Monterey, CA Elder Abuse Abounds

Two people sitting on a couch watching television.


Financial elder abuse continues to proliferate, especially in wealthy pockets of the country like Monterey County, Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach.  This despite the expansion of the Department of Justices Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, which had been limited to six regional offices until late last year when they went to 20.  Federal prosecutors in those offices are dedicating additional resources to stop fraud against older people, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton told AARP Bulletin.  A report from the AARP found that the rate of financial exploitation of older Americans more than doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began.  “This kind of behavior is just despicable,†U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in an interview with AARP.  “The [DOJ’s] Civil Division is doing everything to fight against it.â€

Senator Dianne Feinstein Alleges Financial Elder Abuse

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Senator Dianne Feinstein has sued to remove the trustees of her late husband’s estate, and in the process accused them of committing financial elder abuse.  There are two charges; 1 that they have refused to respond to any requests for disbursements and; 2 that they have financially enriched his daughters from a prior marriage.  Diane’s daughter, Katherine Feinstein, has a limited durable power of attorney to act as her representative in litigation.  Steven Braccini, the attorney representing Blums two daughters told the San Francisco Chronicle the trustees “have acted ethically and appropriately at all times; the same cannot be said for Katherine Feinstein.  This filing is unconscionable.  The trustees have always respected Senator Feinstein and always will.  But this has nothing to do with her needs and everything to do with her daughter’s avarice.â€Â  He claims delays in payment are due to the lack of liquidity in the estate and the fact that a large tax bill needs to be settled before any claims can be paid.

 

Carmel, CA Elder Abuse Abounds

An old woman with a bruised eye and hand on her face.


Financial elder abuse continues to proliferate, especially in wealthy pockets of the country like Monterey County, Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach.  This despite the expansion of the Department of Justices Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, which had been limited to six regional offices until late last year when they went to 20.  Federal prosecutors in those offices are dedicating additional resources to stop fraud against older people, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton told AARP Bulletin.  A report from the AARP found that the rate of financial exploitation of older Americans more than doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began.  “This kind of behavior is just despicable,†U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in an interview with AARP.  “The [DOJ’s] Civil Division is doing everything to fight against it.â€

Pebble Beach, CA Elder Abuse Alert, Beware Of Fraudsters Asking You To Use CashApp, Venmo Or Zelle

An old woman with a bruised eye and hand on her face.


AARP has been great about tracking the latest scams tracking senior citizens, but a surprising number of people continue to fall for scams, mostly pitched over the phone.  First, I have a practice of using caller ID and won’t pick up the phone if I don’t recognize the caller.  This can screen out a lot of the potential scammers.  AARP says that historically fraud operators have tried to get your money in one of four ways—gift cards, wire transfers, cyber currency or cash.  These are all untraceable once you send them.  However, AARP says a fifth form of payment is on the rise, peer-to-peer (P2P) money transfer services like CashApp, Venmo or Zelle.  Beware of anyone asking you to send money using these apps.

Beware Of Fake Telehealth Companies

A person holding a stethoscope in front of a laptop.


A flurry of start-ups have been advertising on Facebook, Instagram and Tik-Tok touting medications which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the purpose the advertisement is pushing.  For instance, the Wall Street Journal reported that start-up Home Health ran an ad with a middle-aged man holding a dumbbell and saying testosterone “literally changed my life†restoring his energy and happiness.  The problem is, the man is an actor who has never used the drug and the ad doesn’t mention that testosterone is only approved by the FDA for treating specific disorders and carries with it the risk of heart attacks and stroke.  Beware of these ads,  they have increased significantly since the pandemic began.

Pebble Beach, CA Elder Abuse Abounds

A person holding an elderly hand over another persons arm.


Financial elder abuse continues to proliferate, especially in wealthy pockets of the country like Monterey County, Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach.  This despite the expansion of the Department of Justices Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, which had been limited to six regional offices until late last year when they went to 20.  Federal prosecutors in those offices are dedicating additional resources to stop fraud against older people, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton told AARP Bulletin.  A report from the AARP found that the rate of financial exploitation of older Americans more than doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began.  “This kind of behavior is just despicable,†U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in an interview with AARP.  “The [DOJ’s] Civil Division is doing everything to fight against it.â€

Pacific Grove, CA Elder Abuse Abounds

Two women walking down a sidewalk with one holding onto the other 's hand.


Financial elder abuse continues to proliferate, especially in wealthy pockets of the country like Monterey County, Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach.  This despite the expansion of the Department of Justices Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, which had been limited to six regional offices until late last year when they went to 20.  Federal prosecutors in those offices are dedicating additional resources to stop fraud against older people, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton told AARP Bulletin.  A report from the AARP found that the rate of financial exploitation of older Americans more than doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began.  “This kind of behavior is just despicable,†U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in an interview with AARP.  “The [DOJ’s] Civil Division is doing everything to fight against it.â€

Pacific Grove, CA Elder Abuse Abounds

A woman sitting next to an older person.


Financial elder abuse continues to proliferate, especially in wealthy pockets of the country like Monterey County, Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach.  This despite the expansion of the Department of Justices Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, which had been limited to six regional offices until late last year when they went to 20.  Federal prosecutors in those offices are dedicating additional resources to stop fraud against older people, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton told AARP Bulletin.  A report from the AARP found that the rate of financial exploitation of older Americans more than doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began.  “This kind of behavior is just despicable,†U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in an interview with AARP.  “The [DOJ’s] Civil Division is doing everything to fight against it.â€

Monterey, CA IRS Warns Of New Tax Refund Scam

A man and woman sitting back to back.


There are always a number of scams targeting seniors and the general population and those in wealthy areas of Monterey County like Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble beach are always ripe targets.  The current scam goes like this.  A cardboard envelope shows up from a delivery service with a letter inside using IRS masthead telling you to contact them about your unclaimed refund.  The scammers ask that you take a  copy of your drivers license that clearly displays all four angles, and the photos are taken in a place with good lighting.  They also ask for your cellphone number, bank routing information, Social Security number and additional bank details.  Don’t fall for this!

Monterey, CA Elder Abuse Scammers Posing As IRS Agents

A pile of money sitting next to stacks of cash.


There have been numerous cases of elder abusers posing as IRS agents on the phone and demanding payments for some made up past due bills.  The IRS said they would never call people without first sending a letter, and now they have reversed a decades-old policy where IRS agents would show up on your doorstep to collect unpaid taxes and unfiled tax returns.  The Treasury Department said it was reversing its policy due to fears that anti-government and anti-tax groups would track down IRS employees with malevolent intent.  So be assured that any phone call or in-person visit from a supposed IRS agent is a scam.