By Mike Brunt, Owner, Home Instead Senior Care
Beaverton, Oregon
It’s important to protect seniors online – Can you spot an online scam? For the past 10 years, the topic of elder financial abuse has been getting some well-deserved attention in the media and through seminars and support groups. By now, many of us know the basic warning signs that a senior may be exposed to fraud and scams. For those of you who feel you need a primer on the general topic of senior financial abuse, please click here.
Today, I’m talking about a new variation on the theme of senior financial abuse. This time, we are talking about how seniors themselves can avoid being taken advantage of when they are online. In a 2016,survey conducted by Home Instead, Inc., more than 3 out of every 5 seniors in the U.S. and Canada have been the target or victim of an online scam. This isn’t just about viruses and spyware and phishing. It’s also about seniors being too free and easy sharing personal information on Facebook, not realizing that there are criminals watching who could see them as easy targets.
Home Instead, Inc., has put together an amazing collection of resources for seniors at www.protectseniorsonline.com. Use this site to learn how to protect yourself online, and then share the information with your kids, grandkids, and friends to help them stay safe too. Let’s get started with a pop quiz! This test will measure how adept you are at spotting scams online.
