Protecting Seniors from Scam Texts: Essential Device Safeguards

Scam texts are a persistent nuisance for everyone, but for older adults, particularly those experiencing memory issues, they can lead to devastating financial losses. The story of Rob from Kennesaw, Georgia, highlights this critical problem. His 81-year-old mother, who relies heavily on her iPhone, finds herself repeatedly drawn into fraudulent links, unsolicited purchases, and deceptive political donation requests. Her situation underscores the need for robust protective measures beyond simple cautionary advice.

The Growing Threat of Scam Texts to Aging Parents

What might appear obviously fraudulent to a younger, tech-savvy individual can seem urgent, familiar, or even harmless to someone with cognitive challenges like mild dementia. Scammers exploit this by relying on quick reactions. A text message might claim a package is delayed, a donation needs verification, or an account requires immediate attention. A single tap can redirect the user to a payment page, and a saved payment method can quickly turn that tap into a significant financial transaction.

The objective in these cases shifts from teaching perfect scam detection to significantly reducing the number of risky choices presented to the individual. The goal is to make dangerous texts less visible, malicious links harder to activate, and surprise charges more difficult to complete.

iPhone Security Measures: Limiting Access and Exposure

For iPhone users, Apple’s built-in Screen Time controls offer a powerful starting point. The ‘Communication Limits’ feature allows you to restrict who can contact your parent through various Apple communication channels, including Phone, FaceTime, and Messages.

Configuring Communication Limits:

• Ensure ‘Contacts’ are synced with iCloud. Navigate to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and verify that ‘Contacts’ is enabled.
• On the individual’s iPhone, set up a Screen Time passcode that is not easily guessable by your parent. This prevents unauthorized changes to these protective settings.
• Selecting ‘Contacts Only’ for communication limits will permit interactions solely with individuals saved in their contacts list. It is advisable to meticulously review and prune this list of any unfamiliar entries.

Leveraging Downtime for Reduced Risk:

The ‘Downtime’ feature can effectively quiet the iPhone during specific hours, which is beneficial if your loved one tends to engage with the device at night or during times when direct supervision is not possible. During Downtime, only trusted contacts can reach them.

Managing Message Filtering and Badges:

While Apple’s message filtering can sort messages from unknown senders into a separate area, as Rob noted, individuals may still access and interact with these filtered texts. To enhance this:

• Check ‘Unknown Senders’ filtering: Go to Settings > Messages > Unknown & Spam > Filter Unknown Senders.
• Ensure spam filtering is active: Within the same ‘Unknown & Spam’ section, check spam filtering options.

Crucially, to prevent the visual cue of the red badge from drawing attention to filtered messages, consider disabling badges for the Messages app. This can be done via Settings > Notifications > Messages > Badges.

Android Device Security: Samsung and Google Tools

For Samsung phone users with up-to-date Android and One UI software, several layers of protection are available.

Checking for Software Updates:

Regular updates are vital. Access this through Settings > Software update > Download and install.

Utilizing Google Messages Spam Protection:

• Open the Messages app.
• Tap the three-dot menu > Settings > Spam protection.
• Ensure ‘Enable spam protection’ is toggled on.

Blocking and Reporting Scam Texts:

Within the Messages app, long-press on a suspicious text, tap the three-dot menu, and select ‘Block & report spam’.

Enhancing Call Security:

To combat scam calls, Samsung’s Caller ID and spam protection can be enabled. Navigate to Phone app > three-dot menu > Settings > Caller ID and spam protection. Also, enable the ‘Block spam and scam calls’ option for stronger blocking.

Limiting Risky App Usage:

Samsung’s ‘Digital Wellbeing’ and parental controls offer ways to manage app usage. App timers can be set to limit repeated access to potentially risky applications like the Messages app. Explore Google Family Link for more comprehensive parental control features, including app management and screen time limits.

Carrier and Financial Institution Safeguards

Carrier-Level Blocking:

Contacting the mobile carrier is a crucial step. Inquire about the strongest available SMS spam and scam blocking services they offer. In extreme cases, changing the phone number might be a consideration if it is heavily circulating on scam lists.

Managing Political Texts:

For persistent political texts, block the sender and report the message as junk. You can also report unwanted texts to regulatory bodies like the FCC.

Removing Saved Payment Information: A Critical Step

One of the most impactful measures is to eliminate saved payment methods from the device and online accounts. This adds a crucial layer of friction, potentially preventing a hasty click from resulting in an unauthorized charge.

• iPhone Wallet: Remove credit and debit cards from the Wallet app.
• Safari AutoFill: Disable saved credit card information in Safari settings.
• Samsung Wallet/Google Wallet: Remove saved cards from these digital wallets. Remember, removing a card from the wallet does not cancel the physical card; contact the issuer to do so.
• Online Accounts: Systematically remove saved payment details from shopping sites, donation platforms, streaming services, and any other online accounts where they might be stored.

Additional Financial Protection Strategies

Low-Limit Essential Purchase Cards:

For necessary purchases, consider using a dedicated card with a low spending limit. Alternatively, a prepaid card with a small balance can offer independence while safeguarding primary accounts.

Bank and Credit Union Tools:

Inquire with financial institutions about caregiver controls, transaction alerts, merchant blocks, and daily spending limits. If a bank has a fraud department or an elder financial exploitation team, seek their expertise.

Trusted Contact and Power of Attorney:

Adding a ‘trusted contact’ to financial accounts allows the institution to reach a reliable individual if suspicious activity is detected. For more significant concerns, consulting an elder-law attorney about a financial power of attorney may be necessary to legally protect assets before they are depleted.

Securing Digital Footprints

Email, Subscriptions, and Browser History:

Scammers often leverage email and websites after an initial text interaction. It is essential to review and secure these areas:

• Subscriptions: Check and manage subscriptions within iPhone settings (App Store > Apple ID > Subscriptions) and Google Play Store on Android devices.
• Browser Data: Regularly clear browsing history and saved site data in Safari, Samsung Internet, and Chrome to remove old scam pages or cached information.

Purchase Restrictions:

Enable purchase restrictions through iPhone’s Screen Time or Google Play’s authentication requirements on Android devices to prevent unauthorized app downloads or service payments.

Considering Identity Theft Protection and Data Removal

Given that financial targeting has already occurred, identity theft protection services can help monitor for misuse of personal information. Furthermore, using data removal services can reduce the amount of personal information available online, potentially decreasing future scam targeting.

Device Protection Software

Antivirus and mobile security tools can provide an additional layer of protection by warning about risky websites, phishing attempts, and suspicious links.

Prioritizing Immediate Safety Measures

For caregivers, the immediate priority should be implementing the most impactful safety measures. On iPhones, this includes setting Communication Limits to ‘Contacts Only’ and disabling Messages badges. On Samsung devices, updating the software, enabling spam protection, and blocking repeat senders are crucial. Subsequently, removing saved payment information from all digital wallets and online accounts is paramount. Contacting the mobile carrier for enhanced scam blocking and the bank for alert and control options should follow. If the problem persists, consulting an elder-law attorney is advisable, as it indicates a significant financial safety issue.

The core challenge with dementia-related scams lies in the individual’s genuine lack of memory regarding their actions. The aim is not to diminish independence but to create a safer digital environment. By layering device-specific limits, carrier services, payment restrictions, and bank alerts, families can make it significantly harder for scammers to exploit confusion and curiosity, turning a single click into a costly transaction.