Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is new technology that can copy people’s faces and even their voices. And scammers are using it to convince seniors that people they love are in danger or need help and conning them out of millions of dollars.
AI can perfectly copy someone’s voice, so when a senior gets a phone call it could sound exactly like their grandchild, their child, or a friend. That voice could tell your senior parent to send thousands of dollars for car repairs, emergency transportation, or even ransom. Many people have been fooled into sending money to scammers after hearing a voice on the phone that sounds exactly like a loved one.
Home care can help seniors avoid scams by answering the phone for them and verifying the identity of a caller before giving your senior parent the phone. A home care provider can also help seniors spot other scam attempts.
But because AI can create videos or phone calls that copy the faces and voices of people that your senior parent knows and loves it can be extremely difficult to avoid getting scammed by AI. You and your senior parent should use these tips to avoid falling for an AI scam:
Beware Of Unknown Phone Numbers
Seniors should always be wary of calls from unknown phone numbers that say they are from family or friends. It’s always a good idea to have a home care provider or a family member answer calls from unknown numbers. These days it would be highly unusual for someone like a grandchild to call from an unknown number.
Create A Family Code Word
One of the best ways to keep a senior parent safe from AI scams is to create a family code word. This word is something known only to the direct family. Use a word that would have meaning only to family members, like the name of the summer camp that your child goes to or the name of your first pet growing up. Your senior parent should ask any caller for the code word, especially if the voice on the phone sounds like a loved one. If they don’t know the code word it’s not a legitimate family emergency call.
Call The Family Member Directly
Another good way to avoid getting scammed by an AI scammer is to call the relative or friend directly. For example, if your senior parent receives a call that supposedly from a grandchild needing money for an emergency car repair your senior parent or their home care provider should call the grandchild directly from another line. Chances are good the grandchild will not be the one on the other line and won’t actually have an emergency.
Ask For Details
If the caller needs money for something, ask for details about the situation. Do they need a car part? Do they need to have their car towed? Offer to send money directly to the business and not to the person. Usually at this point a scammer will hang up and move on to try and scam someone else.
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Hinsdale, IL, please contact the caring staff at Suburban Home Care today at (630) 964-9000.
There are several great reasons why Suburban Home Care® should be your choice for quality homecare. All of our Certified Nursing Assistants and Home Health Aides are screened, trained, bonded and insured.
Every family needs to be aware that almost every Homeowner’s insurance policy specifically excludes anyone working within your home. If the person you hire becomes injured while working for you, you will become personally responsible for all of their medical bills. This has left several families very vulnerable when their caregiver injured themselves at their home.
The potential to lose everything you have worked so hard to achieve seems an unnecessary risk. Every one of Suburban Home Care®’s employees are completely covered by insurance so you and your loved ones can relax knowing that if something unforeseen happens to your caregiver, they are completely covered by insurance.
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