Caller ID: Not Always Accurate Any More

July 1, 2014

New Phone Scam Warning from Senior Care in Los Angeles

Hardly a week goes by that we don’t hear about some new method that scammers have invented. If you keep up with such news, you are likely amazed at the creativity and technological knowledge of these criminals. On one hand, they stay on top of the latest phone security and convenience developments, finding ways to use them to confuse and deceive their victims. On the other hand, they also use their knowledge of human nature—traits like curiosity, compassion, fear, and the desire to get rich quick—to make the most of their technological abilities. Senior care in Los Angeles now warns that even your caller ID is not safe from attack!

A Useful but not Foolproof Tool

Out of concern for your aging parents’ financial safety, you may have gotten caller ID on their home phone. If an unfamiliar number shows up on the ID, a senior can simply ignore it and wait for a message. If the ID is legitimate, such as a family member, friend, doctor, or local business, the senior feels safe answering the phone. Scammers are well aware of the trust that we put in our caller ID, and they have put a great deal of effort into figuring out how to hack the system. Today, it seems they have succeeded and are able to represent themselves on a victim’s caller ID as a familiar caller.

Preying on Confusion

Pretending to be a family member or legitimate business on the caller ID is not the only technique that these criminals are using. An elderly person may be surprised to see that the ID of an incoming call is her own name! She might ignore an unfamiliar number, but curiosity (one of the main traits that scammers depend on) might well prompt her to answer the phone under these strange circumstances. Once the scammer is speaking to the senior on the phone, he has already taken a major step toward completing his goal.

Phone Safety Tips from Eldercare in Los Angeles

It is disappointing that criminals have been able to infiltrate caller ID, a tool that is intended to make it easy for people to avoid phone scams. Eldercare in Los Angeles suggests taking even greater precautions to prevent fraud, since money lost in such crimes is rarely recovered. People are often surprised at just how little information a criminal needs to steal a senior’s money—a single critical code or number can be enough.

One of the best ways to prevent fraud in general is to always have a caregiver or responsible family member at a senior’s home to answer incoming calls, receive the mail, and answer the door. As crafty as phone scammers are, they depend on intimidation and confusion when speaking with elderly folks—tactics that don’t usually work on younger, sharper minds. Contact us today if you would like more information on hiring a professional, compassionate caregiver to provide company and assistance for your elderly loved one.

Photo by Photocapy