Safeguarding Our Loved Ones Against Scams & Solicitations with Gerontologist, Renee Skoglund
Why are our elders targeted by solicitors and scammers? What can we do to help ensure that our loved ones won’t fall victim to these types of scams? Our older adult population is growing and the financial impact of scams can be devastating, racking up over $3 billion in losses annually.
First and foremost, it's important to provide education on how to recognize scams, which can come in a variety of forms—over the phone, the internet, or through the mail. According to the FBI, the most common include health care or health insurance fraud, romance, lottery, Grandparent scam, tech support fraud, family and caregiver, counterfeit prescription drugs, funeral and cemetery fraud, fraudulent “anti-aging” products, telemarketing fraud, internet fraud, investment schemes, and reverse mortgage scams.
Although there are many different types of scams, there are some basic principles that you can educate your seniors on to help them from becoming a victim. Of course, we can’t cover every scam that is out there but we can provide some general tips and a framework for recognizing scams.
Join us for this important conversation around safety, scams, and solicitations. We are so happy to have Renee Skoglund, Gerontologist, back with us today.
Renee Skoglund shares about:
How many older adults are affected by scams each year? What is the economic impact of these solicitations?
What are the most common scams that we should pay attention to right now
Some good tips and ways we can educate ourselves to recognize when a possible scam or solicitation is taking place
How do we approach these conversations with our loved ones?
For those working in a senior living community- what advice would you pass along in ways to best educate or advocate for our residents?
What steps we can take to get back on track if we fall victim to a scam
Renee Skoglund received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Gerontology from Drake University and a Masters in Gerontology, from the University of Northern Colorado. She was awarded the Colorado Graduate Fellow and received the Graduate Deans Citation for Excellence.
She has worked in the Gerontology field for over 30 years, focusing on creating, implementing, updating, managing, and improving programs for people over 50. Programs included the creation of a hospital-based adult day program, a hospital-based membership program, starting her own company to maximize activity, engagement, and happiness, which result in a better quality of life. Several of the programs received national awards.
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We are not medical professionals and are not providing any medical advice. If you have any medical questions, we recommend that you talk with a medical professional of your choice. willGather has taken care in selecting its speakers but the opinions of our speakers are theirs alone. Thank you for your continued interest in our podcasts.
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