It’s a warning we hear often: protect your private information so it’s harder for someone to steal, scam or impersonate you.
But we don’t think something like that will happen to us until it does.
During a public meeting recently, I heard a story about a gentleman who suddenly had tens of thousands of dollars drained from his bank account. He had no idea how the scammers got his information.
I interviewed an older adult last year who thought she met a celebrity on Facebook, fell in love, and was talked into sending him a bunch of pre-paid cell phones.
The stories vary, but they all have something in common: people of all walks of life, income and ability are affected by scams.
Last week I had the privilege of meeting an 88-year-old woman who has been an Area Agency on Aging (AAA) client since 2007.
“You can’t do anything to prevent it,” was the first thing she said to me as I walked in the door of her Benton Harbor home.
My first thought was, “that’s not true. Awareness is one of the best ways to prevent crime.” I had come to her house specifically to interview her for this column in hopes of raising awareness about scammers ahead of our Senior Scams Town Hall tomorrow (more details below).
But as this client, which I’ll call “Ann” to protect her identity, told me her story, I began to understand why she felt the way she did.
Ann was a certified nursing assistant (CNA) for 40 years. Her job was to take care of people. She worked at hospitals, nursing homes and in people’s homes throughout her career.
She pulled out a newspaper article to show me, “GIRL FALLS IN LAKE; RESCUED,” the headline read.
“That was me when I was 11,” Ann said. “The doctors said it was a miracle I survived.”
She was beaming with pride as she told me about that story, her work, her family, and the fact she is still able to live at home rather than in a facility.
She spoke highly of her AAA care manager who helped her gather all the information and submit it to the police when she was first scammed by someone pretending to be a financial management company.
Ann thought she was applying for a small loan but became suspicious when the scammers wanted to meet her at Walgreens to have her buy them gift cards.
More recently, she had an in-home caregiver steal her checkbook and write checks to herself.
“The bank knows I don’t get that much money in, so they wouldn’t cash the check,” Ann said.
Another caregiver took a small bag of laundry money she had set aside, and another happened to catch a glimpse of her credit card number and tried to steal additional funds.
“The police are involved, but for some, they can’t do anything,” she said.
My heart ached for what she’s gone through. She’s just trying to enjoy her life. She likes getting her hair done, watching TV and giving her dogs treats. She spent her career helping others and now she’s been taken advantage of.
And what’s even more heart breaking is there are so many other older adults out there experiencing similar scams and theft. Even people who are deceased get their information stolen.
My grandfather died in November last year, and someone recently applied for Medicare in his name. We think the scammers might have stolen some of his mail. My aunt has had to file paperwork proving he’s dead.
During Medicare Open Enrollment, scams are flooded into people’s mailboxes along with legitimate information, creating confusion and added stress. Some scammers pretend to be local law enforcement, attempting to scare people into giving them money.
Keeping a close eye on your mail, putting away your purse when guests arrive, being skeptical of online romances and random phone calls, and monitoring your credit and bank accounts are all great ways to prevent some of this.
But if you’d like to learn more, come to our Senior Scams Town Hall tomorrow, Sunday, Aug. 4.
The event will include tips for preventing scams, and special guest Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel who will talk about what is being done at the state level to protect seniors. The event is 12:30-2 p.m. at the Campus for Creative Aging, 2920 Lakeview Ave., St. Joseph. All are welcome, no RSVP is required.
Can’t make it but have a question about scams affecting older adults? Give our Info-Line for Aging and Disability a call at 800-654-2810
Alexandra Newman is the communications and outreach coordinator for the Region IV Area Agency on Aging in Southwest Michigan. Interested in having an AAA representative speak to your group or organization? Email alexandranewman @areaagencyonaging.org. Questions on age or independence services? Call the Info-Line for Aging & Disability at 800-654-2810. The Generations column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium.