Financial Elder Abuse Prevention: The Telephone
The telephone is widely used for financial elder abuse. Remember that you do not have to immediately answer the telephone. You should let the caller leave a voice mail. That way you can find out who the caller is and only call back if you choose to do so.
If you do happen to answer the phone, you should hang up immediately if the caller is trying to sell you something. Just tell the caller no regarding any prizes, requests for money from people you don’t know and requests for money from religious and charitable organizations. Also keep in mind that you have NOT WON anything, regardless of what the caller tries to tell you.
Do not under any circumstances give out any of your personal information, any credit card numbers or your social security card number over the phone.
Before you commit to anything over the phone, discuss the issue with a trusted family member, your Elder Law Attorney or financial advisor.