How Caregivers and Their Loved Ones Can Prevent Fraud

This National Family Caregivers' Month, Better Business Bureau(R) (BBB(R)) celebrates and honors those who provide care to others, and offers tips on protecting loved ones from fraud. 

Family care is common - just over 1.2M people in Illinois and another 1.2M in Missouri are family caregivers. Over 11 million American adults care for someone with Alzheimer's disease or dementia, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many family caregivers are older adults themselves. 

In many cases, caregivers are not just supporting someone's health or medical needs, but also their financial wellbeing. Older adults, especially those living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, may need extra support to protect themselves from fraud. 

"Scam and fraud awareness is a complex mental task, and it's harder for those who have a condition that impacts memory, thinking and behavior," said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. "One of the best ways to prevent fraud is for caregivers to know the signs and talk about it with their loved ones." 

BBB recommends that older adults and their caregivers familiarize themselves with common scams and make a plan for what to do if they receive a strange call or message. 
 
I'm a caregiver - how can I help my loved one avoid fraud? 

 Watch for warning signs. It may be time to talk with your loved one if they are receiving frequent junk or spam calls, making unfamiliar payments, acting secretive about phone calls or messages, or experiencing sudden financial trouble. 
 Talk about fraud with your loved one. Help them be as prepared as possible - discuss what common scams look like and encourage them to ignore suspicious messages or phone calls. Make sure they know that you are there to help if something doesn't seem right, and that they can tell you if they receive a strange call or message. 
 Reduce solicitations. Register all unsolicited phone numbers on the "Do Not Call" registry and all unsolicited mail on the "Do Not Mail" registry. You can also reduce unwanted mail by registering with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). Remove a person's name from the credit bureau's mailing list by calling the Consumer Credit and Reporting Industry at (1.888.567.8688). 
 Screen calls. Make sure your loved one has a working caller ID and answering machine. Advise them not to answer the phone for people they don't know, and keep in mind that caller ID can be spoofed. If someone is a frequent target for spam calls, you may need to help them change their phone number. 
 Discuss financial security. In some cases, it may be helpful to have a discussion with your loved one about helping them secure their accounts and monitor their finances to prevent and identify scams. 
 Make a recovery plan. If you think a loved one has been targeted by a scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker. You may find yourself needing to help someone figure out what to do after they've already experienced a scam - BBB's Scam Survival Toolkit can give you a starting point to make a personalized recovery plan.