75 year old Kathleen Eaton decided she wanted a puppy. So, like many do these days, she went online to what she presumed to be a legitimate website to find her future pet. Ms. Eaton emailed the company. They gave her a "discounted" price of 750 dollars. Despite her husband's uneasy feelings towards how the company was handling the payments, she continued the process. The puppy never arrived. An additional [...]
In any given year, one in ten adults over age 60 are victims of elder abuse. Furthermore, statistics show that a total of 5 million seniors are abused annually. Elder abuse comes in many different forms. Emotional, physical, and financial elder abuse are all a sad reality of our world. However, there are many ways to lower your risk of elder abuse. All forms of elder abuse are of the [...]
An estimated 30 billion dollars are lost every year to financial elder abuse scams. Most of the time we assume the thief is a total stranger. But far too often, even trusted family and friends are the root of this form of abuse. And unfortunately, so many cases of financial elder abuse go unreported. It may be because the victims are too ashamed to report what happened. Or maybe they [...]
If you see something, say something. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security advises us to follow this rule in regards to suspicious activity. Seniors are often easier targets for financial scams. A 2017 AARP survey found that nearly half of financial fraud victims were over 70. However, the sad reality is that 43 out of 44 elder financial scams go unreported. Therefore, it is vitally important for people to report [...]
Internet use among seniors is continually on the rise. Nearly 70 percent of seniors now regularly browse the internet. Whether you use it for social media, online banking, or emailing, seniors can unfortunately be easier targets for internet scams. Scammers perceive seniors as more vulnerable. Therefore, they usually target them first. Everyone should prioritize internet safety these days. But for seniors, this is especially vital. It could mean the difference [...]
The process of avoiding identity theft for seniors needs to be taken seriously. Identity theft occurs when someone gets personal information about you. This could include social security number, bank account number, or credit card information. A little known fact is that each year, 17 million people fall victim to identity theft. Sadly, many of these are vulnerable seniors. Avoiding identity theft can feel hard and even overwhelming. Yet taking [...]
We often think of elder abuse as physical abuse. Sometimes we only suspect abuse when we see physical signs. However, financial abuse of seniors is a growing problem in America. Everyone is at risk. This AARP article provides ways to help avoid it. Buzz Aldrin, a NASA hero, has been financially exploited. His own children tried to seize control of his estate after claiming he suffered from dementia. Yet financial elder [...]
What comes to mind when you think of elder abuse? Maybe you think of a scammer stealing money from someone with dementia. Or you could be thinking of neglect in a nursing home. Both of these scenarios are possible and have certainly happened to seniors. However, the truth about elder abuse is complex and unfortunately comes in an endless number of forms. This Next Avenue article reports on the [...]
