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Shillington, Pennsylvania Family Law and Estate Planning Blog

Understanding elder financial abuse

Posted by Rob Levengood | Sep 16, 2019 | 0 Comments

There are many telephone and online scams going around that aim to fraudulently separate people from their money. Some scams may even be conducted in person. Perhaps you have already been called by someone posing as an agent from the Internal Revenue Service or had someone knock on your door saying they were mowing lawns but asking for a deposit before they would return. You may see through these ruses, but at the law office of Huckabee, Weiler, & Levengood, P.C., we know that many Pennsylvania residents – especially the elderly – are unaware of the different scams out there.

Modern scams are sophisticated and can seem legitimate, even to the most financially savvy person. If your loved one is older, he or she may be more vulnerable to being taken advantage of. In fact, states the National Adult Protective Services Association, approximately one out of 20 elderly people in the United States are victimized by financial abuse, including scams.

Which scams may be aimed at the elderly, you may wonder? The following examples are some of the most common:

  • Phone calls from scammers posing as IRS agents, utility company officials or law enforcement, falsely claiming the target owes money
  • False sweepstakes that require a processing fee before the target can collect the winnings
  • Emails or text messages from people claiming to be a family member who is stranded or arrested and needs money

Our page explains more about powers of attorney, which may protect your elderly loved one from financial exploitation while still allowing him or her a measure of dignity and independence.

About the Author

Rob Levengood

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