BBB Releases Information About Scams as Elder Abuse

As part of International Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) created a list of scams that target seniors. They added in their article that they feel scams are a form of elder abuse – per their website, “The UN defines elder abuse as ‘a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person.’ That can mean physical, psychological or emotional, sexual and financial abuse.”

Seniors are often targets of scams for many reasons. Retirees tend to be home during the day, and often the elderly live alone. They are usually more willing to listen to a solicitation phone call or read an email with a pitch in it. Their homes are often paid off, and they have life savings and retirement funds that they can easily access. A host of health problems or reliance on Social Security means that scammers can pretend to be physicians, drug companies, health insurance, or even the government, in order to defraud the elderly.

Two particularly prevalent scams right now involve sweepstakes or lotteries with prizes, and two more are referred to as “emergency” or “grandparent” scams, in which the scammer pretends to be a family member in trouble to beg for money.

In fact, the “grandparent scam” has existed since 2010, and the Federal Trade Commission has received more than 40,000 complaints about it. The most common call claims to be a relative who is in a foreign country and has been arrested. They need money to be wire transferred so they can get out of jail.

Other scams, however, involve identity theft, not just financial elder abuse. As the Affordable Care Act ramps up, scammers are pretending to be representatives from the government, who tell the victim that they will be issued a new insurance card, but the scammer needs the victim’s Social Security Number and bank account information first.

Medical device alerts are also becoming a common form of financial elder abuse. Reportedly, the scammer calls the victim and says that they have been set up with a free Life Alert device after a friend or family member signed the victim up. When asked who signed them up, the scammer says that they cannot reveal that information, but the device is 100% free, all they need is the victim’s personal information to send it out.

The Social Security Administration says that they will never call or email retirees regarding Social Security accounts, and they will never ask for personal information such as social security number. Instead, they send letters through the mail. If someone calls or emails and says that they are from the Social Security Administration, that is a scam.

In addition, the Better Business Bureau has released a list of “never evers” in conjunction with Western Union:

·         Never use a money transfer service to send money to someone you have not met in person.

·         Never send money for an emergency situation without verifying that it’s a real emergency; ignore the caller’s plea not to tell others; confirm through other friends and family.

·         Never send funds received by check until it officially clears in your account, which can take several days, or more.

If you have questions about financial elder abuse, or believe you are the target or victim of elder abuse scammers, you can contact the Better Business Bureau at the BBB Senior Line number,(877) 637-3334. Another helpful resource in the BBB Scam Stopper site, found online at bbb.org/scam-stopper.

The Strom Law Firm Helps Victims of Financial Elder Abuse

In addition to neglect and abuse, South Carolina’s Office of Aging recognizes a third risk that aging adults are exposed to: exploitation. The two most prevalent forms of elderly exploitation is financial abuse and medical fraud. If you or a loved one has suffered elder abuse from caregivers, financial advisors, or nursing home staff, contact us today. Come in for a free consultation with one of our nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers to discuss your situation and hear how we can help.