I’ve been meaning to encourage people to read a post, Caregivers Need to be Alert to Scams that Target the Elderly, over at the Inside Aging Parent Care blog. It provides an excellent overview of scams that target people in general and seniors in particular. Scammers are sophisticated operators, figuring out where to find elderly, how to interest them, and how to convince them to do — or just try — something.
This type of trolling for victims is a type of ageism, as people take advantage of characteristics that develop as a person ages. Every person over 65 needs training that will demonstrate how to spot scams. The other day a friend received a call saying she had won a five-day cruise and all she needed to was pay the $50 confirmation fee (a-hem, with her credit card).
Three Other Anti-Scam Resources
- The Cleveland Plain
Dealer’s Scamfinder - Snopes.com (for internet rumors, chains, scary stories)
- FTC telemarketing scam page
As Our Parents Age So Do We 
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