Age UK’s five top tips to help older people avoid being scammed
EVERY 40 seconds an older person in England and Wales becomes a victim of fraud, according to a report.
Almost one in 12 people aged 65 and older reported being a victim of fraudsters in the last year – that’s 800,000 people.
These are the shocking findings of analysis by Age UK of the Crime Survey for England and Wales, which interviewed more than 34,000 people about their experiences of crime.
Fraud incidents have shot up 17% in the past year to 3.8 million, leaving people three times more likely to be a victim of fraud than to be burgled, and it’s 19 times more likely to happen than a mugging.
The charity is calling on more to be done to tackle this growing problem. It wants the issue to become a national policing priority, with a stronger and better coordinated partnership across police forces, trading standards, banks, adult social care services and other local authority agencies.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “These figures show the shocking extent to which older people continue to be targeted by fraudsters. “People who have done everything reasonably possible to protect themselves can suffer catastrophic, life-changing losses, destroying not just their finances but their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.” To reduce your risk of falling victim to a scam, take the following steps: STOP – Never do anything you don’t want to or make any decisions on the spot.
CHECK – Always check a caller’s credentials.
ASK – Always ask someone you trust for a second opinion.
MINE – Do not give away personal information.
SHARE – Tell others about your experience to lower their risk of being scammed.
For advice on pension scams, nuisance calls, doorstep crimes, investment schemes and online scams at ageuk.org.uk/scams