Did you know 2.6 million seniors are victims of identity theft each year, and that number is growing? While presents can be a nice way to show the seniors in your life you care, protecting them from identity theft may be the best gift you can give this Grandparent’s Day.
Here are some tips to keep the seniors in your life safe from identity thieves.
1. Give the gift of a shredder – Flowers are nice, but a small cross-cut shredder can really go a long way to protect your aging parent’s identity. With thieves dumpster diving for personal information, shredders can be used to destroy unneeded personal documents so they don’t end up in the wrong hands.
2. Protect their mail –Thieves can quite easily snatch mail waiting to be picked up by the postman, including letters that contain checks or other personal information. Encourage your parents to take their outgoing letters to the post office, and to purchase a mailbox with a lock for added protection.
3. Monitor their accounts – Your parents are likely not as computer savvy as you are, so help them monitor accounts and credit information online. You can even set up credit monitoring and bank alerts to make this a seamless process for you both.
4. Educate them about identity thieves – Remind your parents that thieves take many forms, and how detrimental losing their personal information can be. Also remind them a legitimate business would never ask for a social security number or bank account number over the phone, and they should never give out their personally identifiable information.
To learn more about identity theft and how identity protection products can help protect your parents, visit Experian.com.
