Scams and fraud are at an all-time high and seniors are the primary target.
A recent study by AARP found that one in five caregivers have a loved one who has lost money to a scam.
Seniors will pick up their phone and on the other line... people pretending to be affiliated with government agencies like the Department of Social Security Administration, or people demanding utility payments, or even someone claiming to be a grandchild in need of urgent help.
The scammers will pressure victims to act quickly and trick them into keeping the scheme a secret.
Most people know to ignore those calls, but data shows seniors can still fall for it.
In this week's Booming Forward sponsored by Optum, we have tips from AARP to save major cash and heartache.
"Practice with your loved ones, role play. If you get a call about this, what're you going to say? And you can right up a refusal script for them. Put it by the phone. If you get a phone call, what you can always say is I don't do business over the phone, if you're interested in doing business with me, send it to me through the mail," says Amy Goyer, AARP Family and Caregiving expert.
She also says if they just need a way to get off the phone, "say to them on the phone I need to discuss all my business with my lawyer, they're probably not going to call back."
Goyer also recommends saving all important contacts to your loved one's phone. If they don't recognize the name that comes up, tell them not to even answer it.
