Prevent a person with dementia from being scammed

Email scams

An email scam may be happening if you receive a message that claims to be from an official organisation such as your bank, HMRC, DVLA, TV Licensing etc and demands that you take urgent action. The email might say that you need to change your password, visit a website to claim a refund, or make a payment to upgrade your account.

You may receive what appears to be an enticing offer by email, for example saying that you have won a prize and need to visit a website or provide your bank details to claim it.

You may receive an unexpected email inviting you to invest in a product like cryptocurrency or bonds/shares. The email may pressure you with a time-limited offer or promise you interest rates that are much higher than elsewhere.

Tips for avoiding email scams

• Take care when opening and responding to emails that claim to be from official companies. Organisations like your bank and HMRC will not email you to offer a refund or request your bank details or a payment
• If you were not expecting an email from an organisation, be extra cautious. If you are unsure that the email is genuine, contact the organisation directly to check
• If an email looks too good to be true, for example it says you have won a large prize, it probably is
• Spelling mistakes and informal language (eg contractions like ‘can’t’, ‘won’t’ etc) in emails that are supposedly from an official source are red flags that they are fraudulent
• Look out for email addresses or web links that look genuine but on closer inspection do not match the official address/link – for example, there may be an extra letter or dash
• Be wary of clicking on links in emails, especially from people or companies you do not recognise
• Most email accounts have spam/junk folders. You can usually change the level of protection on your email account so messages that may be suspicious go into this folder, or set up your email account to automatically delete junk mail. Conversely, sometimes legitimate emails may go into your spam folder, and you may need to add senders you trust to your ‘safe senders’ list

SMS text scams (smishing)

As with email scams, you may receive text messages that claim to be from an official source; require you to take urgent action (eg to change your password or make a payment to avoid a service being cancelled); or tell you that you have won a prize.

You may also receive a text asking for money from an unfamiliar number that claims to be from someone you know – for example, a message from ‘your daughter’ saying she is texting from someone else’s phone because she has broken her own phone and needs you to lend her the money to replace it.

Courier company scams are common, where they pretend to have an undelivered parcel for you.

Tips for avoiding SMS text scams

• Follow the same advice as for emails
• Official organisations are unlikely to text you without you asking them to
• If you receive an unexpected message claiming to be from a courier, find the phone number for the courier by searching online and call to find out if the message is genuine
• You can also do this if you receive a message supposedly from an official organisation, for example a subscription TV service, telling you that you need to take urgent action to change a password or upgrade your account
• Be wary of texts from people who claim to know you that come from an unfamiliar number – these might be from scammers who are impersonating someone you know to deceive you out of money. If you are unsure, text or call that person on their usual number to check
• You can block numbers that are repeatedly messaging or calling you, usually in your phone’s settings section

Phone scams

Phone scams may involve the caller claiming that they are from an official organisation, like your bank, telling you that you need to take urgent action to avoid your account being closed, your password expiring, etc.

You may also receive ‘cold calls’ where someone tries to sell you something by phone, such as a new mobile phone contract or home improvements like solar panels. Or the caller may invite you to invest in a financial product like shares.

Another common phone scam is a caller claiming you have been involved in an accident and they can help you apply for compensation.

Tips for avoiding phone scams

• Do not be pressured into taking an action or making a commitment because an unknown caller implies there is urgency
• Banks will never contact you by phone. If someone claims to be calling from your bank, tell them you are going to hang up. You can then call the bank yourself to check. The phone number for your bank is on the back of most debit cards. You can also make a guaranteed secure call to all banks by dialling 159
• Beware of calls from unrecognised numbers, particularly if it has an unfamiliar code or a different format from UK phone numbers
• Talk to your telephone provider about ways to reduce nuisance calls, such as blocking certain types of phone number
• Consider registering with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), which allows you to opt out of receiving unsolicited sales and marketing calls
• If you are unsure that a call is genuine, stop, hang up and ask someone you trust before doing anything

Social media scams

Social media scams use platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, TikTok, Instagram etc. This area evolves very rapidly, and scams are changing all the time. However, they may involve impersonation scams, where someone pretends to be a celebrity or public figure. They may use artificial intelligence (AI) to generate content or promote products using other people’s photos.

Fake profiles can be created easily on most platforms and are often used to deceive people out of money or personal information, eg your address.

Fraudsters are also rife on selling platforms like Facebook marketplace and will typically try to make you pay in advance for you something they do not have (often mobile phones/other technology or concert tickets), or a fake item. Also be aware of unfamiliar retailers advertising products like clothing, jewellery or holidays – while these may be genuine, they are often fake.

Tips for avoiding social media scams

• Be wary of responding to a person or business whose profile is very new, or to someone contacting you out of the blue
• Avoid sharing personal information on social media (eg names of your first pet or places you used to live) as this may provide clues to passwords. These are often presented as ‘fun’ quizzes
• Avoid sharing too much information about your personal circumstances such as your dementia diagnosis in social media groups, eg Facebook Groups, as scammers may exploit your vulnerability
• Do not pay upfront for any items on social media selling platforms – a genuine seller will meet you in person to exchange goods (but always take someone trusted with you)
• If you are unsure if a retailer is genuine, look them up on a trusted reviews website, eg Tripadvisor or Trustpilot. If in doubt, do not buy

Dating/romance scams

Dating and romance scams may be found across social media, but also on dating and gaming platforms. Frequent messaging (called ‘love-bombing’) may be followed with requests for money to cover an ‘emergency’ or advice around cryptocurrency.

A person who is trying to scam you in this way will typically have a false profile and have used someone else’s photo. They may also always seem to have a reason not to meet in person.

