He was signing up for multiple accounts of the same kind of service. He's complaining that I'm shutting him out from the world and taking away his dignity. I understand why he feels this way and don't blame him one bit. He can't drive and is alone all day. Struggles with walking and talking. I want to allow him access to the computer again but need to know how I can prevent any purchases. He still has one debit card that draws from the account his pension goes into. Is there an app or privacy setting that will block making online purchases?
Truly there is no way to stop him entirely without freezing his credit and taking the cards. There are two issues here: charging existing accounts and opening new credit. Imagine he is doing this with old fashioned phone calls. Same problem.
There are no blockers for any computer, phone, or tablet that will always prevent new credit from being opened, particularly if the site is shady. There are software solutions for payments, but they ultimately rely on either some particular payment method or security and standards of the site you are using.
Short answer: take the cards (and bank accounts), freeze the credit. A front loaded Visa with a small balance could give him some dignity and still let him feel in charge.
Several months ago, right after I had lost my beloved aunt, I had a call from a supposed local sheriff, that I nearly fell for. He told me that I had not shown up for 2 jury duties and that I needed to pay fines for missing these. He even stated that they had sent the jury duty documents to my address (which he stated and apparently knew it was my former address of a year ago). Whether he also knew I was going through a time of grief and was more vulnerable, I don’t know. He tried to keep me on the phone, and would not allow me to call anyone—even when I stated that I needed to talk with a lawyer or my husband, to see what I should do in this matter. I kept saying, “This just doesn’t seem right!” Of course, it wasn’t. It was a scam. So if a somewhat intelligent female can nearly fall for a scheme (thankfully I didn’t and I eventually hung up on the caller), then it’s for sure that a vulnerable person could give away all sorts of information and money!
I do like that idea of “a front loaded Visa with a small balance” to give him dignity and still let him feel in charge. I think we may need to do this for an elderly uncle who keeps complaining that he needs to go to the bank since he has no money in his pocket. We will have to check first with the memory care facility to see what they allow.
The easiest way to do this is to block the debit card. Either by cancelling the card or contacting the bank to see if they can put a e-commerce block on it. If they can put a block on it, the debit card cannot be used for anything online but can still be used in the physical world.
I had to get the credit card company on the phone, with my husband sitting there to allow me to speak to them.
One does not need the actual card to use it online, just the numbers.
Granny, your husband is using his own debit card, tied to his pension account.
You need to become POA for that account.
I cannot block my husband because he is the tech savvy person in our home.
And Rep-Payee for any Social Security funds he receives. Rep-payee will by law give you control of those funds, not allowing him access to the funds, but the funds must be used for his use only. Applies only to SS funds.
If you put a "Security Freeze" on husband's credit profile, new accounts opened in his name will become too hard for him to navigate, and there will be notifications sent.
However, this issue must be solved in part by your husband's cooperation.
I said all this, but know that your issue (this time) is "opening multiple accounts", using the same payment card, which is his debit card.
Report his card as stolen, then retrieve it when it comes in the mail.
Do this only if some legal authority has been given to you. See a lawyer.
It is because his illnesses have caused a significant cognitive issue, rendering him unable to make wise financial decisions for your future and his own.
I looked this up:
"Two-factor authentication adds a second level of authentication to an account log-in. When you have to enter only your username and one password, that's considered a single-factor authentication. 2FA requires the user to have two out of three types of credentials before being able to access an account."
I was wondering how your husband remembers his passwords for the multiple accounts he is opening?
Do you have access to passwords?
Do you have access to your husband's pension account?
There are a number of good apps used to filter the internet for public libraries, schools, businesses and concerned parents, although many of the business apps have a hefty price point. Different apps are stronger in different areas, so let me know what you would ideally be interest in and I will recommend a couple meeting your needs.
Personally, I believe the best way to get a hold on spending is using a debit card like chime where spending money is deposited on a schedule and transactions can be reviewed in real time. I haven't personally used a debit card directly linked to a income stream account in over 20 years; ever since my business travel amex got hit with bogus charges twice in 3 months. I always use a debit card with no automatic "backup" transfers or a credit card with a low spending limit for internet purchases.
After gaining guardianship of my father, I restricted spending to the debit card and left his internet access unfiltered.
Set it so it requires a password to enable purchases and don’t give him the password.
I have my iPhone set up that way in “Apple Pay” in the phone settings so I don’t accidentally order something
I had to do that on our tv cable account as well, because mom was ordering shows accidentally.
Sorry,
charlotte
If he's relying on account information that is saved in the browser, it might.
There is no way to categorically block purchases from being made when there is an internet connection available and a card to use.
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