Financial elder abuse
Financial elder abuse is a growing problem and it affects seniors in all socio-economic and cultural groups.
People take advantage of seniors who may be unaware of a problem, afraid of the abuser, ashamed of being “tricked”, confused or simply trusting of the abuser.
It can happen to anyone as Suebob found out. Her parents are elderly and the son of a family friend came to “visit” and talked them out of a large sum of money:
I wasn’t there but Mom said he had some story about how he has a work of art that needs to be photographed and reproduced so he can make money and the artwork is huge and out of state and he can’t afford to travel because he is totally destitute, and oh by the way, his friend is waiting over in the Burger King parking lot and they have no gas and they are 100 miles from home and they have no food and they are starving.
I am so angry for her. While one could argue that giving him the money was their choice, it sure sounds like this guy preyed upon their generous nature, and that’s wrong.
Tags: elder-abuse, financial abuseRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Aging Parents
2 opinions for Financial elder abuse
JayMonster
Jul 2, 2008 at 1:02 pm
It is tough when you read about stories like this day after day. But usually it is some scam artist “In Nigeria” or some telemarketer across the country that talked somebody into buying something they don’t need.
When it is a “family friend” that waltzes into the home and does it, it is just all the more shocking… and sad.
But it is exactly this sort of nature that people prey on, whether it is the “friend” or somebody far away.
The best thing to do (and I have done this with my mother several times) is to remind them that the world is a different place now than it was however many years ago, and that they need to start from a more suspicious point of view… regardless of who it is.
LA
Jul 7, 2008 at 5:08 pm
This cases happen with increasing frequency. And don’t think the death of an elderly person is the end. We follow Involuntary Redistribution of Assets (IRA) cases at EstateofDenial.com in which probate venues or instruments such as powers of attorney, wills, trusts or guardianships are used to distribute an individual’s assets in a manner contrary to their wishes. These actions can happen during a person’s lifetime or posthumously. It’s an ugly situation which, like the original post said, is a growing problem. Massive public exposure is likely one of the best tools to assist in any meaningful reform.
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