Four steps to protectthe elderly from scams

A new report launched by the Northern Ireland Pensioners Parliament, which summarises the experiences of hundreds of older people, found that older people are most likely to fall for software and fake email scams.

It also found scammers are most successful when targeting older people online or by telephone.

Of those scammed, one in ten older victims lost more than £1,000, with romance or dating scams the most common scams to result in a high value financial loss.

The report and its findings were discussed at the 2017 Northern Ireland Pensioners Parliament which began on Thursday in Belfast. Delegates will hear one local scam victim who lost around £120,000 over a four year period,

The parliament, organised by older people’s charity Age Sector Platform, will be attended by around 200 older people from right across the province.

Ivan Baxter from Age Sector Platform said: “Over the last year there have been a number of frightening reports of older people in Northern Ireland being scammed out of thousands of pounds. It’s easy to think that would never happen to me, but our research shows many older people are falling victim to scams even though they feel confident in their ability to spot one.

“It only takes one moment of hesitation or misplaced trust to fall victim to a scam that could result in huge financial implications for your retirement for years to come.

“Age Sector Platform is part of the Scamwise NI initiative, which aims to raise awareness of scams so people can avoid becoming a victim. We are working with other agencies to ensure that older people in particular become more aware of how they can protect themselves from being scammed.”

Mr Baxter gives the following four warning signs to spot scams;-

• Seems too good to be true

• Contacted out of the blue

• Asked for personal details

• Money is required

Research by the Pensioners Parliament found that 23% of older people surveyed had responded to a scam and that 10% lost more than £1,000.

The PSNI recently told the News Letter that romance fraud costs the UK £39m a year, but that most local victims are too embarrassed to come forward or may not realise they have been scammed.