Seniors are becoming the target of more identity theft every year.  In 2012, seniors made over 52,000 complaints to the Federal Trade Commission about their identities being stolen.  The thieves prey on those who have good credit, little debt, and leave themselves unprotected.  Unfortunately, many seniors fit that bill.
One of the most common scams is calling seniors to see who will give up their personal information.  If they get it, the thieves will open credit cards in that senior’s name or access bank accounts.
Here’s what to watch out for:
If… you get a phone call.  A woman says that she is from the bank and there has been unusual account activity.  All she needs, so she says, is your social security number to confirm your identity and fix the problem. It is very possible she is trying to get your personal information.
Here’s what you do. Ask for her full name and employee ID, and then hang up.  Call the bank at the number on the back of your debit card and ask to be transferred to the employee you had spoken to.  It only takes a second to call the main number and then you are sure of the caller’s identity.  Any actual bank employee should be happy to confirm their identity for you.  They know that it’s better to be safe than sorry.
So make one extra call and protect yourself and your assets.  You’ll be happy you did.
Or, if you are worried about an elderly loved one who has told you about a call of this nature, call their bank for them to find out if it is a scam or not. To learn more about tips to protect yourself and others from identity theft, visit dailyfinance.com.
Freedom Home Care provides expert senior care and strives to help seniors gain a higher quality of life while living at home. Call us today or visit our website to learn more.