Dad is continually getting scammed or talked into things. He’s not online, so it all happens on phone or without his knowledge. He is pretty forgetful these days but needs to have CC and checking account access, and certainly a phone. I’ve changed the phone #, the email, (which I monitor & which he does NOT use, no computer use at all), registered for do not call & do not mail, changed the bank account, and the CC account multiple times….
What can I do to prevent this? I monitor it, and mostly it gets corrected – Wells Fargo has been great- but not always able to save the $$. Do you have any suggestions? Everytime I get one thing resolved, there’s another.
The Do not Call list is a joke. They allow surveys, political call, charities and businesses you have done business with. Robo calls don't fall under this. They r actually illegal.
When it comes to junk mail...if a prepaid envelope is included send all the enclosures back with parents name and address circled. Write a note "Take me off ur Mailing list". If no envelope go online and email them with the same info. Do not subcribe to any magazines. They sell your address. Same with book clubs and CD/DVD clubs. I cut down on a lot of Moms junk mail this way.
When Dementia takes over our lives the roles change. We become the adults our parents the children. They no longer can reason or process. It is no longer what they want but what they need.
If you are letting him use a cell, you might want to do away with it.
(If the call is identified as a robocall, it will be forwarded after the first ring.)
It did work for my mother, although the phone ringing only once confused and annoyed her.
I also suggest no cell phone since these are difficult to stop robocalls from. But if he has one, you can also forward those calls as well. Personally I wouldn’t want to have to keep up with my calls and someone else’s but if you won’t cut his phone, then you’ll have to do something. Also..everyone should freeze their credit reports. They recently made that free for everyone now. Freeze at all 3 credit agencies not just one. I also would be sure he doesn’t have an ATM card.
Look up the Do Not Call and Do Not Mail lists online.
Perhaps there is a way to keep only the minimum in a checking account, and a very low limit on the credit card. Then, transfer everything else to investment accounts which cannot be so easily used/liquidated.
Best of luck to you.
You can do it online by contacting the credit reporting services individually (Transunion, Equifax and Experian). If he ever needed to apply for credit you can unfreeze the accounts.
1) Are you his POA? If not you should get that in motion.
2) Get rid of his cell phone. He probably doesn't even use it.
3) Depending on the landline provider (my M-I-L has Spectrum) you can set up an on-line account and "white list" phone numbers. That is what we did with her number. On the account page you put in the phone #s that will be accepted, such as friends and family. Any # not on that list will receive a message that says " the number you have called is not accepting calls". This has been a lifesaver for us.
4) You say he needs to have access to his bank account and credit cards. Are you listed on his bank accounts? If the account is in both your names maybe you could take over bill paying, etc.
This might help for a time but if your father is the one with ALZ then this is only a delay - eventually you will need to take control of the phone and dad's money.
Stayed online to end and got return phone number.
Not that it will help but im going to call state attorney general with number.
It seems to me that phone company should be legislated to ban calls but then theyll probably go offshore if not already.
A new low for us was when my Mom was in the hospital and these calls were coming to her room. We could not disconnect the phone because she was waiting on family and friends from out of state to call.
Then put your Dad's numbers on the don't call list
By law, if the companies call when a person is on this list, they are breaking the law & can be charged
If you/he answers & says "I'm on the don't call list...pls don't call again"
They will slowly drop off
You can change the ph number, but don't put it in his name ..easy to do...
Each time you get a new # under his name its registered by the Credit bureaus...and the vultures have it in no time
Anonymous #...they can'f find him
I did all this for my Grandpa
My Gramps told me "he liked talking to 'those people' cause it eased the loneliness"
Now I hooked him up at a really big senior center near him that has lots of activities & he goes there often & plays pool, has lunch, & talks to people
He doesn't get down as often
And rarely complains of being lonely. And....he has a girlfriend 24 years younger than him. And he's def not rich! :) Go Gramps
Your Dad is lucky to have such a sweet soul as a daughter
Good luck
Has stopped my mum from calling the police or operator when she can't remember a number. And stops scam callers getting through.
The do not call is a joke. Im on both state and national. Doesnt stop them from calling. Nor does it stop scammers. I am also on the list for less junk mail. Yeah sure. Another joke.
Id give him a fake credit card. Why does he need one? If your doing the bills he doesnt. Or get him a preloaded walmart visa/master card. Scammers can only get what is loaded on the card.
The scammers will tell your dad what he wants to hear in order to get the info. The scammers sit in a cafe and take turns contacting the same person over and over if they get some action on a scam. Lets say guy A got a bit of $. Then you found out, and changed credit cards. So scammer B in the same cafe, uses a different phone number working a different scam. You blocked the old number, but not the new scammers number. That scam might work. If that dorsnt work, lets try scammer C with a fake female voice. She is lonely and wants to talk. Your loved one is back on the hook.
My dad fell for the Walmart lottery. This was from Jamaica. He wouldnt listen to multiple family members and friends. They had him convinced he won and were jealous. A call to walmart finally stopped it. The scammers are that good. The family is lying or doesnt want you to get the lottery.
My mom needed to have a landline, so she would turn the ringer down. Dad with beginning dementia, couldnt hear it. The jamacan would call all different hours every day. Hoping he could reach my dad.
One more thing you can do. Go to white pages online. A huge list of websites will show up with your dads info. There are opt out areas to hide his name, or remove it. You have to really dig and find all the websites. Might take 3 screens to get his name removed from 1 site. If hes listed in the white pages, scammers are finding the number that way. You have to say you are him to get the name removed or hidden.
Work on 3 web sites every day. That way its not such a pain in the butt to do. Within a week, youll have his name hidden.
There are tons of websites that show ALL your contact info. I think it should all be private, but its not. I even got my house blurred on google. I dont want my info out there. I should have control of it, not other people. Some sites take awhile to get the name removed, but its worth it. That will help get you off the scammers radar. Good luck.
I do believe people are targeting caregivers who don't have all the information in one place.
My car has been too old to qualify for the suggested "protection" for a very long while. Of course, it is insured. All deducted online every month. My car is not too old to drive nor insure! I have insurance!
A POA opening my mail might think I had a contract.
The bogus letter implies it is so. But no ref to the vehicle.
Why does he need credit card and checking account access? If he's becoming forgetful that may not be a great plan. At first we switched pop to an ATM use only card to avoid debit card fraud, we didn't allow overdrafts, and only left a couple hundred dollars in that account. He can't remember how to use the ATM now, so when his card expired we left it in his wallet but didn't order a new one. He likes cash in his wallet so I make sure he has $100 a week which he pretty much just gives away.
Good luck on finding creative solutions.