How scam awareness became part of our management of Huntington’s

My wife, Jill, has has been watching a lot of “lawtube” videos on YouTube lately. She likes tracking court-related cases as a way to slow the decline from Huntington’s disease (HD). The cases, and anything relating to legal issues, hold her attention. It’s part of her growing bag of tricks to help her cope with her terminal illness.

One episode focused on scammers targeting older adults by sending them messages that looked legitimate but were anything but, including fake charities, bogus tech support, and phony government agencies.

“We always talk about the elderly falling for this,” Jill said. “I wonder how many people with disabilities like HD become prey for these people.”

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Her question lingered. HD is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that affects movement, thinking, and behavior. We spend a lot of time focused on visible risks, like falling or accidents involving knives, but I hadn’t considered quieter threats arriving by email, text, or phone calls.

As the host described the scammers’ tactics, I pictured Jill in those scenarios. Someone without HD might pause and notice inconsistencies. But on a difficult day, Jill might just want the problem to be resolved quickly.

HD can increase vulnerability in subtle ways. Decision-making becomes harder. Cognitive declines adversely affect information processing. Impulsivity can creep in. Add fatigue, anxiety, and frustration, and a scammer’s promise to “handle everything” can feel like relief rather than danger.

Jill and I often talk about what HD has already taken — ease of movement, the ability to complete simple tasks, future plans — and the idea that someone could exploit that makes my blood boil.

Her question wasn’t theoretical. HD forces people to trust others more. That shift can be a gift when rooted in love, but it also can be an opening for harm.

Making a plan together

So we talked about protection, which means watching for red flags, such as a sense of urgency, secrecy, or threats. It means building habits, like setting up bank alerts and two-factor authentication, and agreeing to double-check major financial decisions.

For some, it may also mean sharing financial oversight with a trusted person before a crisis happens.

But protection isn’t just about safeguards. It’s also about dignity. No one wants to feel policed. Jill and I live within that tension. My instinct to protect meets her need for independence.

We try to name that openly. I’ll say, “If something feels off, can we look at it together?” And she’ll give me permission to ask questions when something seems wrong. It’s less about control and more about partnership.

At the end of the video she was watching, the host urged viewers to call older relatives and talk to them about scams. Jill raised an eyebrow as if to say, “This is bigger than just seniors.”

She’s right. Vulnerability takes many forms, and those are the places that scammers target.

So this is our version of that call. If you love someone with HD or another disability, talk openly about scams. Offer help without shame. Build safeguards together, not around them.

HD has taken a lot from Jill. But as long as we can press pause on suspicious videos, messages, or too-good-to-be-true offers, we can prevent it from taking anything more.

Note: Huntington’s Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Huntington’s Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Huntington’s disease.