Please protect our Brigantine senior citizens. In tough times, they have higher risk of being scammed….especially if they have Real Estate assets. Report suspicious activity to the Police. FROM NBC NEWS:
Financial fraud is the fastest growing form of elder abuse. Broadly defined, financial elder abuse is when someone illegally or improperly uses a vulnerable senior’s money or other property. Most states now have laws that make elder financial abuse a crime and provide ways to help the senior and punish the scammer.
Elder financial abuse is tough to combat, in part because it often goes unreported. Many elderly victims are often too confused, fearful, or embarrassed by the crime to report it.
Senior Citizens especially should be aware of fraud schemes for the following reasons:
Scammers target elders that they perceive to be vulnerable — those that are isolated, lonely, physically or mentally disabled, unfamiliar with handling their own finances, or have recently lost a spouse.
If the elderly person has a business:
If the elderly person has a business the scammers try to get involved in the corporation to take control of the company. Often they will try to separate the elderly from family or friends .
The scam artists often pose as trustworthy helpers who have one thing in mind , the elderly persons money, property, real estate or other valuable assets.
Elder financial abuse scammers can be tough to catch. Many scammers have paperwork that appears to give them legal authority to act — including powers of attorney, authorizing signature cards, and vehicle pink slips.
Elder abuse doesn’t always mean physical harm. In its financial form, it’s the exploitation of people to gain access to their property, investments, cash, business, or real estate.
They give the impression that they want to help but in the grand scheme of thing they are after the money.
Common Financial Scams:
Financial scams perpetrated against older people include a broad range of conduct — from outright taking of money or property to forging a signature on a legal document, such as a will or deed, to getting paid for care, products, or services and then not providing them.
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