Seniors Site

I’ve been in the internet for such a long time that I sometimes find myself applying internet lingo to my everyday life and yes, conversations—much to the dismay of my senior friends. I won’t dare blame them, it’s really hard to keep up with how the internet speaks unless you personally experienced them. Ever encountered these words: lol, lmao and ikr? Completely, insanely incomprehensible! But for your aging mind’s information, these words stand for “laughing out loud:, “laughing my ass off” and “I know right?”. See? Simple words made difficult!
So let’s add the word “phishing” to that. I stumbled upon a very informative article in the internet this morning and like me, the author has had phishing attacks so I can totally relate to what he is saying. I decided to post his link to my social networking sites i.e Twitter and Facebook so that my friends would be forewarned of these new ways to phish. Silly me, I did not bother to check if the wordings are age-appropriate to most of my friends and I even got comments like: “What phishing?” and “What on earth?!”
Due to this, I quickly realized that not all of my senior friends are not too acquainted with most internet terms despite the fact that they use it regularly. Some may have an idea, while others just don’t care. Problem is, these are the things we really need to know when we use the internet so I took the liberty to “translate” for the senior readers what phishing is all about and how nasty it can get!
Phishing is a scam primarily made to steal your valuable information. Usually, it steals your login info and then uses it to hack your account. When you say hack, it is an unauthorized use of your account wherein the supposedly “hacker” takes full control of your account. The hacker, or the person behind it can now send mails, post images and just do whatever it is you can do with that account. In mild cases, it just uses your account to widen the phishing attack, however, your personal information is now made vulnerable, and not to mention, accessible.
I, myself, once fell for a phishing scam. This, I think, was the first batch of its kind using social networking sites. A friend mailed me a link to a video with me on it. I believed, at that time, that it really came from her since I never encountered phishing attack in a social networking site before—all I knew is that it only confines itself to emails. I clicked and was led to a log-in page which looked like the real thing. I thought it was only an error so I just faithfully typed in my details. The next day, I found out that my account sent comments and messages to my network without me knowing it. Basically, that’s how phishing works although they so often change platforms. Last I heard, they attacked Twitter and many users fell for it—seniors included.

If there’s one group of people who gets classified in two contradicting characteristics, it must be the seniors’ group. Why? It is because we’re believed to be wise due to the countless life experiences we were able to gather through the years and yet, midlifers—particularly our kids–see us as gullible human beings. How on earth can a person be wise and gullible at the same time? Well apparently, or so others believe, seniors can be both.
I say, getting manipulated is not at all age-related, nor a phenomena that occurs only during the so-called golden age. Anyone can fall into someone else’s manipulative scheme if they are not too careful or they tend to easily trust what other people say. Aside from that, let’s consider the fact that most con artists pick on seniors as their prey just because these seniors are either too lonely and in obvious need of a companion or they have an amazing amount of money stashed somewhere—in some cases, both.
Sadly, there are other forms of manipulation which are not intended to snatch your pot of gold but rob your self respect. You may or may not recognize it at once but most of the time, you feel bad and really frustrated since it sort of “locked” you in a situation less desired. Manipulation occurs when someone have it their way and never bothering about you. It can be a boss who refuses to hear your opinions, instead, adamantly insists on doing things to his liking, or it can be a friend who always calls during ungodly hours just to have a chat with you, mostly to tell you her latest adventures.
What seniors should know is that, master manipulators actually size up their potential prey prior to moving in for the kill. In other words, they try to gauge the opposite person if they can be manipulated or not. With that said, you should be conscious enough of your actions and try to create an impression that you are not the type they are looking for. Here are the usual warning flags that you should avoid:
·    Being passive. You just let everything pass you by, even if they are annoying. You don’t acknowledge your true feelings just because you hate confrontations and are afraid that someone might get hurt.
·    Allowing others to control your life. You just go with the flow. You let someone else move you to places. You never decide for yourself.
·    Afraid of your own opinions. You get all nervous just by the thought of opening your mouth and having your say on important issues.
·    Fickle-minded. When you jump from one decision to another and then back again even without strong and apparent reason, it expresses your inability to make strong judgment.
·    Approval seeker. One strong sign of insecurity.
·    Not valuing one’s self. If you love yourself, you know that there are some people who are just not worth your time and effort.

Even if this post is titled as such, it doesn’t mean that seniors are manipulative people. On the contrary, they are most vulnerable in the hands of predators who are always on the look out for the perfect prey—unfortunately, they see the senior group as one of the easiest to manipulate since most seniors are very trusting in nature.

