Hot Item Elder Abuse Scam : Many Seniors Are Falling For It

A woman in blue shirt holding a cleaning brush.


The AARP Fraud Watch Network has received numerous complaints from seniors who have fallen victim to what they are calling the “Hot Item Scam.â€Â  This is where scammers advertise hard-to-find items using keywords like “Nike sneakers latest edition†or “Xbox,†taking your credit card number and not shipping the item.  If you are lucky, you can get the charge reversed by your credit card company.  But some scammers do this very quickly, closing their merchant account so it is hard for your bank to retrieve the funds.

Elder Abuse Scam : The Trick Payment Method

A man and woman sitting back to back.


The AARP Fraud Watch Network has been taking complaints from consumers who are buying sought after items online.  They are told that the merchant does not take credit cards and that the only way they can pay for the item is through the app Zelle.  The problem is that, unlike credit card transactions which can be disputed, once you send money via Zelle or some other peer-to-peer payment app, the money is gone for good.

New Facebook & Instagram Elder Abuse Scams

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


There is never a dearth of elder abuse scams, and with many people staying at home more due to COVID-19, it’s no surprise that the online shopping sector has been plagued with scams.  One man told AARP Bulletin that he ordered a stationary bicycle through Facebook and it never arrived.  Many Facebook and Instagram users have reported purchasing expensive items using their PayPal account, and the vendor then sends some worthless knick knack, using this as proof of delivery when the transaction is disputed with PayPal or a credit card company.  You should always purchase items from well known sellers.

New Elder Abuse Scam : Investing In Silver Or Gold


AARP Bulletin reports that an increasingly common elder abuse scam is creating fear in seniors about the economy and the future of the stock market, and convincing them to buy a “100% safe†investment in precious metals.  The sellers then sneak in hefty fees and then mark up the coins as much as 300%, with the sales pitch being that they are “collectible†and thus worth more.  “These scams prey on the concerns that senior citizens may have relating to the economy, their retirement and their financial well-being,†according to AARP Bulletin.

Elder Abuse Rose During COVID-19 Pandemic

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


We have all struggled with various issues during the pandemic.  However, seniors have more to watch out for than the average American—they have been inundated with coronavirus based scams.  The Wall Street Journal recently wrote a story about a caregiver who was on probation for a felony robbery conviction who was hired by a long-term-care facility which didn’t do a background check (note that all of our caregivers undergo an extensive background check, including a Department of Justice criminal record check).  She stole an engagement ring and credit cards from an 86-year-old woman dying from COVID-19.  Just a few hours after the woman died, the caregiver swiped the stolen credit card to get a burger and fries at Wendy’s.  In another case, a woman in her 80’s found that her house had been stolen—her name had been forged on the deed to her house and it was sold in a virtual transaction.  The list of crimes goes on and on.  One lesson to be learned is don’t ever allow someone that you don’t know into your home unless they have a license from the state.  You can check on this by using the link below.

https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/community-care/home-care-services

 

Monterey, CA Watch Out For GoFundMe Elder Abuse Scams During The Holidays

A pile of money sitting next to stacks of cash.


Elder abuse scams are in abundance during the holidays, and residents of wealthy areas of Monterey including Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach are always prime targets.  The latest elder abuse scam to emerge is GoFundMe scams where there is some sort of tragedy and family of the victims start a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to get through it.  Unfortunately, the people behind the GoFundMe campaigns are imposters.

Monterey, CA Family inHome Caregiver Blog : Elder Abuse Series Article 5 : Abandonment

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


As an owner of a Home Care Organization serving senior citizens, I hate to see them being taken advantage of and abused.  Unfortunately, on the Monterey Peninsula this is all too common. 

What You Should Know About Senior Abuse
There are, unfortunately, myriad ways that seniors can be abused.  It’s often at the hands of a trusted friend or family member, or even a professional or family caregiver.  I will be exploring all 7 types of abuse over several blogs, the first of which appeared here:

https://familyinhomecaregiving.com/monterey-ca-family-inhome-caregiver-blog-elder-abuse-series-article-6-0-financial-elder-abuse/

The 7 types of elder abuse are: Financial, Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Emotional or Psychological Abuse, Neglect, Abandonment, and Self-neglect. In this second blog on Abuse we will discuss sexual abuse.

