What if your family’s greatest gift is a circle of trust that protects a loved one with dementia before scammers can reach them?

Across the United States, scammers are moving faster, sounding more convincing, and causing deeper harm. This is especially true for older adults and the families who love them.

These crimes are not just financial losses. They can steal confidence, independence, and peace of mind. They leave victims embarrassed, frightened, or unsure whom to trust.

For older adults and their families, the best defense is a shared plan: slow down before responding to unexpected requests, verify messages through trusted channels, protect personal and financial information, and create an open, judgment-free way to talk about suspicious contacts before money changes hands.

Warning Signs to Watch For

Scams often look legitimate at first, but they tend to rely on the same pressure tactics. Older adults and family members should pause and verify before responding when any of the following warning signs appear:

Urgency or fear: A caller, text, email, or pop-up says you must act immediately to avoid arrest, account closure, computer damage, or loss of benefits.
Requests for unusual payment: Someone asks for gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, payment apps, or cash sent by courier.
Secrecy: The person tells you not to tell family, your bank, or law enforcement because they are “protecting” you or conducting a confidential investigation.
Impersonation: The message claims to be from a government agency, bank, tech company, charity, romantic partner, or relative in trouble but cannot be independently verified.
Too-good-to-be-true offers: An investment, prize, refund, job, or sweepstakes promises guaranteed money but requires fees, taxes, deposits, or personal information up front.
Remote access or personal information requests: Someone asks to control your computer or phone, confirm passwords, provide a Social Security number, or share banking details.

What about families caring for a loved one with dementia?

Treat scam prevention as part of the care plan—not as a one-time conversation.

Because dementia can affect memory, judgment, and the ability to recognize suspicious requests, families can reduce risk by putting automatic safeguards in place.

Adding a trusted contact to bank and investment accounts, set spending limits and transaction alerts, review statements regularly
Blocking unknown callers and suspicious texts
Securing Social Security numbers and financial documents
Simplify finances by closing unused accounts or credit cards

It is important to preserve dignity. Create a circle of trust. Frame these conversations with shared protection in mind, not as a punishment, or removing their agency.

Create a simple rule that any urgent request for money, gift cards, account access, or personal information must be checked with a trusted family member or professional before anyone responds.

Tools

Protecting our loved ones while still honoring their independence may mean simplifying their phone.

iPhones running iOS 17 or later, use Apple’s Assistive Access Feature, the Cognitive Accessibility features on iPhones https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/overview-of-cognitive-accessibility-features-iph0ede5b8d6/ios

Android: install the Simplified Launcher to replace the Android Home Screen. Designed for the visually impaired it has high-contrast, text only home screen with large fonts and simple icons.

Replace Their Phone with a Simplified Version with Built-in Protections

The RAZ Memory Cell Phone www.razmobility.com/solutions/memory-cellphone The RAZ Memory Cell Phone helps seniors and caregivers alike. It has many features, including loneliness alerts, charging reminders, the ability to manage repetitive calling, and it can block predatory calls to eliminate phone fraud, as well as fraud initiated via text messaging.

Jitterbug Smart 5. https://shop.lively.com/products/jitterbug-smart5-smartphone-for-seniors

Jitterbug Flip3: shop.lively.com/collections/jitterbug-phones/products/jitterbug-flip3-flip-phone

In the end, protecting older loved ones from scams is not just about watching for fraud—it is about building a culture of care where questions are welcomed. They feel safe enough to share concerns early. No one must face suspicious or harmful requests alone. Whether a family is supporting someone with dementia or simply helping an aging parent stay safe and independent, the most powerful protection is a circle of trust that honors dignity while making it easier to pause, verify, and act before harm is done.

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For more support information, check out my resources page.

Tracy Cram Perkins is a four-time dementia caregiving survivor with over 16 years of caregiving experience. She is the author of Dementia Home Care, How to Prepare Before, During, and After.

It is her mission to supply caregivers with proven shortcuts to reduce the stresses of dementia care.

Tracy teaches hands-on solutions for reducing repetitive questions, melt downs, wandering, and more using simple fixes found at hardware and office supply stores. She emphasizes there are lots of do-overs with dementia care. So if something doesn’t work the first time, there are more options.

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