Generally speaking—and sadly enough—manipulation exists everywhere! A senior can find them prevalent in workplace and even in your own home, with your own defenses down, it may be present. It can be just about any other person, no matter the extent or degree of relationship. These people take advantage of the “first encounters” as these usually are void of any defensive feelings.

Whether seniors like it or not, the world is not a perfect place. It has its own faults. We, on the other hand, would like to believe that it is indeed perfect as it would be much easier to live in it if it were. Meanwhile, manipulation happens for one reason: for selfish satisfaction—and some people are really good at this, you wouldn’t even know you’re being manipulated. Manipulative people share certain characteristics. These are their common denominator, a way to spot them. If you spot these ahead of time, you’ll be able to extract yourself from the situation and be forewarned with any future dealings with this person hence saving you from falling for their scams and schemes.

CHARACTERISTIC 1:  Compliments, compliments, compliments. What better way to make someone move to desired direction than showering them with compliments, unwarranted and otherwise? This is especially true for seniors who longed to be appreciated but their loved-ones failed to do so.

CHARACTERISTIC 2:  Guilt-tripper. An experienced manipulator will know your weaknesses. If you’re the kind of person who would not want to be blamed for anything hence always doing your share of work then a guilt-tripper is your worst kind of manipulator. He’ll make you do things just because you have to, not because you like what you are doing.

CHARACTERISTIC 3:  Nagger. This person will pester you until you give in just to shut them up. It’s quite hard to say “no” to these people without hurting their feelings but once you gave in, they’ll pester you again tomorrow so its better to clear rules now and ask questions later.

CHARACTERISTIC 4:  A bully. Bullying is an art perfected in grade school. Through the years, expect a bully to continually hone their craft and get what they want from people. They may be tough but you, as your own person, deserve to do whatever you want and not get orders from someone else. Besides, it’s about time they do their own work.

It’s not easy to spot an abused senior. These cruel acts certainly don’t happen outside of home; it always occurs during private moments, when seniors are left alone with their abusers. I’ve come across several cases in which their loved-ones, the ones who truly care for them, are the last ones to know and often times, it’s a little too late for them to intervene as the damage has already been done.

One of the known factors which triggers such hatred and anger toward frail and defenseless seniors is frustration. When a person is blinded by frustrating tasks and seemingly endless chores, it’s really easy to divert fury to a senior who are incapable of defending himself, much less tell others of what the abuser did. Seniors seldom tell, they usually just take it all in, believing they really are a nuisance and the abuser has all the right in the world to do such inhuman acts when in truth, it’s their abusers who deserve to be punished and jailed!

What’s more amusing is that an abuser knows no color, intention or relation, contrary to popular notion that only hired help abuses seniors. They can be someone whom the seniors trust dearly, a relative, a partner, and even their own family. They just manifest without a warning. Also, they come in many forms. Do take note that an abuse has been made if there are verbal and physical attacks made to the senior in question. Also, the term also applies if someone is trying to transfer senior’s assets to their names, either by manipulation, threats or falsification of documents.

In general, taking advantage of a senior’s poor and helpless situation is automatically called or defined as an abuse. There are different types of elderly abuse:

•    Physical abuse. Easiest to spot. There will be, at the very least, bruises.
•    Emotional abuse. If an action causes a senior some emotional discomforts and the abuser is certainly benefiting from the situation, it’s automatically an abuse. It’s either yelling, threatening, hateful words, and blaming or the other way around such as ignoring a senior, even if he is in dire need.
•    Sexual abuse. Yes, it happens.
•    Fraud and scams to financially benefit from seniors.  Aside from the traditional transferring of funds, some cases were reported to be committed by health care providers themselves. Since seniors and their families trust and respect these people, it’s easy to get money from them for unnecessary services and referrals.

Most of the reported cases were from concerned neighbors, people who are quick to notice that something is not right. It’s very unlikely for seniors to report themselves in cases like these, it means, if we ignore silent pleas from them, the abuse will just go on and on. If you’re in doubt about a situation, or you refuse to acknowledge your suspicion, it’s best to talk separately to both the senior and caregiver to find out more about their situation. Sometimes, all they need is your help.

It’s been a while since I last posted about seniors falling to fraudulent schemes. It’s a given fact that seniors are the usual targets of scams and personally, I take offense on that. I only take refuge in the fact that maybe these unscrupulous people who are after a senior believe we have money hidden somewhere and not because we are gullible human beings—easy enough to handle.

