Elder Abuse Awareness
June is Elder Abuse Awareness month. It is not one of those occasions that gets a lot of publicity. But as a caregiver I can tell you the threat is always present around seniors and the elderly. We need to be on alert all year in order to protect ourselves and those we care about. In this article, I will introduce you to Janet. Janet has been a target of scam artists multiple times but has managed to avoid their threats by being proactive and learning about the potential scams.
Meet Janet.
Janet is in her late sixties. She has always been independent but has become even more so following her husband Tom’s death 3 years ago. She enjoys spending her time gardening, catching up on mystery shows and visiting with friends. When asked about her experience with scams Janet says, “Oh yes, I have been targeted a number of times.”
An Email from my bank
“The first scam attempt came when I got an email from my bank, at least I thought it was from my bank. I noticed that the address was not quite right, but I thought that maybe they had a new branch. The message claimed that my account had suspicious activity and urged me to click on a link to confirm my account number and social security number. I almost went ahead with it. But I normally talk with Sandy at the bank, and she is always good to let me know if something is going on. Before I clicked on anything, I decided I would give her a call to be sure.”
Sandy confirmed that this was not an email from the bank. She instructed Janet to delete the email and not click on any links within the email. Sandy informed Janet that this is called a phishing scam designed to steal her login information. Sandy had Janet change her login information to the bank website, set up a two-factor authentication, and enabled fraud alerts.
An Evening Phone Call
One night a few months later, Janet was sitting at home reading when she received a phone call from a number she didn’t recognize.
Janet says, “I was a little hesitant when I didn’t recognize the number, but I answered it anyway. A male voice on the other end of the phone said, “Hey Grandma!” It didn’t sound like my grandson, but I responded anyway. He went on to say that he had been pulled over by the police and was taken to jail because his license had expired. He was so embarrassed and begged me not to tell his parents. He needed me to send him money. Although I wanted to help. I hesitated because my grandkids call me Nana, not Grandma. This put the spark of doubt in me. As I started to ask questions, the caller could not tell me my grandson’s name, where he lived, or his parents’ names. I hung up the phone and quickly called my grandson. He confirmed that he was fine and was not in jail. I was so relieved but angry because I was ready to send him money.
An Unwanted Companion
After several years living alone, Janet was excited to meet Greg, a charming man on an online networking site for seniors. He was a retired doctor stationed overseas, eager to find companionship when he returned home. Janet enjoyed their conversations, and over time, she found herself emotionally invested. One evening, Greg mentioned financial trouble, a medical emergency preventing his return home. He subtly asked for help, assuring her he would pay her back. Janet agreed to help but would need a few days to arrange to get the money Greg needed. Over the next few hours, Greg’s emails came quickly, and Janet was feeling rushed to get the money together. Janet was on the phone with a friend, when another email from Greg came in. Although she was hesitant to tell her friend, she was starting to feel too much pressure from Greg and things were moving fast. She confided in her friend while they were on the phone together. Her friend, a tech savvy Google sleuth had heard about reverse picture look up. Janet texted her friend a picture of Greg. Within minutes, her friend had found the same picture of Greg tied to multiple names, profiles, and scams. Janet couldn’t believe it. She was hurt and embarrassed, but more than that she was relieved that she had confided in a friend and had avoided what could have potentially been a costly mistake, not only to her heart but her wallet.
Meet Janet, a fraud-fighting superwoman.
After this, Janet started researching scams so that she could be vigilant. A month later, she had a call from another friend, who was excited to report that she had met a man online named Greg, a retired doctor. Because of Janet’s experiences, and her willingness to share she was able to save her friend from another “Greg.”
Janet could have been quiet about these experiences, embarrassed at how close she came to falling victim. But instead, she used her experiences and transformed herself from a potential victim into a fraud-fighting advocate. She began sharing her knowledge at local community centers, teaching others how to recognize red flags. With each conversation, she reinforced a simple but powerful message: Skepticism isn’t cynicism—it’s wisdom.
If you ever feel that you may be the target of a financial fraud scam, please speak with a trusted individual for guidance. In addition to the scams mentioned above I have helped many seniors navigate through other scams as well. You can contact me using the link below. Additional resources are also available at the National Council on Aging.
