Scams that target elderly in Florida have become more frequent in recent years.
Last year the attorney general filed a lawsuit against a furniture store in Fort Myers after it charged vulnerable seniors way more than the furniture was worth.
This is not the worst of the scams that have taken advantage of seniors. But it’s another reminder that elderly individuals are being taken advantage of with increasing frequency.
And not just the elderly.
You may be wondering what the photo above has to do with anything. Well, this is something that received that looks like a very official W2 or some other important tax document. It was, in fact, an offer to loan me money. It was simply a sales letter. This type of deception is rampant and can easily fool someone… Since it was addressed to my office I knew it was nothing, but our seniors who may have some cognitive impairment may not.
True Story
Many months ago my computer suddenly literally started to talk –really yell– at me that I was infected with a virus and HAD TO DOWNLOAD SOMETHING NOW. My assistant Tracy and I didn’t know what to do, Remember the computer was YELLING at us. We actually had to call our computer guy to tell whether it was a scam or not. He told us to shut the computer down. (He didn’t appreciate being called while boating on the Everglades! ) But luckily we did because even he had to look at the computer to tell we were being scammed. Fortunately thanks to Tracy we didn’t download anything but when your computer is yelling it’s soooooo tempting.
It sounds funny now but I assure you it was a panicky situation at the time. These people are very sophisticated.
Many South Florida seniors receive e-mails stating they’ve won a prize, often in a contest they haven’t even entered. Others receive notice of free goods or services. To these types of e-mails, the experts all say the same thing. DON’T CLICK ON THE LINK!! If you didn’t enter the contest, you didn’t win anything. And if it sounds too good to be true – it is!
Another frequent tactic is to “notify” seniors that they’re eligible for free Medicare services. The only thing “free” about this is the opportunity for scammers to get their hands on your personal information, so they can bill the government for services they never provided.
Unfortunately, many seniors are embarrassed to report they’ve been the victim of a scam. And they don’t call the toll-free Medicare number, 866-357-6677 to report it.
One of my clients was recently targeted by one of the popular schemes. She received a call from her “grandson,” saying he was stranded in England and needed her to wire money. However, this client had paid attention to what I had told her about scammers. And when she asked for her “grandson’s” last name…he hung up quickly.
This one is hard for me. At restaurants, pay with cash whenever possible. Giving credit cards to a server is not a good idea. And you should never use a debit card at a restaurant, either, because an unscrupulous employee can end up emptying your bank account.
When a senior is victimized by a scammer, it makes my blood boil. After all, we’ve spent 35 years helping South Florida seniors keep what they’ve earned…with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid and the VA. benefits.
If you’ve got questions about how to protect what you’ve earned…we’re just a phone call away. Contact the Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld and Associates, P.A. at 954-726-6602 or info@florida-elderlaw.com.
