It is an unfortunate fact of life in our time that scammers are everywhere.

Think about the amount of emails that you get from “Nigerian princes” alone. While the seasoned vets can probably spot a scammer from a few hundred yards away, it isn’t so simple for your parents or elderly loved ones. That is why they might need your help.

Here are some things that you can do for your parents, including hiring an elder law attorney, to help to keep them safe from scammers.

 

Monitor Their Credit

A good indication that your parents or elder loved ones are being taken advantage of, or have had their identities stolen, is strange activity on their credit reports.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways that you can keep an eye on their credit history and monitor it for anomalies.

First, you can use any one of the identity theft protection firms that are available. Many of them offer the ability for you to add children or caregivers as people notified when something shows up.

The downside, though, is that these services all charge fees for their protection.

There are also many free services that allow you to get monthly credit reports. Using one of these services and just looking at the report yourself may not give you up-to-date warnings but are a great cost-free way to keep an eye on your elderly loved one’s credit.

 

Use the Do-Not-Call List

Having your number on the do-not-call list is a great way to avoid scammers. Many scammers pose as telemarketers, bill collectors or other agencies that can get numbers from advertised lists.

Having the number on the Do-Not-Call list keeps it off of these directories and out of the hands of criminals (not to mention that it also keeps away annoying telemarketers). Make sure to check out donotcall.gov for more details.

 

Keep an Eye on Snail Mail

Let your parents or elderly loved ones know that one way many scammers take advantage of people is by posing as legitimate billing companies requesting money.

The way that they do this is through bills sent through the mail. In order to help your parents or loved ones with these threats, you need to keep an eye on the physical mail that is being sent their way.

If you can, convince them not to send out any money to agencies that aren’t someone they would regularly send money to such as gas, electric, water, etc.

 

Watch for Charities

Sometimes scams don’t come in the form of criminal activity. Less than reputable charities can also try to take advantage of seniors.

If you see an overly large amount of donation flyers stuffed into your parent’s mailbox it may be an indication that they have been targeted by some of these charities. While not illegal, taking advantage of the limited incomes and good hearts of seniors this way is not very nice.

 

Need an Elder Law Attorney to Help with Financial Losses?

While it can be difficult to recoup money that has been lost to scammers, it is best to seek legal help in the form of an elder law attorney. Contact Stano Law group today.