A CLAMPDOWN has been launched to protect people with dementia from predatory financial fraudsters.
A £405,000 grant has been awarded to East Renfrewshire Council to work with Angus and South Ayrshire Councils to develop a preventative approach to protect people with dementia from financial exploitation.
East Renfrewshire Council said people with dementia are at great risk of falling prey to scammers and carers are often very worried about how to prevent their relative becoming a victim of a scam, particularly in the early stages of dementia when a person still has capacity but may not always have sufficient understanding to exercise good judgement.
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If the scheme is successful, a good practice model will be developed which can be rolled out across Scotland.
The aim is to offer people with dementia information to safeguard them from financial exploitation on the doorstep, by telephone, by mail or online.
Each local authority area will bring together local and national organisations to develop and deliver a package of preventive measures, including practical solutions and using technology such as call blockers, which screen incoming phone calls and either block any unknown or unauthorised numbers or transfer them to a nominated family member or guardian.
Paul Holland, principal prevention officer, who is co-ordinating the project with the Life Changes Trust, said: “The three authorities involved in this project are passionately committed to empowering and protecting residents living with dementia from predatory fraudsters.
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"It’s hard to believe that people would be so callous as to target this group directly, but sadly it happens and the consequences for the person and their family are often devastating.
Figures issued by Citizen’s Advice in 2014 showed that the most common type of scam takes place via telephone (34 per cent), almost a quarter took place on the internet (24 per cent), 16 per cent came through letters and one in ten scams were via email.
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