Why older people are targets – Isolation and loneliness make many people easy prey as does declining physical wellbeing. Declining cognitive function can lead to poorer decision making, as can having greater financial stability which may make some more complacent with financial matters. Additionally, the ‘grey economy’ as it is known is a rapidly expanding segment of society so naturally making older people more of a target.
What we can do – To help make our friends and neighbours less of a target we can:
Encourage people to join the Telephone and Mail Preference Services. This will prevent unwanted calls from genuine companies but sadly it will not stop fraudsters, so continue to monitor any potential scam marketing wherever possible.
Watch for changes in lifestyle or unusual financial activity.
Be alert to ‘new friends’ – lonely or isolated older people are particularly vulnerable to criminals.
Establish the rule of thumb: ‘never provide personal information in a call that you did not initiate’.
Ensure that any charities an older person is donating to have a registered charity number.
Shred documents containing sensitive information.
If you would like more information to help you avoid becoming a victim, please call me on 0118 909 9108.
