Protect older adults from scams this holiday season

Spam phone calls, texts, emails and social media messages are rampant, especially during the holiday season. Scams are becoming more sophisticated and detailed, often resulting in financial fraud. While anyone can fall victim to a scam, older adults are even more vulnerable.

According to Baylor College of Medicine geriatrician Dr. Angela Catic, there are three common tactics to look out for when determining if a message is spam:

• If someone contacts you unexpectedly.
• If there is a sense of urgency (good or bad) around that communication.
• If they ask you to provide information on a specific way to pay or send money.

"If people are aware of any of those three things, they should at least pause and do their due diligence looking into the situation," said Catic, associate professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at Baylor. "Scams come in so many different forms, and that's part of what makes them hard to recognize."

While there are endless possibilities for creative scams, some are more common. High-pressure business scams can come in the form of robo calls or spam calls or texts. They often are pre-recorded, trying to sell you something or claiming that they are calling from a legitimate business. These calls request immediate action, such as providing passwords, and are almost always fraudulent.

"If you get one, hang up or don't reply. Reach out if it's a legitimate business and ask, 'Did you try to reach out to me regarding this?' The answer is almost always no," Catic said.

Government impersonation scams typically entail posing as a representative for the government and asking for personal or financial information. Legitimate government entities typically do not request information this way, so hang up immediately. With romance scams, scammers connect with people online and express feelings or ask for money to help support them. Tech support scams and gift card scams also are common, especially during the holidays.

Warning loved ones, especially older adults, is crucial so they do not fall prey to scams. Talk about it and normalize it with them, making it clear that scams target all ages - not just older adults. Tell them to be on the lookout for the three common tactics. Encourage them to use antivirus tools with built-in phishing detection and to block spam calls on their phone. Remind them to never reveal personal information to anyone online or over the phone to someone they do not know. Emphasize that they should not click on links in unsolicited emails, texts and social media messages. If there is fraud, assist them with reporting it to law enforcement.

"Check in with them on a regular basis. Ask what they've been up to, new friendships and new online activities. You want to know what's going on so, if something happens, you can pick it up before it gets out of hand," Catic said.

Medical providers also should be aware as patients may report activity concerning for scams: "If that is occurring and you as a healthcare provider have concerns about financial exploitation, you should file a report with Adult Protective Service and encourage the older adult to go to the police."

Older adults, especially those who are lonely, might be more vulnerable to scams. If an older adult is scammed, go to local law enforcement as a starting point. Continue to normalize it and share how common this is among all populations. Get them involved in activities they enjoy with friends, family or the local community to take their mind off it.

"The best thing we can do to avoid being the victim of a scam is to pause and double check to see if the communication is legitimate. Nothing is so urgent that it needs to be done before taking time to confirm the legitimacy of a request," Catic said.