a malicious way.
To reduce the chance of stolen mail or checks, get a P.O. box, a locked mail box, or have the important mail sent to your office.
Keep Trustworthy People Around
Make sure your loved ones’ caregivers are trustworthy, discuss common scams with them, keep an eye on their financial activity, and sign them up for identity theft protection. Caregivers are often put in situations where they have a lot of access to sensitive information, so make sure background checks have been conducted by the company who provides them.
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Educate Your Loved Ones
You can also make seniors more aware of ways they may be scammed; going through the IRS “Dirty Dozen” can help you have this conversation. If you have access, keeping an eye for suspicious activity on your loved one’s accounts may also be necessary. Having them signed up for identity theft protection is a great way to be alerted to anything suspicious.
Identity theft is a common problem, but that doesn’t mean you and your loved one are helpless against it. If you follow those tips for preventing identity theft in seniors, you can be confident that you are doing all you can do to protect what you care about.
Trustworthy Companion Care in Frederick & Montgomery Counties, MD
Thrive USA wants to help you protect your loved ones from identity theft. As experts in companion care, we are trained in protecting seniors in many ways and giving you peace of mind when you can’t do it on your own. Our thoroughly screened and vetted Personal Care Coaches provide the best care in the business, giving you peace of mind knowing your loved one is safe with an honest caregiver. Schedule your consultation today!