March was Fraud Prevention Month in Canada and the federal government is still reminding Canadians to be on guard against offers that seem too good to be true. Seniors, in particular, can become victims of various forms of fraud. Those who are isolated are even more at risk.
Scammers target seniors with several kinds of fraud, from telephone and email scams to fraudulent telemarketing.
One of the easiest ways for seniors to protect themselves from fraud is to order a credit report every year from Canada’s credit reporting agencies, Equifax and TransUnion. A credit report will show when someone else has opened credit cards or loans in your name. While powers of attorney and joint bank accounts can help seniors and those who care for them manage and protect their finances, these tools can be abused by people in positions of trust.
Leave a Reply