Last month, my mom ended up unexpectedly in the hospital. It was a rollercoaster of all the Greatest Hits of the American Medical System, including supporting the Residents striking in the hour before Mom was due for surgery, because they're paid too little and work too many hours. No joke.

But this is a cybersecurity newsletter, so let's talk about the part I actually know something about. As I went through this process, I wanted to help prepare anyone else who might go through a similar thing. You think the annual ritual of "fixing a few things" around Thanksgiving is rough for the average tech person? This is rougher.

And by the way, Mom's out and doing fine, thanks for asking!

Let's get to it.

Fraud is a huge problem in the world generally, but it's a specific nightmare for seniors. A medical crisis means reduced capacity to fight back — and fraudsters know it, which is exactly why financial fraud spikes against people admitted to hospitals. The numbers on fraud are nauseating, but important to wrap your head around. Simply being admitted to a hospital increases your financial fraud risk.

I got my Mom onto YNAB years ago, so I had the details of her financial life at my fingertips. I knew which bills were coming, and which accounts needed transferring to and from. But most importantly, I could spot fraudulent transactions in a heartbeat. I cannot overstate how reassuring it is to know that if something went sideways, I'd notice it, and be able to handle it, immediately.

There are so many different phishing attacks focused on fraudulent billing — invoice scams, traffic ticket scams, yada yada yada. If you use a financial management tool, it's pretty easy to figure out what's a legit bill and what's garbage. Having that history makes it easier on you.

Especially for seniors and folks on fixed incomes, expenses month-to-month are pretty standard. So a big change in balance is a big red flag for further investigation. If you know, generally, what your person's monthly spend looks like, balancing their account can tell you a lot.

I talked about this in the second issue in this series, but the lower your noise-to-signal ratio is, the easier it is to spot irregularities. Anything you can do to reduce your person's digital footprint, do it before they're incapacitated. Consider it a gift to future-you.

If you know your person has autopays on a credit card, keep an eye on that account directly — or in YNAB, if that's your setup. But if they have cards with no autopays attached, consider freezing those outright.

Mom's credit accounts were frozen about a million data breaches ago, so that wasn't a concern. But if your person's aren’t, that's something worth doing for them. It's a critical piece of protection, given how huge identity theft is in Personal Health Information (PHI) breaches. The hassle of unfreezing your credit if you need to use it is nothing compared to the hassle of someone opening a line of credit in your person's name.

Learn how to do this here.

I know everyone's busier than they should be. I know we're all out here fighting off exhaustion and mayhem. IMO, and IME, not all stress is created equal. Because of things that have happened in my life, I know for a fact that when a loved one is ill, I want my entire focus on them. I want to be able to pay attention to care providers, understand treatment options, support and offer comfort. And I also know the last thing I'd want to do is deal with identity theft or bank account drainage during that time, instead of hanging out bedside with my person.

It is absolutely worth it to find the time — soon, sooner, soonest — to get your person's digital life in order well in advance of need, so that if disaster strikes, you have the reassurance that other things are on track, and you can focus on helping your person.

Nobody notices a frozen credit report or a balanced budget. That's the point. The whole goal here is to make your person's finances boring — so boring that if disaster hits, "boring" is one less thing you have to worry about.

We’ll talk about hospital delirium and online shopping. Because it’s a thing.

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