As a pastor, you’ll want to protect every member of your flock. It can be challenging to ensure everyone’s safety while away from your sanctuary – however, you can still anticipate some of the struggles they might encounter and work to mitigate them whenever possible.
In 2018, older adults were scammed out of $184 million collectively. Many think that elderly folks are easy targets for scammers, so the best way to protect them is to be aware of the misinformation the older members of your congregation might come across.
Scams to Look Out For
Senior citizens have several types of scams to look out for, and keeping up with all of them is challenging work. If you can pinpoint the difference between a legitimate notification and a scam, you can help shepherd the church’s seniors in the right direction. Teach them what to look out for, including these common scams.
1. Health Care and Insurance Scams
Elderly citizens typically have Medicare, so they should know not to fall for any scams regarding their eligibility. Unfortunately, sometimes, fraudsters on the phone are too convincing. Someone may call one of your seniors and ask for their personal information, then use it for nefarious purposes. In the blink of an eye, someone can have their data stolen and used for their ruin.
Another health care scam that older adults may fall for is discount prescription drugs. While this scam could sometimes happen over the phone, many adults are likely to run into this scam online, as it may be where they typically look for discounts on their medications. At best, they might get their financial information stolen. At worst, the senior members of your congregation may end up with dangerous substances due to their purchase.
2. Romance Scams
Many seniors might live alone, possibly because a spouse or partner has passed. After living most of their lives with someone, older adults are bound to get lonely. Seniors who feel lonely can live up to five years less than their counterparts who have plenty of company. As a result, they might follow the promise of love online with someone they’ve never met before. You can help them by telling them that many dating websites have a plethora of fake accounts, so they have to be careful.
The best way to steer a senior out of feeling lonely is to offer plenty of social gatherings at your church. If they can’t leave home, make sure they have plenty of visitors coming and going every day so they don’t have to feel alone too often. Combatting loneliness is the best way to keep seniors from falling for romance scams that might involve someone trying to swindle money from them.
3. Email Phishing Scams
Emails can be tricky, especially for people who aren’t very technologically savvy. Seniors might get emails that look legitimate but are actually out to steal their information or put something dangerous on their devices. Phishing emails make up around 90% of cybersecurity attacks, so they need to know what to look out for.
To protect your seniors and their confidential information, they should know how to pinpoint which emails are legitimate and turn away from any that look suspicious. First and foremost, they should never acknowledge emails that are from a questionable sender.
How to Help Senior Church Members Deal With Scams
Luckily, your senior members of the church aren’t alone. You and many others in the congregation can help them sort through scams and real alerts. Be sure to give them reminders to watch out for scams and teach them just what to look out for. That way, they can avoid the blatant scams and at least be suspicious of ones that are harder to figure out.
1. Host a Class
Your senior members might have the free time to attend a scam literacy course. Have a knowledgeable member of your congregation volunteer to teach the seniors about scams and how they can avoid them. Make sure to use a large font on any printables and have people standing by to answer questions after the miniature course.
Encouraging seniors to take notes will also give them something to refer back to when they believe something might be a scam.
2. Drop Reminders in the Morning Announcements
Before you start the sermon on Sunday mornings or any other day of the week, consider adding a note about scams in the morning announcements. Older church members should be in attendance and attentive before the sermon, so it would be a great opportunity to remind them not to fall for anything that seems fishy.
This can be a small announcement that includes a place to direct them to if they’re unsure if something they received is a scam.
3. Visit the Ones Who Can’t Make It
Some of your congregation members may be unable to leave their homes. Take some time out of your week to visit them and catch up with them. Since people who are lonely might feel less likely to turn to scams for friendship or romance, it’s worth visiting seniors now and then. Spending time with people can also help them feel happier and live longer, so the small time investment really pays off.
Plus, knowing more about their lives can help you stay up-to-date on whether someone is attempting to scam them. This way, you can help the seniors who can’t make it to church or supplemental classes understand the difference between a scam and a legitimate website or message. They’ll be grateful for the knowledge and company.
Keep Your Seniors Safe
You can’t be with someone all the time, nor will an older adult always want you guiding them through their life choices. Because elder abuse is so common, you want to ensure they feel safe and protected, but allow them to make their own decisions.
Equipped with the knowledge of scams and how to fight off loneliness and declining mental health, your senior members will know how to fend for themselves. Be sure to leave an avenue open so they can come to you with any concerns they may have. Otherwise, they may take pride in feeling independent and dealing with scams in their own ways.
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