TYLER (KYTX) - Scam artists are always looking to swindle seniors out of cash, and East Texas with it's large retirement population is a target.
One senior care group is arming seniors with information to protect themselves.
Charlotte parks is 80 years old and has been targeted by scammers.
"Usually it's someone trying to sell a vacuum cleaner. I had an incident about 2 years ago," Parks says.
When a man came to her door peddling cleaning products, she sent him packing.
"The minute he left I had his license number, knew which direction he was going and I called the Sheriff's Department and they'd been trying to catch him all day!"
Parks works at the Better Business Bureau in Tyler so she knows better, but she says lots of people her age fall for these scams.
That's why local company, Home Instead Senior Care, created the Senior Fraud Protection Kit. It's loaded with information, including checklists on how vulnerable your senior is to scams, and how to scam proof your senior or loved one.
Allison McKinney with Home Instead Senior Care says, "Keep it by the phone, and have your senior or loved one go through it just to help them understand the anatomy of a scam. They're not easy to understand."
McKinney says seniors who are scammed can lose more than money.
"There emotional damage too. It takes away that senior's independence. They may be physically capable, but now they're scared to be on their own," she says.
She suggests adding your senior to the Do Not Call list, and putting up No Soliciting signs at their home. If someone comes to their door, they should write down contact information and ask questions.
If they are scammed McKinney urges them to be vocal.
"Only 25 percent of seniors that have been a victim of a scam artist are reporting the crimes," McKinney says.
Letting police or the BBB know, can save others from the same situation.
McKinney says it's important for seniors to have an extra set of eyes, whether it's a family member or neighbor looking out for their best interest.
For more information, or for a free kit of your own, call her at (903) 258-9061.
