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Tips for senior citizens More safety in everyday life

Protecting senior citizens from thieves and fraudsters - focus on education and prevention

Unfortunately, our elderly fellow citizens are constantly exposed to the danger of thieves and fraudsters. These criminals have often chosen senior citizens as easy prey. In many cases, senior citizens are alone and value human contact, which makes them more susceptible to deceptive manoeuvres. In this article, the Association of German Criminal Investigators (BDK) and ABUS would like to show how these nefarious tricks work and how older people can protect themselves against these criminal approaches:

The threat of burglary:

Safety through mechanical protective measures

A burglary is attempted every two minutes in Germany. However, around 45 per cent of these attempts are not successful, and for good reason. The basis for this is mechanical security, such as door and window locks, which prevent burglars from forcing their way into houses.

As a rule, burglars who do not succeed quickly give up their plans. The number of domestic burglaries in 2022 rose by 21.5 per cent compared to the previous year to 65,908 registered cases. However, it is not just the material losses that are the problem, but also the psychological strain that victims often suffer for a long time. Police crime prevention offers individual and free advice, and selected ABUS specialist dealers offer non-binding security checks.

The following pages provide further information on how to protect windows, doors and your home from burglars:

Burglaries: further advice pages
A woman locks the PR2700 security door bar with PSB2700 door guard in silver on her door © ABUS
Door
Security starts at the front door. This guide shows you how to effectively secure doors against break-ins. We explain the various protective measures – from security door bars to security standards.
A woman opens a patio door that is secured with the FOS650 bar lock and the FAS101 security hinge lock © ABUS
Windows
How do I secure my windows? Can I retrofit windows that have already been installed to provide better protection against attempted break-ins? We answer these and other questions here.
The Smartvest alarm panel is the heart of the Smartvest wireless system © ABUS
Alarm systems
Why is an alarm system useful? Which system is right for me? What makes a good alarm system? We answer all these questions here.
Recognise weak points in your burglary protection © ABUS
Weak points
Read about how burglars operate and the weak points in house and flat doors, windows and the like.

It starts with a seemingly harmless phone call, and victims can end up losing thousands of euros.

The grandparent scam is a well-known yet popular scam among fraudsters. The fraudsters specifically look for people with older first names in telephone directories. They call the victim and try to get them to give the name of a relative. They then pretend to be this relative, explain that they urgently need money and put the victim under pressure. In the end, the perpetrators collect the money.

It is important to be suspicious, not to disclose any personal information and always consult with family before handing over money or valuables to strangers

How to protect yourself against the grandparent scam:

  • Be suspicious if you are asked to guess the caller
  • Do not reveal any details about your family and financial situation on the phone
  • Always consult with your family after a call demanding money
  • Never hand over money or jewellery to strangers
  • Never transfer money to an unknown account
  • Inform the police immediately if you think a call is suspicious.

In times of tricksters and crooks trying to gain access to your own four walls, it is very important to know who is at the door.

© ABUS

A digital door viewer makes it possible to identify people in front of the door without having to open the door. Activated with a simple press of a button, the digital door viewer shows a clear live image of the entrance area, which is particularly beneficial for people with impaired vision.

 

The lure of cheap short trips can lead to expensive sales events.

These supposed excursions are often centred around sales events. The goods on offer are often overpriced and of inferior quality, but they are sold as high-quality bargains. Skilful advertising strategies urge unsuspecting participants to buy. It is advisable not to be intimidated, to check quality certificates and to read sales contracts carefully.

You should also be careful with seemingly familiar senders and not open attachments in emails without thinking. It is also important to carefully check purchase contracts, including the address of the seller or organiser. It is advisable not make any advance payments or deposits. Likewise, it is also important to know that you can cancel a purchase within a certain time, depending on your country's law. To do this, you should send a written cancellation to the seller or organiser.

Tips and rules of behaviour for promotional trips:

  • There is no obligation to participate in the promotional event.
  • Participation does not oblige to purchase!
  • Don't let the salespeople intimidate you.
  • Check quality certificates carefully.
  • Read sales contracts carefully. Pay attention to the date and the cancellation policy.
  • Obtain a legible copy of the contract with the address of the seller or organiser.
  • Do not make any advance payment or down payment. Make use of your right of withdrawal, depending on your country's law. To do so, send a written cancellation - preferably by registered letter - to the seller/organiser.

Pickpockets often lurk in crowds where they can find cover and take advantage of opportunities to steal.

In most cases, they are not after handbags but purses. The perpetrators distract their victims while another perpetrator steals the purse unnoticed. The pickpockets' tricks follow a recurring pattern in which the victim is distracted by jostling, uncomfortable proximity or soliciting strangers.

To protect yourself from pickpockets, you should avoid carrying large sums of cash, keep money, credit cards and papers in different inside pockets and avoid making advance payments or deposits. It is also important to always lock your handbag securely and not to let it out of your sight in shops or restaurants.

How to protect yourself from pickpockets:

  • If possible, do not carry large sums of cash with you.
  • Keep money, credit cards and papers in various sealed inside pockets of your clothes instead of in your handbag. Use a neck pouch, for example.
  • Carry your handbag tucked under your arm or on the front of your body. Make sure that your bag is always closed.
  • Do not put your wallet in the shopping trolley when shopping. Do not take it out of your hand when paying.
  • Never let your handbag out of your sight in a shop or restaurant.

Nowadays, the internet is an integral part of everyday life. Seniors are also increasingly using it for various activities such as online banking, holiday bookings or reading the news.

Unfortunately, the World Wide Web is just as susceptible to criminal activity as the physical world. So here is some important advice:

  • Keep confidential information in a safe place.
  • Never share your passwords and change them at regular intervals.
  • Do not open e-mails from unknown senders.
  • Be extremely careful when opening email attachments. Even messages from known contacts can contain malicious viruses and software.
  • Never disclose your account numbers or other access data, not even in supposed security checks.

More from the burglary protection guide:
The Smartvest alarm panel is the heart of the Smartvest wireless system © ABUS
Alarm systems
Why is an alarm system useful? Which system is right for me? What makes a good alarm system? We answer all these questions here.
Recognise weak points in your burglary protection © ABUS
Weak points
Read about how burglars operate and the weak points in house and flat doors, windows and the like.
A woman locks the PR2700 security door bar with PSB2700 door guard in silver on her door © ABUS
Door
Security starts at the front door. This guide shows you how to effectively secure doors against break-ins. We explain the various protective measures – from security door bars to security standards.
A woman opens a patio door that is secured with the FOS650 bar lock and the FAS101 security hinge lock © ABUS
Windows
How do I secure my windows? Can I retrofit windows that have already been installed to provide better protection against attempted break-ins? We answer these and other questions here.
Burglary methods
The most common burglary methods
Find out here what methods burglars use and what you should look out for when it comes to security technology.
Holiday time is burglary time - find out how you can protect yourself against burglary © ABUS
Holidays: Burglary protection tips
Find out how you can protect your home from burglary while you enjoy your holiday.
© ABUS
Burglars find these hiding places immediately
Money and valuables should be well hidden at home. Read here which hiding places burglars find immediately.
© ABUS
Secret markings
Find out here whether secret markings are a burglar's secret code and how you should deal with them.
© Light Field Studios/Shutterstock.com
How to behave after a break-in
Here we explain what to do after a burglary, what you should bear in mind when reporting a theft or damage to the insurance company and where you can get support as a burglary victim.
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