Protecting Against Frauds and Scams

I think I am essentially an optimist about humanity. Most people are basically good; even when we do a bad thing, it’s either a mistake that we can learn from, or we are doing it for what we believe are the right reasons.

People who target disabled folks for their scams seriously challenge that optimism.

None of us is immune to fraud. Identity theft, computer hacking, and financial scams are at an all-time high. But fraud against people with disabilities strikes me as particularly nefarious.

In an attempt to thwart their evil efforts, I’d like to highlight a few of the more typical examples of these con artists’ tricks so we’re less likely to fall for them.

Because many people with disabilities rely on government or private programs, one type of scam involves a person impersonating a representative of one of these programs (such as Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, other insurance programs or service providers) to either gain personally identifying information or convince the disabled person that they need to make a financial contribution.

Another scam takes advantage of the fact that many people with disabilities are unemployed or underemployed. Scammers will offer job opportunities to “work from home” or “work for yourself” and require an up-front payment to participate in the opportunity or invest in initial supplies. The job, as you can guess, never materializes.

Social media is a hotbed for scams. Scammers pose as potential romantic partners and exploit their victims emotionally and financially. They use surprisingly sophisticated methods of social engineering to convince the victim that the scammer is who they say they are and gain the victim’s trust.

Even if there are not direct consequences from these scams, people with disabilities and older adults face often indirect consequences in the form of the loss of autonomy. While most Americans have fallen for or been the victim of fraud or identity theft, for a person with an intellectual disability or cognitive impairment, the same mistake is seen as evidence of errors in judgement and can be used as an excuse to remove their rights to make decisions for themselves. Many unwanted (and potentially unneeded) guardianships and conservatorships are instituted with the rationale of preventing fraud against the person with a disability.

But there are things that people with disabilities and their loved ones can do to reduce the risk of victimization. Never give personal or financial information over the phone or online unless you have verified that the site is authentic and secure. Double check the identity of an individual or company by seeking independent sources and visiting the agency or organization’s official website. Stay aware of current and common scams by visiting stopfraudcolorado.gov and signing up for their bulletin.

Finally, recognize that anyone can become the victim of fraud, and remove the guilt, shame and punishment that can follow.

Scammers are always trying to stay one step ahead of us. Let’s all to gain the tools we need to keep up and avoid becoming victims.