As scams continue to evolve and mask themselves as legitimate business practices, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for people to realize they’re being misled. There are hundreds of scams that use a variety of techniques to retrieve personal information, sell fake products, and steal your finances. Many of scams that are popular today target older adults because they believe they are less likely to be caught.

At Origin, we take scams that target older adults very seriously and want to urge our readers to learn more about the dangers of phishing, misleading schemes, online scams, and fraud. Although we couldn’t possibly list all of the scams that are out there today, we’ve decided to highlight a few that you’re most likely to see so you and your family can protect yourselves when and if the time comes.

Solo Seniors are the growing number of older adults who are childless. While most older adults can rely on their children or spouse for assistance with planning for the future, Solo Seniors find themselves navigating many issues alone. In 2016, census information revealed that 28.2 percent of households in Canada were one-person households – a 25.7 percent increase from 2001. The most significant share of these households being in Atlantic provinces due to the aging population.

The challenge of caring for a family member with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia is insurmountable for most people. It requires full-time caregiving with specialized skills and extraordinary patience. Considering that many adults with an aging parent have jobs and families of their own, they can't afford the time to devote to that type of care.

You worked hard for years to enjoy your retirement, so it can be devastating to hear about scammers who will take advantage of people and their money. Some of these scams and underhanded dealings are directed toward seniors. The Canada Safety Council reports that con artists tend to believe seniors have good credit, and scammers hope the seniors will not report the crime out of embarrassment or that they will make unreliable witnesses.