I still believe that in order to protect a senior from scams, we need to educate ourselves from scammers’ usual activities. Keeping up with current events by merely watching news and reading papers can definitely warn us thus preparing us if and when the situation hits us. If you are fairly active with the internet i.e if you check your emails daily and connect with your loved-ones using social networking sites, it pays big time to check new and inventive ways these scammers use. The internet community has always been helpful in alerting us when there’s a new, fast-spreading scam within the circle. For one, Facebook management gives out updates and reports regularly, so when they do, make sure you read it.

One of the hardest to handle is unsolicited phone calls. Telemarketers are trained to be persistent, bordering to annoying. Also, before they call your home, they already did their homework, knowing every minute detail they can scrape about your character. What makes it scarier is that this kind of calls is never random, in fact they are targeted, making you exposed and vulnerable. The best way to handle this situation is to simply hang-up. No need to fret over being rude, just remember that this person who is calling you has no right to come snooping on you. Think of it as simply returning the favor. Being nice to them is simply encouraging them to call back—and that, they will certainly oblige.

Another easy way for scammers to invade your life is through mails. My advice is to not bother opening mails you don’t expect to be coming your way, no matter how tempting the envelope may be. Throw them straight to the thrash can where they truly belong. Personally, I’m amazed how my mails seem to grow right along with my age! Also, be doubly aware of credit card charges and bank balances. If this task is getting harder to accomplish each day, get someone to do it for you. Just make sure this person can be held liable and can be sued if there’s a discrepancy in records.

I also find it annoying to have someone knocking on my door and persisting to come and check something. First off, I don’t like strangers coming in my home, ever, and you should do too. Second, I don’t like someone telling me there’s something wrong with my house especially when I don’t see anything wrong with it, again, you should do too. If you need to get your home repaired, you come to them, not the other way around, no matter how convenient the arrangement seemed to be.

The worldwide web indeed has given us a wider scope in life making it possible to access tons of information just by simple web manipulation called “web surfing”. Bear in mind that this fun activity need not exert too much effort since one will only need a computer and an internet access. It can be done anywhere, anytime. The best thing about the internet is that it caters to all, young and old. It can also get you to places and through it, we are able to accomplish tasks that are otherwise hard for us to do back then.

Some of the finest points the internet has been giving us are:
·    Being able to pay your bills and do bank transactions through online banking.
·    Connecting you to your loved-ones without ever worrying about communication bills and such.
·    Online games for stress-free afternoons.
·    Online shopping saves you time, energy and gas. You don’t need to go far to buy your essentials. Just find a reputable supermarket or grocery website and place your order there. Some even provide free delivery service for your convenience.

Like stated earlier, these are just some of the things the internet can give you. See how easy—and tempting—it can be for seniors to take advantage of these services? Unfortunately, unscrupulous people are quick to get wind of it all and sadly, they consider seniors to be their most vulnerable targets. This makes it doubly hard for senior surfers to move around freely and without worries.

Identity theft in general is when a thief assumes an identity, stolen from another person, hopefully not you, and uses it to his or her advantage. Scarily, it can happen even in our normal, living world but with the advent of the internet, identity theft is now easier and faster to do. Losing a wallet can turn your life around in just one day especially if they fell into wrong but expert hands. One account I heard, after discovering about her lost wallet, which she guessed went missing for about two days prior to the discovery, she quickly called her bank, credit cards and others. Much to her dismay, the thief already did some damage and more. There had been online purchases charged to her account—and they are not cheap, mind you. And because she failed to notify the bank beforehand, she is now making some negotiations with the credit card company for payment terms.

In the internet world however, there is a threat known as phishing. This too attempts to collect your personal information which you stored in your system. These are viruses which you inadvertently downloaded through sites, both reputable and not. Apparently, they record your keyboarding activities and send it to a remote site which will leave your information to their mercy. Hacking is yet another way to access your online accounts and it is usually done by someone you know. Even scams-disguised as emails can easily find their way into your inboxes waiting to be clicked. Nothing beats right information to prevent identity theft from harming you. Read about them and be aware of these unlawful activities.

The internet has become as necessary as food and shelter for mankind and this includes the boomer generation. Gone are the days when seniors were afraid of the advancement in technology. They are more daring and willing to learn now, more than ever.

