It’s a sad fact that people living with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia can be vulnerable to scams. Scammers often look for people who are older, who live alone, or who look like they could be vulnerable.
So what can you do to protect yourself? Fortunately there are some simple steps you can take to avoid doorstep scammers – or, if you’re caring for someone with dementia, to help them stay safe.
According to Kelly Clark, Head of Community Care and Wellbeing Services at ADSS, door-step scams are the most common type affecting the people she works with. “A typical scam might involve someone knocking on the door offering to do some gardening work, or clean the gutter or fix the roof,” she says. “Of course they could be genuine. But most proper tradespeople don’t work this way.
“With one lady recently, our ADSS dementia co-ordinator noticed she had a cheque on the table ready to pay someone who was supposed to have done lots of jobs around the house and garden. The co-ordinator could see that the work hadn’t been done, so alerted the lady’s family and they were able to stop the cheque.”
Here are some common types of scammer to watch out for:
✔ Rogue traders: People who say there’s something wrong with your house or garden, and offer to fix it.
✔ Door-to-door sellers: These people may be pushy, telling you they can offer large discounts – but only for a limited period of time.
✔ Utilities: People who say they are from the gas or electricity company, but don’t have any ID to prove it.
✔ Unexpected deliveries: Deliveries of goods or products that you didn’t order.
✔ Fake charity collectors: Sometimes people will knock on the door saying they’re collecting for charity. If they’re pushy, beware. And always ask to see their ID and a registered charity number.
So what can people with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia do to make sure they stay safe? Here are 5 practical tips.
“One of our top pieces of advice is to put in a video doorbell,” says Denise Kilshaw, Deputy Safeguarding Lead at ADSS. “It’s a great way for the person with dementia and their family to able to keep track of who’s come to the door. And puts scammers off as well.”
If someone comes to your door who you don’t know, always ask to see their ID. If they say they’re from a utility company or charity, ask to see proof – or check with the organisation. If you can, call a friend or family member to let them know someone has come to the house. Don’t worry about shutting the front door while you do all of this – genuine callers will understand.
Both Kelly and Denise from ADSS agree, though, one of the most effective things you can do to protect yourself from doorstep scams is to have a good network of family, friends and neighbours keeping an eye on you.
“It’s often the case that a friend or neighbour – or one of our ADSS dementia coordinators – is the one that flags when something doesn’t seem right,” says Kelly. Denise agrees. “If you shop in the same place regularly, it can be really helpful to let someone there now you’ve got dementia,” she says. “You never know who might hear or see something and step in to stop a scam happening. The wider your network, the better.”
Need more support? Contact us for advice and guidance on living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Want more practical tips on protecting yourself from doorstep scams? Kent County Council has lots of advice including where to get a “no cold callers” sign.
If you’re an HSBC customer, you can get advice on dealing with banking scams here.
Finally, if you’re worried that you may have been scammed, you can get support here:
✔Action Fraud: If you think you may have been scammed, report it to Action Fraud either over the phone or via their website.
✔Citizens Advice: Contact Citizens Advice if you think you’ve been scammed on your doorstep. They can advise you, and also pass your report on to Trading Standards which could help protect other people.