Elder financial exploitation is often one of those problems that community members believe only happens to “other people.” When reading stories about seniors falling for scams or being exploited by caregivers it is easy to view them as one-of-a-kind examples. But the truth is the exact opposite: elder financial exploitation…
The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is leading the effort this year as part of the official “National Nursing Home Week” which was designated as May 12th through the 18th. More information on the event can be found here. The purpose of the Week is to raise awareness of various…
Most discussions of elder financial exploitation include accusations of unique scams targeted at trusting seniors. As we discussed last week, many wrongdoers try to swindle the elderly community via insurance frauds, home repair schemes, and similar techniques. These are very real dangers that must be guarded against. However, it is…
On the whole, studies continue to show that seniors citizens are more “trusting” than younger demographics. Sadly, that trust is often exploited by those seeking to scam seniors out of significant sums of money, including retirement savings. These scams take many forms, and each are a reminder for families to…
From suspicious claims in an email to unsolicited letters, most of us assume we are not naive enough to fall victim to a financial scammer. This is a mistake. It takes only a moment of confusion or a lapse in judgement to provide a fraudster with the the tools they…
It is commonly understood that elder abuse is a serious concern that often goes unreported. But there remains less certainty about the best ways to address the problem. A recent Buffalo News editorial argued that more needs to be done at the state and federal level to tackle the issues.…
It will happen virtually every day somewhere across the country. Most of the time, no one will ever actually find out about it. It’s called the “Sweetheart Scam,” and it is responsible for untold millions of dollars being lost by elderly community members at the hands of scam artists. How…
One of the biggest mistakes that many New Yorkers make in their elder law and estate planning matters is placing too much trust in the actions of others to handle things fairly without legal preparation. This common error is understandable, as it is human nature to trust those closest to…
WHEC-TV in Rochester recently posted on two arrests involving theft of jewelry from a local woman. According to the report, a a door-to-door vacuum saleswoman went to an elderly woman’s home and asked to use the restroom. While inside, the saleswoman apparently stole several pieces of jewelry, which she then…
If there was an easy way to identify and prevent seniors being taken advanage of financially, then the rate of exploitation would be far lower than it is. The stark reality is that it is a big challenge to catch elder financial abuse before it occurs and identify the problem…