The embracement of technology came as no surprise for many since the internet has been providing new and efficient ways in making our lives a little easier to live. Certainly if younger generation can make use of these conveniences, why not seniors?.. In reality, it is the younger ones who encourage seniors to use computers as they will benefit from it tremendously.

Without seniors even realizing it, they have been receiving a lot from the advancement in technology. Take for example the ever-evolving medical advancement which extends lives. Without them, an aging body harassed by everyday stress can never last that long. On the other hand, one of the most important benefits the internet can give you is bridging the gap between seniors and their loved-ones who are miles away from them now—a common setup for many families worldwide.

Seniors who have learned to use computers were able to connect with their loved-ones in many ways. In popular social networking sites such as Facebook, seniors are able to get to know their grandkids better through live feeds. This kind of interaction is never possible if they will only rely on telephone conversations and letters. Also, the internet proved to be more cost-effective than any other communication means. There are tools available over the internet which provide the ease of use for elderly users. Some can even be downloaded for free. Others come with the computer itself like onscreen keyboards, magnifier and narrator.

Aside from the communication side of it, the internet can also be utilized for other things such as paying bills or buying stuff online. This alone can be of big help for seniors especially for those with mobility problems. Almost all banks do online transactions making it easier and safer for seniors to manage their bank accounts. Basic online safety measures should be applied when dealing with personal information as such. Read more about online safety here.

Communication as well as range and scope of seniors are not the only ones improved by the internet. Even socializing and potentially meeting a partner can be achieved when you finally get used to using the internet. There are hundreds of online dating sites intended for seniors and they are a surefire way to meet other seniors who are looking for love.

This is probably the most horrible news one could ever receive but unfortunately, senior abuse is not at all uncommon and they really do happen—a lot. No matter where you choose to leave your senior, there will always be a chance of them getting abused without you knowing it. What’s most painful is that the trust that was once there is now broken. Not to mention the trauma your senior must have acquired during the whole ordeal. Indeed, an experience like this striking any family is something we all have to avoid at all cost.

But how would you know? In rare occasions, a senior may report these cases themselves to proper authorities but again, this is not always the case. Usually by the time an abuse case concerning a senior reaches the police, it’s way too late. Reasons for not reporting vary widely from one senior to another, the most common of which are the inability of the senior to do things on his own and poor judgment to matters concerning their own welfare. Some of them admitted to authorities that they were either ashamed or too frightened to call for help even if they already did recognize danger. Most reported cases of senior abuse came from concerned neighbors and close friends who are quick to identify these warning signs.

Regular contact with your senior is the most effective way to prevent abuse from happening. If other people are aware that you have been checking regularly, they will think twice before doing something bad. It will also be for your senior’s best to check up on their affairs once in a while especially their finances which apparently is the most vulnerable—and very targetable—area of their life right now. Here are some of the most common warning signs that you should be looking for when you suspect senior abuse:

·    Discrepancies in their financial affairs and assets. Unscrupulous people will try to “milk it” as long as they stay undetected. They will apply tactics and other methods of persuasion just to get their hands on the senior’s money.
·    Signs of malnutrition. When you notice they are dropping weight like crazy then it’s time to intervene. When a person loses weight, there’s always something wrong with the picture, either he is not getting enough food to nourish his body or he is not receiving proper medical care while the body takes in all the blow.
·    Physical injuries or telltale signs of physical abuse. Take note of bruises, cuts, welts and broken bones. While it is normal to acquire these things when doing everyday chores, they should be explainable.
·    If your senior is living with someone who abuses them, your senior is bound to exhibit a different kind of attitude whenever that person is around. Also, signs of emotional withdrawal is noted when a senior is subjected to abuse.

When we were kids, we used to run to our grannies and grandpops for our problems especially if we’re in deep trouble with our parents. Our grandparents became our great ally, someone we can trust with our lives and won’t tell on us no matter what. In short, grandparents become their grandchildren’s greatest savior of all time.

Years forward and we found ourselves within their shoes. Now, it is our turn to save our grandkids from cruelty of the world and as much as possible, we protect them from harm. We cushion their fall, we condemn our kids if they’re not treating our grandkids right and threaten them to take the kids away if they won’t behave right. This is our duty—our job, as their grandparents; just like the ones preceding us.

This is a natural instinct deeply rooted among us. Call it animal instinct, if you want. For us, it is a natural response to human protecting their own and trust us, when you finally get here, you will understand but won’t be able to explain either.

