We are all aware of the need to be well acquainted with the technological and digital world. At this point, it has become almost mandatory. Are you wondering about how to be alert in case your elderly parent is being scammed? One must acknowledge that consumer protection for senior citizens is really an essential safety and security measure.
While it is true that the digital world comes with several risks for people across ages, for people who are less familiar with these dynamics, it can be a little more problematic. Especially, during the time that followed the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, even the senior citizens had to take recourse to the online media at several points. Thus, we consider it our responsibility to look into consumer protection for the elderly and protect senior citizens from online scams.
Kinds of Online Scams
There can be several kinds of online scams, from which it is important to protect the elderly, who are just adapting to the digital world. The scamsters are well aware of the general weaknesses of the elderly, with regard to this medium. The most common kind of online scam is the economic scam, which can be extremely detrimental if no preventive measure is taken. It can damage an elderly person psychologically to suffer a great economic loss at this stage in life, and it can also largely have an impact on their physical health.
No one would want the elderly at their home to go through such an experience in the absence of the younger generation in the household. Thus, we will talk about 3 simple steps that you can teach the elderly at home to prevent them from online scams. Come, let us have a look at them.
1. No Random Intervention:
If you have to protect senior citizens online, please ensure that you make them understand that they should not allow random interventions from any other known face. Make it clear to them that they can either go with a trusted friend of the family or a financial advisor who happens to be professional.
2. Giving Away PIN as a Strict No-No:
It is imperative for a senior citizen to realise that giving away private information such as the PIN number, or other essential details can lead to a substantial amount of trouble. In case you are looking at protecting the elderly from financial abuse, ask them to carefully note the name of the agency they are speaking with, and hang up/ report in case of discrepancies.
3. Identifying the Red Flags:
It is certainly important to reiterate the need for ignoring certain notifications that an elderly person receives by email or a phone call. Do you want us to be a bit more specific about it? Say a phone call, or a mail tells the elderly person that they have either won tickets for a trip or simply, a huge deal of money, it generally is fraudulent. In case the elderly persons at your home get particularly excited at the thought of such offers, ask them to identify them as red flags first thing!
The post-pandemic world has seen a surge in the use of digital media as the central method of making monetary transactions. Given the circumstances, the senior citizens have also started to use the online medium profusely. The younger generation needs to take up the responsibility of protecting the elderly from potential financial abuse.
We hope that this blog will make it possible for you to contribute to the lives of the elderly people around you positively. A little bit of caution goes a long way.
We, at TriBeCa, are always happy to help you and your families. For any related assistance, you can either request a callback or call us at + 913366064208. You can also email us at enquiry@newwpsite.tribecacare.com.
