A Senior Citizen Shares Information on a Part-Time Job Scam Targeting the Elderly

To age at home, many elderly men and women rely on the help of caregivers. Some need elderly care services because they can no longer drive. Others need help with harder household chores like laundry and vacuuming.

While elderly care services are extremely helpful, they can be hard to afford on a fixed income. Some able seniors take small, easy jobs to cover the expense. As one senior found out, even the job market has scammers looking for victims.

The Mystery Shopping Scam.

Mystery shoppers go into stores and critique the customer service, cleanliness, and overall experience. They get paid a fee to do so. Once the report is filed, payment is immediately scheduled. If any purchase was required as part of the assignment, a copy of the receipt is needed to get reimbursed for the purchase.

One senior was offered a job as a mystery shopper. The company gave him the instructions and a very official looking check to cover the fee and money to buy thousands of dollars in gift cards. He was instructed to deposit the check and then go to a store to buy the gift cards. Once the company’s check cleared, the money he’d spent would be back in his account.

As the man had never been paid in advance, he was suspicious. He went to police who admitted the check looked valid. They called the bank on the check and learned it was a fake. Had the senior not questioned the payment, he would have been responsible for bounced check fees. He’d also be out the money he used to buy the gift cards.

This is One of Many Scams.

This is one of many scams seniors face. Any time a request is made to buy gift cards and send them or to wire money, seniors should contact authorities. Make sure your parent knows to ask before they ever send money to a person or business.

If your parent needs elderly care services and isn’t sure how to afford it, talk to an agency. With a mix of caregiver’s help and family chipping in, it is possible to get the cost of elderly care services to a point where your parent won’t have to take a part-time job or have you help out financially. Call us today to learn more about other ways to make home care affordable.

If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Ardmore, PA, contact the caring professionals at Reliant At Home Care today (610) 674-6860 .