Scams are such common occurrences today. They are so common that one might think that everyone will know what scams are. It might not even be unreasonable to believe that most people will also know how to avoid scams, considering how common they are. Unfortunately, things are not as straightforward. One group in particular has been known to be more susceptible to scams - our seniors at home.
According to recent crime statistics, seniors made up 11.7% of all scams in 2023. That is already 11.7% too many. For many of these seniors, they might already be retired and the money they are scammed of is what they need for the rest of their lives. That makes helping them avoid scams even more crucial.
“Not So Easy to Just Tell Them”
A common misconception is that helping our seniors avoid scams is as easy as just telling them. But there are other issues that complicate things.
First, seniors might not be able to spot the signs that they’re dealing with a scam or a scammer. Some of the tactics used by these scammers make it difficult to detect the scam. If the scam has yet to be reported in the media, seniors might not even know what to look out for. Some of these signs might also be in an area that are not familiar to the seniors, like an unfamiliar language or scenario.
Second, seniors might also not be familiar with the platforms these scams occur on. A common abuse of these platforms is through fabricated payment QR codes, which are hard to differentiate from legitimate ones because the actual transactions happen behind the QR codes. Seniors who are less familiar with such technologies could lack the knowledge to spot these differences, thus increasing the chances of being cheated.
Sometimes, it is not that our seniors are unaware that something is a scam, but do not have an avenue to seek clarification. To err on the side of caution they then decide to proceed with the scammer’s demands. Thus, it is not always that seniors are completely defenseless, but are instead weighing the options. Sometimes, these decisions are even made with the benefits of someone close in mind.
Providing Anti-Scam Support to Seniors as a Caregiver
Supporting seniors to prevent scam victimization might seem tough, but it is not impossible. Two key things should be remembered in this process. First, our seniors may not necessarily have the exposure that we might have. This means that the amount of information they need to process a scam might not be complete. It could also be in terms of technological expertise, where they might lack the technical knowledge to know what’s not authentic. That is why the chances of them falling for a scam is high. Second, seniors do not choose to be scammed. It is usually another matter they are concerned about, which scammers exploit to achieve their successful scam. It is often easy to forget these and immediately think that our seniors caused themselves to be scammed. However, such thinking would only make it more difficult for both our senior (who has been scammed) and ourselves (as caregivers) to deal with this. Thus, it is crucial to focus on establishing what the loss is, whether it is recoverable and future steps to prevent the same thing from happening.
Prevention is also possible. Use your existing communication avenues as a way to raise awareness about scams. Scam prevention awareness should focus on two things. It should first raise awareness about existing scams that are occurring and how to spot the signs of that form of scam. It should also be about helping seniors be assured about something that they’re concerned about. Usually, these concerns are what give rise to their actions, which then results in them falling prey to the scammer’s propositions. For instance, if their concern is about not having an income, co-explore ways to address this concern. By seeking some assurance about their concern, they might be less inclined to act on their concerns or get exploited for it.
Self-Care as a Caregiver
As caregivers, it might be natural to think everything would fall on our shoulders. It is natural to believe that everything about dealing with scams, regardless it being prevention or recovery, is our responsibility. This is not true and should not form the basis of our approach. Scams are multi-faceted processes which happen when different things fall into place. We might be able to try to prevent most things from happening, but it could be difficult to prevent everything. Not everything would be within our control. Thus, it is important to remember that when trying to deal with scams.
As caregivers, it is also always crucial to be kind to ourselves. Remembering that we can’t prevent everything is a way of being kind of ourselves. Not blaming ourselves if a scam does happen is another way of being kind to ourselves. Being kind to ourselves is not equals to a lack of effort, but a realistic understanding of our limits. It could also help us to maintain clarity of mind because we are not caught up in thoughts of self-blame.
Coaching as an Avenue of Awareness
It might seem difficult to think about these things on our own, especially when we are deeply engrossed in what we need to do as caregivers. Thus, you might want to consider getting a coach to partner you on this process. Coaching helps you to gain awareness about yourself and your circumstances so that you can make more informed decisions. With caregiver coaching in this area, you can gain awareness about your own strengths (and areas for growth) in dealing with such situations. You can also gain awareness about the situations you are in and how to handle them. Collectively, you will have more information on hand to make more informed decisions. Having this clarity of mind is also a gift to the senior you could be caring for, because you can be confident that you are thinking with a clearer mind. Connverge, as a consulting and coaching agency would journey with you on this.
Dealing with Scams is Not a Scam
In conclusion, it is not impossible to deal with scams in relation to our seniors. It might get increasingly difficult, but it is still possible. Care should be given both to our seniors and ourselves. With such fundamental ideas, it will help us be better placed to deal with scams together, and prevent scams from affecting us in more ways than it should.
If you are keen to find out more about caregiver coaching, feel free to reach out today to find out more!
Comments