This is exactly why seniors fall for this scam—the grandparent scam or emergency scam. Actually, this scam is the longest running among its contemporaries. Moreover, grandparent scam made comebacks from time to time and just recently, it struck again. The latest victim being a San Antonio woman named Barbara Thompson, robbed off of about $3,000 by someone pretending to be her grandchild.

By the way, grandparent scam has been included in the top 10 famous scams ever, along with others which usually target seniors. This, in fact, bothers government agencies committed to securing seniors’ lives. While some victims would rather keep the whole affair to themselves, police are now worried since this scam is frightfully gaining grounds all over US preying on seniors everyday.

Basically, here is how it works: a call is placed to a seniors’ home, preferably those who live alone or living with their senior spouse—miles away from their grandkids. This is to eliminate the possibility of confirmation if the situation is indeed true. With the help of slightly garbled phone connection, the con man/woman will then pretend to be your grandchild requesting money to be wired as soon as possible to get him out of trouble. The caller will request firm secrecy of the whole transaction being made especially from your kids who are supposed to be their parents. They will be very persistent and pressuring for quick action which usually throws you off from all stable decisions.

Police advises seniors to ask for personal details about the family if and when they receive such call. Once you find your caller to be vague and elusive, it is best to hang-up immediately and call a family member to confirm the details your caller gave you or better yet, call your grandchild directly. This way, you are assured that the one on the other end of the line is indeed your grandchild.

Some reports included that the cons supplied right family information such as name and current location of the grandchild in question. It seems they took one step higher than their usual “hit and miss” tactic and this certainly scares seniors more.

If the cons know, they must be following us right? Personal information is easily gathered from family blogs, web sites, social networking sites, and newspapers meaning, you should not send any valuable information over the internet, unless you are well prepared for its consequences. While it is okay to stay socially connected through social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, bear in mind that there are whole lot of scammers over the internet, waiting for their next victim. As always, take precautions in using the internet to prevent trouble from happening.

There’s no stopping summer! Probably, as early as now, your kids are planning a little family outing with you and your grandkids or perhaps, your partner is already preparing for a honeymoon getaway in some romantic island where nobody can disturb your escapades. Whether this is something planned or spur-of-the-moment breakout, you will have to get down to details at some point specifically how to cover expenses while traveling. Sure, seniors won’t run out of options paying for their tracks but it can get confusing at times.

There are many different payment methods available to seniors especially if you have a good credit standing. Not quite a problem for many seniors since they know how to handle their finances very well. Seniors just need to decide what suits them best since all options are faced with their own pros and cons.

Traveling is fun, especially if spent with loved-ones but they tend to be costly hence you prepare. Not having enough money to spend around means your vacation is compromised and will only leave you feeling unsatisfied which defeats the purpose of your vacation all together. To prevent this from happening, you must review your options carefully and plan ahead.

Bringing cash to trips is the most convenient since cash is very acceptable anywhere in the world. This will also come in handy with places where there are no ATMs and banks available for your convenience. But, we all know that cash poses a great security risk to travelers and it can sometimes put you in a life threatening situation. Also, if you lose your cash, it can never be replaced.

Credit cards are the next best thing from cash providing maximum security and convenience which your cash could not give. Credit cards can also be used to reserve hotels and rent cars, pay for your food, entrance and just about anything. You can also use these cards for cash advances for noncredit card situations. They are accepted by many merchants worldwide. Seemed perfect right? But like they say, nothing is perfect. Credit cards are the usual target of scammers and unscrupulous individuals who will try to steal your credit card information and use it at your expense. So you have to be extra careful when using these things and never let it out of your sight. Also, you need to notify your issuing bank before traveling to avoid suspension of credit card when you need it most. You also have to check expiry dates and clean up your credit standing first.

Seniors also have the option to avail debit cards, traveler’s check, and prepaid credit cards among others. These are much safer than those two noted above but they can be very restricting. Debit cards are safe since nobody wants to steal debit cards, unless they thought it was a credit card. You can also use them anywhere just like your regular credit card and you can control your travel spending since you assign a certain limit to the debit card. However, you need to notify your issuing bank before leaving and cash advances are not allowable. Traveler’s checks are secure enough but they are expensive while prepaid travel cards require activation which comes in high fees.

A combination of two options will provide you a much stronger safety net for your traveling expenses so if one of them failed, the other one should work. Just remember to be safe and secure all the time so you will have a great vacation with no money hassles.