Beware! Your Loved One with Alzheimer's Can Be Targeted for Identity Theft

My answering machine light showed that I had a message. After hitting the “listen” button, I was greeted with the voice of a man identifying himself as working for a financial alert company and needing to speak to me urgently. I quickly picked up the phone and dialed the number he had left. The man proceeded to tell me that my mother – who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and who had been in a nursing home for over 1-1/2 years – was a victim of identity theft.

It turns out that someone had cashed two checks that were in Mom’s name in two different towns. These checks were returned to a bank (which our family had never used) because there was no account. Dad had to file police reports via telephone in both of those cities; as far as we know, the culprit hasn’t been caught. We’re not sure how Mom was targeted by thieves.

            Since then, I’ve seen a couple of news stories involving identity theft and Alzheimer’s patients. For instance, the Atlantic Journal-Constitution reported last September that confidential personal and medical information from six residents with Alzheimer’s was strolen from an Atlanta-area nursing home. The culprit was a person who had been hired as a “sitter” to keep the elderly people company.

            A Bryan, Texas television station reported in June 2008 that a nursing home employee stole the identity of a resident who also had Alzheimer’s. Police officials indicated that they had similar cases. “"We've had identity thieves that have been everything from nurses...nurses aides to janitorial staff," said Bryan Police Department Sergeant Jackie Maynard.

            So how do you stop identity theft? Rutgers University reports that identity thieves want the following personal information:

-         A person’s name, address, and phone number.

-         The date of birth

-         Social Security number

-         Driver’s license number

-         Credit card information

-         Bank account information

-         The mother’s maiden name

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) Adult Protective Services (APS) offers a good handbook that gives tips about dealing with various issues surrounding eldercare. The booklet suggests the following in avoiding money-related fraud:

-          Avoid or hang up on strangers who want to take your money or know about your finances.

-          Say “No!” to anyone who presses you to make an immediate decision.