Stop identity thief among the elderly – one senior at a time

August 17, 2011 – 11:34 am

If you’re taking care of an elderly person, there are things you can do to help protect him from identity theft. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to this crime, and often need assistance.

First of all, the best thing you can do is to stay in touch with him. Checking on a senior will help to ensure that even if he is victimized, he’ll get guidance as to how to correct the situation. Your presence can also be a deterrent – if a would-be scammer sees someone else around a senior on a regular basis, he may decide to just move on.

If your elderly friend is in a care facility or has a caregiver at home, make sure you know that the people are trustworthy. All too often, the elderly fall victim to their caregivers, who find them easy targets. Talk to the senior about security and encourage him to keep his financial and personal information under lock and key, and to never share it with anyone.

Offer to bring in the senior’s mail, so that it doesn’t sit in the box. You may also wish to offer to help the senior monitor his bank and credit card statements for any fraudulent or suspicious entries. You can also help him obtain and review his credit report. Have him removed from direct mailing lists so he doesn’t get junk mail, including pre-approved credit offers.

You could also offer to take his bills and mail them at the post office, particularly if he doesn’t have a secured mailbox. Thieves look for those red flags, just like the mailman does. A stolen bill payment can give a thief all the information he needs to commit identity fraud.

Bookmark It