Make Sure Your Single Parent Knows About Romance Scams
Your mom or dad is single. The topic of dating may not be the most comfortable, but seniors who reenter the world of dating can be prey to scammers. Take steps to make sure your mom or dad is aware of romance scams and how to identify them.
Senior Care in Clark County VA: Senior Romance Scams
How Dating Scams Work
There are different types of dating scams. One of the common ones takes place on social media. Your mom or dad has a Facebook account. They get a friend request from a stranger. After months of chatting, your parent is falling for this person.
Soon, the stranger is saying he or she wants to meet in person, but they just don’t have the money. Your parent may be asked to loan the scammer the money to pay for a flight. The scammer is only after your parent’s money, but your parent is convinced there’s a real relationship. Catfishing is a common romance scam.
After the money is sent, the senior citizen never hears from that person again. In some cases, the person will suddenly reappear with a sob story about how the person became ill and had to go into the hospital. The scammer will make another attempt to get more money from the senior.
What Can You Do
You don’t want to make your mom or dad give up on the idea of dating. You can help them find people to meet on a local level. Have them attend socials at area senior centers. They could also go to meet and greet events at restaurants or community centers.
If your mom or dad is approached by someone online, do some research. Take the person’s photo and do a reverse image search. If they’re using a fake photo, you will find search results and be able to identify who the person really is. You can also search phone numbers, addresses, jobs, and other personal information.
On Facebook, reach out to others in the person’s friends list and ask how they know that person. Ask a few people in case the scammer has created fake accounts as part of the scam. That is a possibility. If the person has listed a college or high school, many schools have online yearbooks now. You can go through the yearbook to see if that person really attended the school they’re claiming they attended.
Set Up Alternatives for Socialization
If your parents are seeking companionship, there are alternatives to dating. Talk to your parent about hiring a caregiver for socialization. Caregivers offer friendship, but they can also drive your mom or dad to the local senior center for luncheons, classes, and special events.
Elderly care services also help your parent around the house, too. Meal preparation services, light housekeeping, laundry, and medication reminders are a few of the services available from an elderly care agency. Call today.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering Senior Care in Clark County, VA, please contact the caring staff at LivinRite Home Care. Call Us Today at (703) 634-9991.
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