Senior citizens can be a very friendly and generous group of people. But, that generosity can land them in some serious trouble because there are a lot of people out there willing to take advantage of their giving nature.
The Vicker’s Garden Women’s Institute hosted a workshop Monday with Det. Const. Diane MacLaurin to educate seniors on how they can protect themselves from the many scams that exist today.
“Anyone can be a victim,” MacLaurin said following the presentation.
“The person who is defrauding you is going to be really good at it. They are going to say things and do things and find a way that works well . . . to get the money from you.”
MacLaurin outlined different ways seniors can be defrauded out of potentially thousands of dollars, including debit and credit card fraud, telemarketing, door-to-door salespeople, and even the potential of family members taking advantage of their loved ones.
“A lot of it is under-reported because I think once people wind up being the victim they think: ah well, it’s already happened, so I’m not going to pursue it any further,” MacLaurin said. “So it’s hard to put a number on it, but I think the more education we do, hopefully we’ll be able to lessen it.”
Fraud is becoming one of the fastest growing crimes in Canada, said MacLaurin. In 2008, more than $500 million was lost to debit and credit card fraud in Canada, compared to the $3 million in robberies and counterfeit money.
Such figures are “mind boggling,” said Jean Wilson, president of the Vicker’s Garden Women’s Institute. “I’m hoping this workshop will help enlighten a lot of these people about how they can get scammed.”
There are simple things a person can do to protect themselves from debit or credit card fraud. One way is to change your pin number often. An easy way to remember to do this is to change your pin number every time you change the batteries in your smoke alarm. If you are worried you will have trouble remembering a new number, MacLaurin suggests just reversing your old number. For example, a pin number of 1234 could be changed to 4321.
MacLaurin also suggests that if you do not use your debit card, cut it up and throw it away. It is a bad idea to carry numerous cards along with your social insurance card and birth certificate at all times, she said, explaining that if your wallet or purse were stolen, the information could be used for identity theft.
Several scams directly target seniors, MacLaurin said, citing the Grandparent Scam or Emergency Scam as one of the more prominent ones in the city. The Grandparent Scam involves an individual calling a senior proclaiming to be their grandchild. The caller will say they have been in an accident and need money. It is estimated that in Thunder Bay alone, more than $28,000 has been taken from people via this scam.
“Anyone who is thinking from the heart is vulnerable,” MacLaurin said.
“Seniors as a whole are a very generous and friendly group,” added Wilson. “They can get caught so easily.”
Seniors also need to be careful that their own family members don’t take advantage of them. Often times, seniors will not want to call police on their own children or loved ones, but, MacLaurin said, they still need to protect themselves. One thing they need to be particularly careful about is who is handling their power of attorney.
“It’s that knowledge that you really have to protect yourself from somebody that is supposed to be taking care of you and making sure you’re not giving out your pin number, and you’re not giving out that information so that person isn’t taking advantage of you,” MacLaurin said.
She explained that the best protection from potential scams is to be vigilant and ask questions.
“If somebody comes to your door and you’re not sure if you want to donate to that person, or you’re not sure if it’s real, ask questions,” she said. “Don’t donate at the door. If it’s a phone call, don’t do anything right there on the phone.”
It is also important to be educated about potential scams that are out there. MacLaurin said people should be checking the media for reports on scams and workshops, such as the one held Monday, to stay informed.
“One of the best things you can do is get the education,” she said. “A lot of it is being proactive. You can stop it before it happens, and if you have the knowledge you’re not going to have the victims.”
“It gives them a lot of knowledge that maybe they shouldn’t be talking to these people on the phone or answering the door, but they should be asking their family members about what to do,” Wilson added.
Anyone who suspects they may have been the victim of a scam can contact Thunder Bay Police. Other services, such as information number 211 and Phone Busters, can also be contacted.
Article source: http://www.chroniclejournal.com/content/news/local/2011/01/11/scam-safety-seniors
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