{"id":21876,"date":"2024-11-20T16:17:28","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T16:17:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/?page_id=21876"},"modified":"2026-02-13T14:14:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T14:14:33","slug":"prevent-a-person-with-dementia-from-being-scammed","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/financial-and-legal-support\/prevent-a-person-with-dementia-from-being-scammed\/","title":{"rendered":"Prevent a person with dementia from being scammed"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What is a scam?<a id=\"what\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>A scam is any situation in which someone is tricked into doing something against their will, usually with the intention of accessing their money illegally. If a person is deceived into paying money, giving something away or doing something that they did not intend to or fully understand, they may have been scammed.<\/p>\n<h2>Why might people with dementia be vulnerable to scams?<a id=\"why\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Anyone can be scammed, especially as scams are ever-changing and becoming more creative and harder to detect. But having dementia may make people more vulnerable to scammers for reasons including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>changes in judgement<\/li>\n<li>increased confusion<\/li>\n<li>difficulties with decision-making<\/li>\n<li>problems with communication and understanding<\/li>\n<li>difficulties with managing money<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>People with dementia may also lack <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/financial-and-legal-support\/mental-capacity-and-decision-making\/\">mental capacity<\/a>, which affects their ability to make informed decisions. However, it is important to understand that simply making a decision that you consider unwise (for example, giving away a sum of money) does not necessarily mean the person lacks mental capacity. It should always be assumed that a person does have mental capacity unless it can be proven otherwise.<\/p>\n<h2>Doorstep scams<a id=\"doorstep\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Doorstep scams often involve rogue\u2019 traders who claim there is something wrong with your property that they can \u2018fix\u2019. They may exert a lot of pressure, claiming that the problem is urgent, and typically demand payment upfront \u2013 usually in cash.<\/p>\n<p>Some doorstep scammers may tell you that they are officials, such as police officers, or represent a utility company and need to read your meter or inspect your property for some reason.<\/p>\n<p>Door-to-door sellers (eg double glazing, driveway paving) may try to pressure you to commit to time-limited offers, again usually requiring a cash payment upfront.<\/p>\n<p>Some scammers pose as charity collectors to trick you into parting with cash or card details.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-22043\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/elderly-man-doorway-6278.jpg\" alt=\"elderly man standing in the front doorway\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/elderly-man-doorway-6278.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/elderly-man-doorway-6278-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/elderly-man-doorway-6278-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/elderly-man-doorway-6278-622x350.jpg 622w, https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/elderly-man-doorway-6278-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/elderly-man-doorway-6278-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/elderly-man-doorway-6278-400x225.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Tips for avoiding doorstep scams<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Always ask anyone who claims to be an official or a representative of a utility company for their ID. If you are unsure if they are genuine, tell the person you are going to shut the door and call their company for confirmation<\/li>\n<li>You can set up a password with your utility companies; anyone they send to your home can then give you the password to show they are genuine<\/li>\n<li>Use a chain lock on the door so that it cannot be fully opened by the person on the doorstep<\/li>\n<li>Consider fitting a video doorbell, such as Ring. These can be set to record (usually requiring a subscription) which may provide evidence if necessary. They can also be answered remotely from a smartphone or tablet so you do not have to open the door; the alerts can also go to someone else\u2019s device, eg a family member, so they can check the person\u2019s identity<\/li>\n<li>Request a \u2018No cold callers\u2019 sign from the local council to display on your door\/window<\/li>\n<li>Be wary of signing up for things like home improvements or charity giving on the spot. If the offer is genuine, the caller will give you time to think about it<\/li>\n<li>Sign up for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ourwatch.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Neighbourhood Watch<\/a> or a local residents\u2019 group so you can be notified of any scammers operating in your area<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is a scam? A scam is any situation in which someone is tricked into doing something against their will, usually with the intention of accessing their money illegally. If a person is deceived into paying money, giving something away or doing something that they did not intend to or fully understand, they may have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":2404,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"on","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-21876","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Prevent a person with dementia from being scammed - Dementia UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Our dementia specialist Admiral Nurses share advice on helping to prevent a person with dementia from being scammed.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/financial-and-legal-support\/prevent-a-person-with-dementia-from-being-scammed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Prevent a person with dementia from being scammed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dementia UK is a charity that provides Admiral Nurses for families affected by dementia. 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