It’s sad but true that people living with dementia can be more vulnerable to scams. A scam is any situation where someone is tricked into doing something they don’t want to do – often to try to access their money. Anyone can be scammed – but people living with dementia can struggle with memory problems, confusion and poor judgment, all of which can make it harder to stay safe.
So, what are the most common types of scams affecting people with dementia, and how can you protect yourself?
According to Kelly Clark, Head of Community Care and Wellbeing Services at ADSS, doorstep scams are the most common type affecting the people she works with. These types of scams include rogue traders, who might tell you there’s something wrong with your property and offer to fix it. Others may pretend to be from the police, or a utility company, or charity.
In a previous blog, we looked at some practical ways of protecting against doorstep scams. “One of most effective things you can do is to put in a video doorbell,” says Denise Kilshaw, Deputy Safeguarding Lead at ADSS. “It’s a great way of keeping track of who’s come to the door, and it can help to put scammers off, too.”
Some common email and text scams are where a message claims to be from an official organisation, such as your bank or HMRC, saying that you need to change a password, or go to a website to claim money. Other types include messages saying that you’ve won a prize and asking for your bank details to claim it.
Remember, if an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is! And official organisations such as banks will never ask you for your password or PIN. If you’re an HSBC customer and you receive a suspicious email, forward it to phishing@hsbc.com
If you get a suspicious text, DON’T:
✔Reply to the message
✔Click on any links
✔Open any attachments
Instead, you should report the message to your bank using the telephone number on the back of your bank card. HSBC has more practical advice on protecting yourself from scams here.
Sometimes, scammers will contact you by phone. They might be offering to sell you something, or claiming you’ve been involved in an accident and offering to help you apply for compensation. Other callers might say they’re from the bank or another organisation and say that you need to change your password or ask for your PIN.
If you do get an unexpected call from an organisation such as your bank, hang up, then call them back on their official number. They can tell you whether the call was genuine or not.
One way of cutting down the number of cold calls you get is to register with the Telephone Preference Service. Want to know more? Click here. Find out more here. AgeUK also has some great advice on recognising and dealing with phone scams.
[h2] Social media scams
Social media can be a great way of staying connected with people and accessing useful information, for example about things that are going on in your local area. But there are risks. Scammers sometimes use platforms like Facebook Marketplace to sell goods fraudulently. Others set up fake profiles then ask for money or personal information.
The advice is simple. Don’t share too much personal information, and don’t pay upfront for any goods. Be wary of anyone that contacts you out of the blue.
[h2] Find out more about how to avoid scams
Kelly and Denise from ADSS agree that one of the best ways to protect yourself, especially against doorstep scams, is to keep in touch with family, friends and neighbours. “They’re often the people that flag when something doesn’t seem right,” says Kelly. “You never know who might hear or see something and step in to stop a scam happening,” agrees Denise. “The wider your network, the better.”
Need more support? Contact us for advice and guidance on living with dementia.
You can also find out more about protecting yourself against scams from DementiaUK and the Alzheimer’s Society