Why senior citizens are more vulnerable to identity theft?

Older adults are trusting, not quite as technologically savvy and often have large savings or retirement accounts. As they grow older, many of them need help from caretakers who have access to financial and medical records that include sensitive personal information. Also, elders tend to be less aware of risks and may miss scam or con signs.

What are the areas where older adults are more vulnerable to identity theft?

• Medical identity theft:

  Anyone with bad intentions can steal their insurance information such as their medical insurance number and use that to file false claims, get prescription drugs or even have procedures done. This is dangerous, as it can lead to medical records including inaccurate medical details. It can also be costly, if your loved one ends up being billed for services they did not receive.

• Cyber fraud:

  Older adults are more vulnerable to online scams simply because many of them are less proficient with internet and digital methods of communications. They may not be as adept at spotting spam e-mails, and they may not be aware that they shouldn’t click on mysterious links, even if it looks like it’s from friends or family members.

• Phishing attack:

  Most of us have received these spam calls, but those 60 years of age and older are especially targeted by fake telemarketers looking to score personal information by promising you deals, too good to be true.

How you can protect your loved ones?

• Monitor their accounts:

  Your parents may not be the computer savvy, so offering to help them keep tabs on their finances and credit information online can be a big help. You can even have alerts set up that can notify you of changes, so you can take an instant action.

• Make them aware of identity theft and cyber fraud:

  Educate your loved ones about types of digital frauds and remind them how detrimental the loss of personal information can be. Also, help them recall that legitimate businesses never ask for personal details over the phone – and that they should never give out personally identifiable information.

• Invest in best identity protection plan:

  A best identity protection program reduces the risk to a great extent. Consider Cyberior Digital Identity Protection.