

Ask HN: How do you keep elderly parents from getting scammed? - jawns

I&#x27;m thinking specifically about phone scams -- is there any technology you use to keep the scammers at bay?<p>But also more generally: What methods do you use to keep elderly parents&#x2F;relatives from being taken advantage of?<p>Are there any tech companies that are trying to address this issue?
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brudgers
Short of taking control of their finances, you can't. Scammers are
professionals and in the field of scams everyone else is an amateur.
Technology can't address the issue that the skills of scammers are primarily
social [1]. That's why scammers say they are Nigerian princes. [2]

The best you can do is to maintain a good open relationship. Maybe calling
your mom today will help.

Good luck.

[1] the big boys like Google and Microsoft and Facebook etc. are handling a
lot of _potential_ technical online scamming.

[2]
[http://research.microsoft.com/apps/pubs/default.aspx?id=1677...](http://research.microsoft.com/apps/pubs/default.aspx?id=167713)

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quadrature
There's a YC for that[http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/01/yc-start-up-true-link-
finan...](http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/01/yc-start-up-true-link-financial-is-
out-to-help-the-elderly-avoid-scammers-with-pre-paid-visa-cards/)

Personally I find online scams more difficult to deal with. I've installed ad
block plus and malwarrbytes, but blog spam inevitably gets to my parents.

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talub
You also have to watch out for your parent's alma maters. My Mom, 85 years old
and cognitively impaired, gets multiple calls during the year asking for
donations. They know she's old when they ask for her by name and class year.

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codingdave
They can do the same thing I do with phone calls - "I do not conduct business
over the phone. Please send me a letter."

Legit businesses will send you a letter, as well as legit financial or legal
matters. Scams, telemarketers, and most sales folk will just not contact you
again.

Once your parents do get letters, they can have someone help to look things
over.

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gesman
My dad just told me his computer is running awfully slow.

I bet he clicked on every single attachment that comes via email.

He is in another country - but luckily he does not do any online banking.

