Elderly Often Fraud Victims

The U.S. Attorney’s office recently charged six defendants with yet another telemarketing fraud scheme targeting the elderly. The allegations are that the con artists sought out and preyed upon the elderly through their lottery scam. We see these reports often in the news, to the point that they seem very repetitive. The characters and the amount of money stolen from elders changes but the methods are the same over and over.

Unfortunately, there are people out there who take advantage of other people. Some of the worst offenders are those who target the elderly. Some prey on senior citizens who may get confused easily or are too willing to trust others.

Forbes recently considered this problem in an article titled “Why Do Elderly Parents Fall For Scams That Seem So Obvious To Us?”

The article provides a few precautions every senior, as well as others, should remember when dealing with strangers.

Remember, do not:
• Accept personal care from anyone in exchange for assets or property without a lawyer or trusted person to act as a witness to the agreement.
• Permit anyone to keep details about your finances or property from you.
• Give out any personal information to people you do not know, especially via telephone.

Elder law attorneys are very familiar with these types of abuses (and many others!). They know what individuals can do to guard against them. Contact an elder law attorney to learn more.

To talk with an estate planning attorney, visit www.elderlawannarbor.com.

Reference: Forbes (February 13, 2014): “Why Do Elderly Parents Fall For Scams That Seem So Obvious To Us?”