Saving Seniors from Identity Theft

by Karl Edmunds ::

Recently my mother talked with someone on the phone she believed was connected to her bank asking for some account information updates. Assuming the best, she willingly gave the information over the phone to a complete stranger. Shortly thereafter, she became the victim of identity theft.

Seniors are living in a fantasy land when they innocently believe this crime will never happen to them. The techniques criminals use to swipe identities are almost unlimited creating a victim every two seconds in the United States. There is no immediate pain involved until long after the crime has been committed. Victims then begin a long path of costly, time consuming activities to recover. And in some cases the personal, financial and emotional harm is beyond repair.

Elderly people are common targets because they tend to have more cash and financial accounts than younger people and seniors tend to trust too readily at times when a sweet sounding caller connects with them by phone or an official looking email shows up. In addition, the senior population is a very large demographic in the US with personal information attached to all types of first class and junk mail.

Seniors who have been living for long periods of time in the same neighborhoods also tend to trust the safety of the area too much. This leads to open windows and unlocked doors or garage doors remaining up for periods of time making them potential targets for a variety of home based crimes.

Caregivers to seniors can assist in reducing the risks of these crimes by:

• Posting reminders to close and lock doors and windows;
• Asking about phone calls and people knocking on doors;
• Setting up hidden cameras to watch both exterior and interior of the home;
• Buying a pet, if care can be given.
• Purchasing outside security services if finances allow;
• Buying Identity Theft protection services;
• Using direct deposit services at banks to avoid checks in the mail;
• Removing excess cash and valuables from the home or buying a secure safe;
• Inquiring about new friendships that seem unusual;
• Verifying locks, alarms and lights are working properly;
• Teaching seniors about scams on the computer and how to avoid them.

Elderly people that are single or advanced in age are classic targets because loneliness and age related declines in memory and awareness create the perfect situation for a scam of some type to occur.

Seniors must be continuously educated and reminded to never give account numbers over the phone regardless of the reason, never purchase anything sold door to door and to communicate to caregivers about all unexpected home related calls and activities. This will help identify potential problems before a disaster happens.

There are a variety of identity protection plans to protect your identity from being stolen in the first place as well as restore your good name if a problem occurs. The two leading identity theft providers are:

• LifeLock
• Identity Guard

One of the best scams out there is soliciting your participation in an identity theft service by a scam organization seeking to capture your credit card information so be careful.

The best advice for seniors is to be aware and skeptical. Know that you are constantly in the crosshairs of scammers. Protect yourself doing the basics around the home and perhaps add some added safety with a qualified identity protection service.

__________________________________________________________________________________
About the Author

For more than 20 years, Karl Edmunds has been a noted author within the business and management consulting arena. As a senior, he now engages his curiosity and observations about life to write about key issues of importance to the growing community of seniors (Boomers), and the value of living life to the fullest every single day. Give me your comments and suggests at http://For-Seniors.org Tags: care givers, identity theft, identity theft protection, lifelock, senior identity thieft