1.        The National Council on Aging

2.        AARP’s Fraud Watch Network

3.        FTC Consumer Alerts

1.        Tech Support: Scammers pose as tech support representatives, claiming there's a virus or other problem with your computer. They ask for payment for unnecessary or non-existent software or services, or they install malware so they can get access to your login information and steal your money or your identity. Many times, this takes the form of a pop-up message with a fake Apple or Microsoft logo to make it look legit. Sometimes the fraudsters will ask for remote access to your computer. Don’t allow access, and don’t click the links or call the phone numbers from the pop-ups.

2.        Employment: Apparently this one is on the rise. Bad actors post nonexistent jobs or send fake recruitment emails, you apply, and then they say you got the job. They ask you to fill out the employment paperwork, including information like your bank account and Social Security number, and then they steal your identity. Sometimes they ask you to pay for pre-employment training or certifications or send you a bad check as a sign-on bonus. Then they tell you they overpaid the bonus due to a clerical error and ask for their money back. These fake jobs can appear as ads on real job platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn, so always check to make sure the company is real. If it is, check its job site directly to make sure you see that role. And never, ever send money to get a job; that’s a sure sign it’s a scam.

3.       Financial Services: With this one, fraudsters pretend to be representatives of a credit card company, bank, mortgage company, or other financial institution. They call, text, or email, sometimes offering better deals or claiming you have unauthorized charges on your account. In other cases, they threaten legal action or arrest for unpaid charges which may not even exist. Remember that these calls, texts, and emails can seem genuine, but financial institutions don’t operate like this. If someone asks you for personal information and they initiated the contact, stop the interaction and go directly to the institution yourself if you think it’s necessary.

4.       Cryptocurrency or other Investments: With this one, scammers use communication or dating apps and social media to build trust with their victims, then start sharing investment tips. They show you pumped up return numbers and then ask for an investment. If you fall for it and invest, you might eventually realize and try to get your money back, but there are prohibitively high fees or these people just disappear. As with other scams, the company websites and links can all look real and seem legitimate. The best way for non-experts to invest in cryptocurrency or other alternative investments is to work through an advisor who is also a fiduciary.

5.       Government Impersonation: Sometimes the crims pretend to be officials from government agencies like the IRS or Medicare, asking for personal information or money. This can be similar to Financial Services scams, where they threaten legal action or arrest to frighten potential victims. If you get a call like this, even if the originating number looks correct, hang up. These organizations communicate via mail, and they will never call and ask for your personal information.

6.       Grandparents: This one hurts my soul, because it exploits a family member’s love for their grandchildren (or it could be any loved one). Scammers go through your social media and find out the names and other information about your grandkids, then call you asking for money to cover some emergency or other. Sometimes the grandkid is in jail, in the hospital, or stranded in another country. And in this day and age, people can even simulate a family member’s voice, so you’d never know the difference. They can fake caller IDs, email addresses, and links. Don’t fall for it! Stop and call your grandkid or their parents to verify this, no matter how much your “grandkid” begs you not to. Don’t let a criminal play on your emotions.

7.       Sweepstakes and Lottery: This type of fraud takes advantage of your excitement about winning the lottery or some other prize. You get a call or message saying you won, and you just need to send some cash or gift cards up front to cover taxes or fees. Yes, remember that it’s easy to fake caller IDs, email addresses, and links. No legitimate lottery or prize will require an up-front spend like this. Just ignore the requests.

8.       Romance/Sweetheart: Ugh. This is another particularly nasty one, because it preys on people’s loneliness and need for love. Scammers create fake online profiles and build relationships to gain trust, then they ask for money. Sometimes they even pose as celebrities to up the “wow” factor. If your online honeybunch “can’t” or won’t meet you in person or they ask you for money, they are probably a scammer.

9.       Home Repair: In this case, fraudsters offer unnecessary and/or overpriced home repair services. Often, they ask for money up front and pressure you to act quickly to get a special deal. It may start with a free inspection, and then the pressure ramps up. Unfortunately, these scammers crawl out of the woodwork after a disaster, when they know people are vulnerable and potential targets are concentrated in a small area. My friend’s mom almost fell victim to this one when some “nice young men” came to her door saying that her windows needed to be replaced. She let them come into her home to evaluate the windows and give her an estimate, which was outrageously high, of course. She didn’t end up going through with it, but what if they were casing her home with the intention of robbing her?  Oh, and then there was the time with the solar panels.

1.       Educate: Make sure your parents know about common scams like the ones I mentioned here. Share specific examples and tell them the stories you hear. Keep them updated with the resources I mentioned above.  

2.       Encourage Skepticism: Teach them to be skeptical of unsolicited calls, emails, texts, pop-ups, and in-person visits. They should never give out personal information or make payments unless they are sure there is a legitimate reason to do so. Look, our parents (especially women) had politeness pounded into them! And some people are just more trusting than others. When someone is pressuring them or they feel an emotional pull, that is the signal to park the politeness and trust. Warning sirens should go off and they should stop and consult you if necessary.

3.       Plan: Help your parents set up a plan for how to handle these fishy situations when they arise. You might create a script for how to deal with phone calls, or just a rule that any calls go to voicemail unless they’re from a loved one. Maybe they agree to call you if their computer does something unexpected, and that they will never click links in an email or text. Eventually, you may need to set a threshold for how much money they can move out of an account without checking with you first, or you might start to manage some of their accounts.  And hey, just for safety alone, it’s a good rule to never open the door to anyone you don’t know. Ignore, ignore, ignore is a good plan.

4.       Use Technology: Help them set up call-blocking services and spam filters on their phones and email accounts. This can reduce the number of scam attempts they receive and cut down on some of the noise they have to deal with. Make sure their security software is updated on all devices and add multifactor authentication to all of their accounts.

5.       Monitor Finances: Regularly review their bank statements and credit reports for any unusual activity, or make sure they do it. You might also want to set up alerts for large transactions. Some accounts also allow for the addition of a trusted contact, so if fraud is suspected there is someone else to contact for verification.

6.       Stay Connected: Check in with your parents regularly. People who are isolated can be more vulnerable to scams, so staying in touch and making sure they’re linked up with a community can help them avoid some of the emotional manipulation.  

7.       Power of Attorney: In cases of cognitive decline, consider a durable power of attorney. This document means you can manage their finances and make decisions for them when they can’t do it anymore.

1.       Report it. Depending on the situation, there are different ways you might do this. Here are some suggestions:

2.        Take action as soon as you can to minimize your loss. Call your bank or credit card company to place an alert on your account, or place fraud alerts on your credit reports if you think your personal information has been compromised. Stop sending money if you’ve already sent some, block the calls, emails, and texts, and get off social media if you need to. Get extra support via one or more of the resources I’ve mentioned here.