As posted by AARP (https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/home-improvement.html) If you are a homeowner, it’s not uncommon to have contractors show up on your doorstep uninvited. They say they happened to be doing some work in the neighborhood and noticed that your house needs some repairs too. They’ll offer to fix your roof, repave your driveway or perform other repairs or renovations, for what
Losing money to scams and fraud is disheartening for anyone. Unfortunately, millions of aging adults experience financial abuse each year. This exploitation strips aging adults of their dignity, trust, and independence, so it’s important for family members to help when they can. Often, elder financial abuse can slip under the radar. People often focus on managing finances before retirement, but
Financial scams targeting seniors have become so prevalent that they’re now considered “the crime of the 21st century.” Why? Because seniors are thought to have a significant amount of money sitting in their accounts. Financial scams also often go unreported or can be difficult to prosecute, so they’re considered a “low-risk” crime. However, they’re devastating to many older adults and can
Senior scams are too common A terrible fact is that seniors get scammed out of $36 billion each year. Even worse, most of this money can never be recovered. Fraudsters are ruining lives by stealing hard-earned savings. Being aware of popular senior scams helps you protect your older adult from losing money to thieves. Since stolen money isn’t likely to be recovered,
Imagine this. You have just come home from the park with your grandkids. As your 3-year-old granddaughter plays on the floor with her toys and your 8-year-old grandson reads at the table, you receive a phone call. Your heart skips a beat when you hear who is on the other end of the line. It’s the IRS and they are
The FBI’s Common Fraud Schemes webpage provides tips on how you can protect yourself and your family from fraud. Senior citizens especially should be aware of fraud schemes for the following reasons: Senior citizens are most likely to have a “nest egg,” to own their home, and/or to have excellent credit—all of which make them attractive to con artists. People
As April approaches, many think of spring in bloom, April showers, and maybe even Opening Day for baseball season, but there’s no denying it and no avoiding it, tax time is here as well. For some, April can be a time of frustration and even fear, especially if the documents necessary for tax filing are disorganized, misplaced, or simply missing.
While it seems unconscionable to most, unscrupulous men and women often target senior citizens for devious scams to rob them of their money or identities. When scammers know how to confuse and gain the trust of the elderly, they have virtual free reign of bank accounts, personal information, and even assets. If you’re concerned about the well-being of a senior in your
BY JUDI JACOBS It’s a big digital world out there, and it can be scary. But it doesn’t have to be. Arm yourself with the knowledge to protect yourself and be proactive. Online safety is in your hands. Keeping Your Device Secure Have you ever lost your phone or iPad? Whether it was just for five minutes or it completely disappeared,
Elder Fraud is a 36 Billion Dollar Problem Thieving fraudsters are making a business of taking advantage of older adults. Almost 4 in 10 seniors are affected, losing over $36 billion each year to financial abuse.And this isn’t only happening to the very old or those with Alzheimer’s or dementia – younger, more educated seniors are actually losing more money. Did you know that the amount