Dating scams may also take place in real life – for example, an acquaintance may try to build a relationship with you (often very quickly and intensely) to scam you out of money now or in the future.

Tips for avoiding dating and romance scams

• You can check if someone’s profile photo is their own using Google Lens, which searches the internet for images that match a screenshot or photo you upload
• Profiles that have been set up very recently may be scams so look back at the profile to see what posts – if any – they have made and how long ago, or how many friends/likes/followers they have
• Never send money or personal information to someone you have only met online
• If you plan to meet someone in real life, always take someone trusted with you
• If you feel in any way uneasy about a real-life relationship you are involved in, arrange for someone you trust to meet the person with you, eg a family member – they will often be able to help you work out if they are genuine
• Dating and romance scams can also be a safeguarding issue as they can fall under the definition of abuse. If you believe this is happening, a safeguarding concern should be raised with your local authority Adult Safeguarding Coordinator

Identity theft

Identity theft involves someone stealing your personal information (eg name, address, date of birth, bank details) to use fraudulently, for example to make a purchase or withdraw money from your bank account/transfer it to another.

Tips for avoiding identity theft

• Make sure you store any documents containing personal information (eg passport, bank statements, utility bills) in a safe and secure place – a locked box file or filing cabinet is ideal
• Shred any documents containing personal information rather than just throwing them away
• Check your bank, building society and investment accounts regularly for any unfamiliar transactions – if you see anything unusual, contact your bank immediately
• If you move house, contact your utility providers, mobile phone provider, vehicle insurance company etc promptly with your new address so that letters containing personal information are not delivered to the person residing at your old home. Royal Mail can help you set up postal redirection so that correspondence is delivered to your new address
• If an item that contains personal information or could be used to access your money (eg bank card, passport, driving licence) is lost or stolen, contact the relevant authority immediately so that it can be frozen/cancelled
• Avoid accessing any online accounts (like banking apps) using public WiFi as these are susceptible to hacking
• Never allow another person remote access to your computer, tablet or smart phone. If they say you need to allow them to install software remotely, refuse and hang up

Signs that someone may have been scammed

If you care for someone with dementia, it is important to look out for evidence that they may have been scammed, for instance:

• more money leaving their bank account than usual
• unusual transactions from their bank account
• receiving more correspondence than usual
• suddenly having difficulty accessing their computer, smartphone and/or tablet, or apps appearing that were not there before
• anxiety around answering the door; or turning off/unplugging their phone when they would not usually

It is important to show patience and understanding if this happens as the person may already be feeling vulnerable and embarrassed.

What to do if you or someone you care for has been scammed

• Contact the bank immediately: it may be possible to limit further loss and if you paid by PayPal or card, you may be able to retrieve the money
• Change any login details for online accounts and check computers for viruses
• Report all scams to Action Fraud (the UK’s reporting centre for fraud), which will assess whether it is necessary to call the police and give you a crime reference number
• Also report the scam by calling Citizens Advice, which will pass on details to Trading Standards
• If the scam has taken place on social media, report the scammer’s account to the platform – this may lead to it being removed so other people cannot be scammed
• Block any phone numbers or email addresses that the scammer has used to make contact
• Raise a safeguarding concern by informing the local authority’s Safeguarding Team, especially if the victim is vulnerable. It can investigate and provide support to protect the person. Acting quickly can help minimise damage and prevent repeat scams
• Ring 999 if there is an immediate danger (eg if someone is trying to force entry to the home), or 101 if there is no immediate threat but the fraudster is still in the area

Tips for helping a person with dementia protect their money

If someone has dementia and has not already set up a lasting power of attorney (LPA), it is important for them to do so as soon as possible. This will allow a named trusted person to make decisions on their behalf if they lack the mental capacity to do so themselves.

There are two types of LPA: property and financial affairs, and health and welfare. A person with LPA for property and financial affairs will be able to do things like speak to the bank on behalf of the person with dementia, cancel subscriptions that they may have unwittingly signed up for, and place limits on how much money they can withdraw.

If you are worried about scammers accessing the person’s money, you could suggest that they place as much as they can afford in a savings account that is harder to access. This could limit how much could be stolen from their current account.

Another way to avoid the person with dementia being scammed into making large payments is by using a debit card pre-loaded with money, which can be overseen by another person if you wish. This can help to avoid them making large and fraudulent payments to scammers using their debit card.

Make sure you stay informed about current scams and warn the person with dementia and other people who support them about these so they can be on alert for anything suspicious.

Sources of support

Dementia UK sources of support

‘Dementia: what next?’ online sessions

Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline: call free on 0800 888 6678 or email helpline@dementiauk.org for confidential advice from a dementia specialist Admiral Nurse on scams or any other aspect of dementia.

Virtual clinic appointments: book a free, confidential phone or video appointment with an Admiral Nurse at a time to suit you.

Financial and legal sources of support

Finance and young onset dementia

Lasting power of attorney

Mental capacity and decision-making

Other resources

30 credit card scams to avoid

Action Fraud
0300 1232040

Citizens Advice
Adviceline (England):0800 144 8848
Advicelink (Wales): 0800 702 2020

Crimestoppers (report crime anonymously)
0800 555 111

Cyber Aware (National Cyber Security Council)

Find your local authority Adult Social Care Services

Hourglass: information and support for older people at risk of or experiencing abuse or neglect
0808 808 8141

Mail Preference Service
020 7291 3310

Neighbourhood Watch

Telephone Preference Service
0345 070 0707

Think Jessica: advice and support for victims of postal, phone and doorstep scams