One Middle Tennessee non-profit has some advice for those who want to protect their elderly parents from scams.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — At a time when seniors should be enjoying retirement, scammers target their hard-earned savings and prey on their vulnerabilities.
“A lot of older adults are lonely. They’re isolated at home. Maybe their friends have moved away or passed away. Their children aren’t close, and they’re lonely,” community engagement director for non-profit Age Well Middle Tennessee, Paula Daigle, told News 2. “So if someone calls, they answer the phone and (scammers) try to befriend them.”
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Often, it works because of their openness toward strangers.
“They were raised to be a very trusting generation, a very rule following generation, so they make the assumption that everyone has their best interest at heart,” Daigle said.
Sadly, that’s not the case. Daigle works to educate seniors about the dangers they face when the phone rings or when they go online.
“I go out in the community and speak on scams, talking to older adults about why they’re targeted,” Daigle said. “It’s the romance scams. It’s the tech support scams. I’s the officer impersonation or you’re in trouble scams.”
Daigle reassured people they shouldn’t be embarrassed or ashamed if they get scammed because perpetrators’ sophisticated tactics could fool anyone.
“With AI, it’s very difficult. I find it hard as well to figure out what’s real and legitimate,” Daigle said. “I really try to encourage them. If you’re getting weird phone calls, if you are getting scammed, let your children know. Let your faith community know. Let your friend network know because the more we share, hopefully we can [help] someone else not get scammed.”
It’s a touchy subject. However, Daigle said that the children of older adults should be proactive when they talk with their parents about scammers.
“All of us with aging parents — I’m a caregiver myself — really just be open and say, ‘Hey, let’s talk about this. Here are some signs. I’m getting these phone calls, too,'” Daigle suggested. “Showing them safety features on their phone or their computers, maybe implementing some software on their computers that would protect them.”
Even though many of these crimes are virtual and not physical, Daigle said that scamming an older adult is elder abuse.
“You’re hurting them financially. You’re hurting them emotionally,” Daigle added. “You’re taking away that adult’s ability to possibly live alone, to live safely, to have dignity, because they’re losing their funds. It is a form of elder abuse.”
If you or your family member has been scammed, you can reach out to Age Well for resources on how to report it.