Here at Discovery Village At Tampa Palms, safety and security of your loved ones are our utmost priority. Our community is gated 24/7, and only authorized personnel such as caregivers and family members are permitted to enter the compounds. However, this does not mean that your loved ones should take their safety for granted. These days, many irreputable people are targeting older adults with a variety of scams. Due to your loved ones’ age and possible lack of knowledge, particularly in technological fields, they can’t defend themselves well, which makes them vulnerable. In this article, we explore the common scams targeting loved ones.
Health Insurance and Medicare Coverage
As your loved ones progress in age, they may become heavily reliant on their health insurance or Medicare coverage to pay for prescription medication. As such, scammers may pose as a Medicare representative and extort your loved ones’ personal information. Some scammers may even take it one step further by providing fake services at a fraudulent mobile clinic. After these scammers have attained your loved ones’ particulars, they would retrieve the money from Medicare. It’s crucial for both you and your loved ones to know that real Medicare representatives do not call or appear in person at your loved ones’ home to ask for such information.
Pretending to be a Grandchild
Unfortunately, this is one of the most common scams occurring today, as it’s relatively simple to carry out. In this scam, scammers make it a point to manipulate loved ones’ sympathy and love by pretending to be a grandchild. Since this scam preys on their sympathy, it makes even loved ones who might suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia, particularly vulnerable. They come up with multiple excuses, stating that they are in desperate need of money, and your loved ones should not contact their parents to avoid complications. In such cases, loved ones should not immediately provide details, instead quickly contact their respective caregivers or adult children for clarification.
Prescription Drugs Scam
Many loved ones may take prescription drugs to maintain or improve their health. Considering that prescription drug costs have been increasing over the years, it should come as no surprise that some loved ones may get tempted by attractive sounding discounts they find advertised online. One must remember, if something sounds too good to be true, if often is, meaning such offers are likely a scam. Scammers may send emails advertising cheap or affordable prescription drugs, and request for credit card information for payment. Once your loved ones have provided their particulars online, it won’t take long for their money to be stolen. Therefore, it’s of extreme importance that your loved ones are well-versed with safe online browsing habits.
Funeral Scams
When it comes to funeral scams, there are often two types. The first one involves scammers announcing the obituaries and taking advantage of loved ones who have recently lost their spouse, while the other is by cunning funeral home employees, who deliberately inflate the cost of services to families who aren’t as well-versed with funeral costs. In both cases, family members must help their loved ones steer clear of potential scams.