Why Elderly Abandonment Is an Issue and How to Avoid It
Elder abandonment is a serious problem in our society and many thousands of people every year suffer from the consequences of this issue. Whether it’s neglect, irresponsibility or malicious action, it’s an issue that has to be addressed, as it can threaten any family who has the responsibility of caring for a senior. Understand why elderly abandonment is an issue, how you can avoid it, and how a solid estate planning attorney can be of help in this area.

What Is Elderly Abandonment?
Elderly abandonment occurs when someone responsible for the care of an elderly person deserts or otherwise fails to provide the necessary care. In Ohio, neglect is essentially defined as failing to provide the goods and services necessary to avoid the risk of physical or mental harm or illness, and abuse refers to the act of inflicting or otherwise knowingly or recklessly causing harm, anguish or pain to another person.
Abandoning an elderly person would qualify as abuse by neglect under state statutes. Usually elderly abandonment can be defined as deliberate desertion of a senior in need of care, be it by dropping them off at a care facility or leaving them in a public place. Note that just because someone leaves an elderly relative at a care facility, that doesn’t mean they haven’t abandoned them, especially if they just drop them off and leave them there.

Effects of Abandoning a Senior Loved One
The effects of abandonment can be devastating. If the senior is afflicted with dementia, Alzheimer’s or another cognitive impairment, they could forget who they are, where they belong, or even what they need to do, to seek treatment for their condition. Even if they aren’t suffering from a cognitive issue, the effects of abandonment can lead them to depression, illness, and even death. It’s every bit as bad as any other form of neglect.

Causes of Elder Abandonment
There are a number of contributing factors to elder abandonment. The person in charge of providing care could feel overwhelmed or unable to cope with the responsibility. They might be unreasonably resentful to the point where they can’t deal with the situation anymore. In the worst cases, they are vindictive in their actions.
In some cases the abandonment occurs because the responsibility falls into someone’s lap because it hasn’t been properly defined or shared. These cases, unfortunately, are all too common and can result from poor estate or end of life planning. It’s important for loved ones of elderly people to understand how responsibilities will be split and shared among the family.

How an Estate Planning Attorney Can Help
Estate planning attorneys do far more than just help to file wills. They can work with the family to establish a clear delineation of responsibilities should a senior loved one fall under the need for care. Rather than placing all of the responsibility on one person, everyone can agree to take on a part, thus spreading the responsibility around and making it far easier to deal with.

Take Care and Stay Healthy
Richard

 

Carmel, CA Medicare Elder Abuse Alert

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


There is never a shortage of elder abuse scams making the rounds, but the latest to hit our area is Medicare related.  You will receive a message that says “Hi, this is Becky, your patient advocate working closely with Medicare.  Currently, Medicare is offering precautionary genetic cancer screening nationwide and has recommended that anyone over the age of 50 be tested.  These tests help to detect early signs of cancer and are covered by your insurance.  If you do not act soon, Medicare may label you as ineligible for coverage.  Please press 1 to speak to a specialist.â€Â  The situation is so dire that AARP The Magazine (August/September Issue, Page 32) ran a two-page story on it.  Do not fall for this scam!  If you have any questions, call the AARP Fraud Watch Network’s helpline at 877-908-3360.

Cell Phone Providers Helping To Stop Elder Abuse

A person holding an iphone in their hand.


Effective on June 30, cell phone companies are required to verify that caller ID information transmitted during a call is accurate.  This should dramatically help lower elder abuse cases, which often start with someone calling and pretending to be from Social Security, your bank, or some other service provider that you used.  Under code name Stir/Shaken , the program is meant to crack down on spoofing.  By 2019, more than half of all cellphone calls were unsolicited or scams, according to digital security company First Orion.  Americans lost almost $30 billion in phone scams over the last year, according to a report by phone security firm Truecaller (Source AARP Bulletin, November 2021 Issue, page 6).

Monterey, CA Elder Abuse Alert : Pandemic Related Scams Hit Seniors Hard : By Derek Baine

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The Federal Trade Commission recently unveiled an unpleasant statistic. We all know that millions of people died from COVID-19, however, it also resulted an opportunity for fraudsters to take advantage of the fear this created.  This resulted  in older Americans losing $600 million to scams in 2020, much of it fueled by pandemic-related schemes, according to federal officials.  Losses in many top categories topped 2019, according to the FTC, with online shopping scams up 129%, business imposter fraud up 88% and romance scams +66%.  Among the losses of those 60 and older, $104 million came from 26,518 complaints tied directly to COVID-19 scams (Source AARP Bulletin, November 2021 Issue, page 4).