Financial Fraud is the Fastest-Growing Form of Nursing Home Abuse

Among all the different types of nursing home abuse, financial abuse is the fastest-growing type. A broad definition of financial abuse is when someone improperly or illegally uses the money or property of a vulnerable senior. Elder abuse is a criminal offense in Florida, but that does not mean it does not happen. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, it is important to know the most common scams used so you can stop it from happening. Our Tampa financial abuse attorney explains what these are below.

The Grandparent Scam

 The grandparent scam involves a scammer calling a senior pretending to be their grandchild. They plead with the senior to send them money for rent, car repairs, medical bills, or another unexpected financial problem. The scammer will also ask the grandparent not to inform their parents about the call, in an effort to not be caught.

Catfishing Scams 

Catfishing is a scam that involves a person meeting someone online and misrepresenting who they are. They may make it seem as though they just want to make a social or romantic connection so the person they are talking to will trust them. Once they have gained the elder’s trust, the scammer then asks for money for bail, or to help them get a flight back to the United States. Although scammers will make it seem as though they really want to meet the victim, they never do.

Senior citizens are more vulnerable to these scams because they often feel isolated and just want to connect with someone. Scammers realize that seniors are lonely and use it to prey on them.

Telemarketing Scams 

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), fraudulent telemarketers cost the U.S. public approximately $40 billion every year. Telemarketing scams also impact one in six American consumers each year. According to the AARP, approximately 80 percent of victims are 50 years of age or older. Fraudulent telemarketers may sell elders products that do not have any value, or an item that never arrives.

Internet Fraud

 Senior citizens are often not as familiar with technology as older consumers. As such, when they are online they are often targeted in internet scams. An elderly person may download a virus or a fraudulent antivirus program offered through a pop-up window. The virus may then transmit confidential information, such as a person’s bank account information, which then allows the scammer to commit identity theft.

Our Financial Abuse Attorney in Tampa Can Protect Your Loved Ones 

Unfortunately, it is far too easy for seniors to become the victim of a financial scam and it can happen in a number of ways. At Kohn Law, our Tampa financial abuse attorney can identify if this type of abuse is occurring and if so, help your family make things right. Call or text us now at 813-428-8504 or chat with us online to book a free consultation with our experienced attorney and to learn more about how we can help your family.

Sources:

archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2010/december/telemarketing_120810/telemarketing_120810

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0400/0400.html