Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Basically my brother is autistic so that makes him easy to take advantage for monetary scams, and it's happened a couple of times with him. After this last time I got really ticked off about it.
I mean, I told him don't answer the phone if it's not someone you don't know but then he gets defensive saying he should be able to answer the phone some day, etc, etc, and gets really sensitive about it.
But I feel if I keep appealing to his sensitivity he won't learn not to. So what can I do in this type of situation, where I need to toughen him up, or just simply try to make him understand the concept, do you think?
IMHO, maybe one of the things to do is change the way you think about your brother. He may never "toughen up" in the manner you wish because of his autism. He thinks differently than you do. He may not make the distinction between doing an ordinary thing like answering the phone and talking with someone, and doing what someone on the line suggests that he do. Why are you the one dictating what he can do (I mean answering a phone)? I think it would help the most to get advice from a professional who works with autism. They could help both of you devise a better way to handle the whole idea instead of getting frustrated and angry.
Has he been scammed out of a lot of money? Is he generally able to manage his own finances? Maybe he needs someone else to have power of attorney for large withdrawals.
Has he been scammed out of a lot of money? Is he generally able to manage his own finances? Maybe he needs someone else to have power of attorney for large withdrawals.
He is 28. I didn't know the phone company was smart enough to block out marketing calls. As for who am I to dictate whether or not he should answer the phone, the fact that he was scammed more than once makes me think he shouldn't be answering the phone.
He is 28. I didn't know the phone company was smart enough to block out marketing calls. As for who am I to dictate whether or not he should answer the phone, the fact that he was scammed more than once makes me think he shouldn't be answering the phone.
We use an app called hiya that blocks or alerts if the calls are scams, phishing etc. If he has a cell phone you can use an app. Ignore those who try and shame you, you are trying to help him, but it's how you help that is key. If he is willing to let you have power of attorney for large sums of money that might help put your mind at ease and help protect him. Or you could perhaps set up a visit for you both to a financial adviser or other professional who can provide some ideas that your brother can consider or choose.
Oh okay, he was answering the landline phone, since scammers call on landlines a lot. I don't have control over his money and legally it's not my position I don't think. I am just trying to best help him stop from making bad decisions, and trying to get him to not answer the phone, or not talk to people who come to the door you don't know, is the only way I know how to do it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.