Our Ask An Angel correspondent is Arlene Petersen, Certified Senior Advisor and Life Care Navigation Specialist in the area of senior home care.
Q. My neighbor received a phone call from her grandson and it turned out to be a scam phone call. She couldnât hear the caller very well, so she wound up hanging up. I can only imagine what the outcome could have been. What can we do to prevent being scammed?
A. There are millions of people who get tricked through various forms of fraud. It can be through a knock at the door, a phone call, or through your computer, just to name a few. It seems there is no limit to the ways someone will try to benefit illegally through the vulnerability of others. Education is the key. There really is no reason to open your door to a stranger. Fraud is not limited to being indoors, either! We have been alerted to cases where seniors were approached while working in their yards. If you are working out in the yard, keep your house keys in your pocket and lock your doors. Amazingly, when people are out in the yard, they are approached by people trying to get inside the homeownerâs property. This scam is accomplished by distraction and usually done in pairs. The same applies with telephone solicitors. When taking a phone call, donât fall into the scams that play upon emotions. I know of seniors who received calls from a âgrandchildâ. It usually is someone posing as a grandchild, asking for money to be wired to help out in a tough situation. Make sure you register your phone number with the âDo Not Callâ registry. Better yet, when you get an intruding telephone call, hang up! Internet fraud is another rising area of concern. Be careful when visiting unfamiliar sites and be cautious about email messages that appear to be from a legitimate company or institution, asking you to âupdateâ or âverifyâ your personal information. As I write this, I just was alerted about a man from Aurora who lost $80,000 to an on-line lottery scam. If you think youâve been a victim of fraud, contact your local authorities. In Kane County, TRIAD is a great organization to know. They support and advocate for seniors through education. The group consists of the Elgin police, senior volunteers, and senior provider organizations. They meet the third Thursday of each month at 8:30 a.m. at the Elgin Township building on McLean Blvd. in Elgin. All are welcome. Remember, education is key and we are fortunate to have good resources available to bring awareness to these issues.
Have a question for our angel correspondent? You can send our angel an email to apetersen@visitingangels.com or send your question via mail to Ask An Angel, 65 Woodbury St., South Elgin, IL 60177.
