Scams, Gambling and Other worries Questions

1. What Can I Do About Unauthorized Charges on a Credit Card Bill Due to Identity Theft?

   There are a number of steps to take and to take quickly, since identity thieves all over the world can act on the information they've stolen -- and it can take years to straighten out the tangles they can cause.
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

2. How Can I Protect an Older Family Member From Telemarketing Scams?

   You're right to be concerned about telemarketing scams. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that dishonest telemarketers take in an estimated $40 billion each year, bilking one in six American consumers -- and the AARP claims that about 80 percent of them are 50 or older...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 4 Community Answers

3. My mother was recently involved in an internet dating scam...

   I describe these types of scams in my new book "The Truth About Avoiding Scams." If your mother has given money to the con artist, that money is lost. However, they are extremely unlikely to seek her out at this point.
   1 Expert Answer

4. Where can I find free legal counsel to help us with an...

   I am sorry to hear that you were first betrayed by unfair lending practices by the mortgage holder, and second, by a mortgage scam of so-called "relief" efforts. I am not sure that it is possible at this last minute to find free legal advice in time to do you some good, but you must try...
   1 Expert Answer

5. What are my options if my father has been a victim of fraud?

   So long as your father is competent, he has the right to make his own decisions although I share your extreme concern with what certainly appears to be a scam. Scam artists often prey upon seniors. Your best course of action is to try to convince your father to let you help him research the investment and the person who is selling it to him...
   1 Expert Answer

6. Is mom's caregiver taking advantage?

   There are several red flags in your question. First, is that this caregiver may be privately hired, since if the caregiver is from an agency, then it is the agency’s responsibility to deal with the caregiver, and not yours. Since it sounds as if this may be a privately hired caregiver, and if that i...
   1 Expert Answer

7. How do we stifle Dad's friendship with someone who may be exploiting him?

   Dear Walterrob: You are right to be concerned about protecting your parent from a scamming friend. The key to your question is that your father was declared incompetent 3 years ago. He has already been victimized three times in the past. Given this, it is hard to imagine how your family has allowed...
   1 Expert Answer

8. What should I do if I suspect my mother's caregiver has stolen from her?

   So very sorry you have experienced theft. Unfortunately theft and caregiving is something that happens because of the unsupervised situation. We also found that theft sometimes occurred when there were shifts in the home by others than the caregivers, because the “opportunity” for passing blame was was there...
   1 Expert Answer

9. What can I do if I think the trustees are acting illegally?

   These are serious charges. Trustees have a number of legal duties--including one big one: to keep each beneficiary reasonably informed of the trust and how it is being handled. Trustees are also required to file accounts with the beneficiaries--and must usually do that annually...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

10. How do I report caregiver fraud?

    You raise the question of possible caregiver fraud. The answer to what you can do about it depends on who is paying for the care. If it is the state or county in which you live, you can contact the adult protective services, or its equivalent in your county and say that you wish to report what appears to be fraud...
    1 Expert Answer

11. What can I do to stop my brothers from commiting fraud against my mother?

    Unless your brothers have a power of attorney authorizing them to sign your mother’s name to transfer ownership from her to their own names, they aren’t likely to be able to get a loan.But if they did deed the properties to themselves, your mother needs to act qui...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

12. How do we protect my grandfather from scams?

    Your question about charity scams is one that unfortunately we hear often. The most efficient way to deal with this problem is to obtain power of attorney of his finances. Each state has different ways to do this so seek legal counsel so that you protect yourself...
    1 Expert Answer, 18 Community Answers

13. Can my brother be fired or reported for fraud if he is neglecting my mother?

    Thank you for writing to share your anger and frustration so clearly. It is so difficult to be raising children as well as trying to see to the care of a parent. Sibling caregiver conflicts are more usual than you may think.
    1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

14. Can I help my step-father steer clear of scams if he isn't willing to admit there's a problem?

    As your mother's guardian, you not only have the authority to act to preserve and protect her assets, you also have the duty to do so. If there is an intermingling of their assets, this would complicate the situation. If you believe that your stepfather has dementia, you should work with his children to have him evaluated...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

15. My grandma's neighbors are taking advantage of her financially, what can we do to stop them?

    There are many definitions and standards of financial elder abuse and undue influence, and if what you are saying is true what happened here clearly would be considered improper. It’s important for you to realize that there isn’t a list of specific actions that are unlawful; rather, there are genereneral...
    1 Expert Answer

16. What Can I Do if I Suspect That Someone Given Power of Attorney Is Acting Fraudulently?

    A person named as an agent in a power of attorney has the legal duty to act in "the best interests" of the principal -- that is, the person who made the document. While that's a little fuzzy as a legal standard, the greater practical truth is that you know fraud when you see it: for example, money being...
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 9 Community Answers

17. How Can I Prevent a Stepparent From Mismanaging the Finances of a Parent With Alzheimer's When I Have Power of Attorney?

    First, get clear on whether the power of attorney naming you as your parent's agent has actually taken effect. You need to look at the specific wording of the document to find that out.
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

18. My mom, who cares for my dad with Alzheimer's, has developed a gambling problem. How can I help?

    What a tough situation!
    1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

19. How do we protect a home that is being rented from being taken over when the owner dies?

    Your son should ask his father to sign a durable power of attorney, authorizing him to act on his father's behalf with respect to finances and property. This document should go into effect when signed, not upon his father's disability, since it sounds like he needs help managing his financial affairs right now...
    1 Expert Answer

20. I feel my father is being scammed. What can I do?

    I am sorry to hear that your father has been victimized. So many elders, who feel a little sad and lonely, become easy prey for con men. My own father once bought a con man an old pick up truck by charging it to his credit card.
    1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers