Questions About Elder Fraud

1. How do I report caregiver fraud?

   Question - 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

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

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

   Question - 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

4. How can I check my parent's FEGLI benefits if another family member has already passed themselves off as me?

   Question - How can I check my Parents FEGLI benefits if another family member has tried to apply for them and then tried to pass themselves off as me?

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

   Question - 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

6. How do we protect my grandfather from scams?

   Question - 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

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

   Question - 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

8. Can we report someone stealing medication?

   Question - Hi:
   1 Expert Answer, 4 Community Answers

9. How can I protect my grandfather's assets?

   Question - Any advice you get or take must be tempered with a dose of reality: Short of getting your grandfather a personality transplant, there may be nothing you can do to change his wily and unpredictable ways. After all, he’s had them for 93 years.
   1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

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

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

11. What can I do to help my father who has been scammed?

    Question - Any suggestions about what to do if my father has already been scammed? He thinks he won $1 million dollars...and sent off $50,000 in "taxes" to be able to claim his award.

12. How can I protect my mother from being taken advantage of by my brother?

    Question - It's time to steel yourself for a frank talk with your mother, letting her know your concerns and framing them in terms of the need to protect her and her money, rather than a desire to see your brother get cut off. Be as specific as you can about how and why funds are being squandered or stolen and what this might mean for her...
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

13. How can we protect my father's funds from a grandaughter we fear is lying to him?

    Question - My elderly father, 86, keeps giving money to a grandaughter who claims she has health problems and can't get work. She lives with a guy who also doesn't work. My father lives totally on social security. He has a small savings and we are afraid she will some how get ahold of that also. I have DPA and also POD on all his bank accounts...

14. How do I get my grandmother to stop being scammed by psychics?

    Question - My siblings and I did this 3 years ago when it started and all it got us was yelled at and accused of not wanting her to be happy. Somehow my mother is convinced that the ringleader, David Phild is in love with her!! her medical doctor says she's fine, but now the bank has flagged her accounts, and the police and elder care are involved...
    2 Community Answers

15. Are Medicaid annuities a scam?

    Question - While it may not be a scam, the purchase of a Medicaid annuity is of no benefit to most people -- especially single people and those with enough money to pay for their own care, like your mother.
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

16. How can I get my father removed from scam "sweepstakes" mailing lists?

    Question - I'm dealing with the same thing with my dad and I work for an area agency on aging! I am pulling my hair out, sending oodles of letters and a copy of the power of attorney form I have to the "Mail Preference Service" that shows up on "Notification" fine print on back of the entry forms...
    4 Community Answers

17. What steps are available to block incoming offshore phone calls in an effort to prevent scams?

    Question - What steps are available to block incoming offshore phone calls which are usally scams demanding money?

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

    Question - 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

19. How can I stop family from taking advantage of my mom?

    Question - I’m assuming here that your mother’s judgment is impaired due to a dementia or other cognitive impairment and that you have enacted your Power of Attorney as a result. If so, be sure to check the Power of Attorney document itself to confirm that your mother gave you authority over matters relatelated to personal property...
    1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

20. Caregiver fraud

    Question - Both my parents passed away recently, they had a caregiver for 5 years. And i have reason to believe they were victims of fraud. Can I request an audit of their bank account. Caregiver knows all their personal information. This is a relative. My father passed away first and my family had a hard time retrieving all their paperwork and stuff...

21. What do we do if we suspect fraud by the power of attorney?

    Question - The agent named to act in the power of attorney document has the legal duty to act in your family member’s best interests. While that is a little muzzy as a legal standard, the greater practical truth is that you know fraud when you see it — money being siphoned from a bank account and not used to pto...
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

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

    Question - 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

23. How do you get your identity back when a general POA was used to commit fraud?

    Question - A general power of attorney was stolen from me to cover up fraud already being done in estate theft. For trying to correct it I was identity thefted everything I ever owned, rendered into poverty. How do you get back your identity and get charges pressed against those that did it? Where do you go when it was intrastate theft...

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

    Question - 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

25. Is there cancer with no symptoms?

    Question - Insist the person receives a second opinion from a doctor. Seek support yourself to educate caring, loving others who are possibly duped. Skepticism is called for (not cynicism). Bring it to a head and call her bluff. It is likely to be a game and you need to break it up by refusing to dance the complementary steps...
    1 Community Answer

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

    Question - 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

27. My brother is not paying his bills which is affecting my mother's care- what can we do?

    Question - The problem isn't only that your brother is not paying the bills for something he benefits from and your mother doesn't. The problem is that he is taking advantage of your mother, and your family. It meets the definition of financial abuse. The real question is what you can do about it, and legally, you do have a choice...
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

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

    Question - 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

29. How can I protect my mother's finances from her "friend?"

    Question - Based on what you've described, and the very real possibility of elder abuse, it would seem wise to pursue using that power of attorney to organize and protect your mother's finances. You need to review that document to see how it defines incapacity: some documents go into effect upon signing, in which...
    1 Expert Answer

30. How do we keep our mother from giving away her income?

    Question - How do we stop our elderly but not incompetent mother from doling out money to a weak-link son whom she always thinks has been a victim his whole life?

31. How do I help my mother keep her money for her own care?

    Question - My parents lived with my family for over three years. Then, my mom's dad died and left her enough money to buy herself a home, cash outright. It was only five minutes away from my house, which was nice. Unfortunately, within two years my dad died of cancer...

32. What can be done to help my parents who were the target of credit card fraud by their own son?

    Question - My parents have been the target of credit card fraud by their own son. They are in their early 70's and have been receiving numerous phone calls demanding money on things they know nothing about. They have been ignoring this problem with hopes it would go away, but to no avail...

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

    Question - 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

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

    Question - 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

35. Are my worries that my sister may commit outright fraud/ theft with remaining assets unwarranted or are there checks against this sort of activity?

    Question - My father died interstate and my mother is in a nursing home with Alzheimer's and is mentally incompetent. An elder sister (we are 10 siblings) has always lived at home and is Power of Attorney. My sister's ability to make competent decisions regarding mom's care and asset dispositon is suspect (she...

36. If I have durable power of attorney for my father, can I stop him from giving money to a relative who is taking advantage of him?

    Question - My father has been giving quite a substantial amount of money weekly to a grandaughter who he says is not able to work. We as an extended family know that is not entirely true. I have DPOA for my Father. What steps can I take to stop this? My Father lives entirely on his S.S. He seems competant in other areas, yet beleives the lies she tells him...

37. What can I do to contest a power of attorney with a forged signature?

    Question - It must be stressful indeed to help your fiance through a stroke and all of the medical and emotional struggles connected to that, even apart from the possible family battle you now face. Unfortunately, stories like yours are all too common.You are correct; a power of attorney produced by fraud is not valid...
    1 Expert Answer

38. How can we talk to my mother in law about her numerous purchases from TV shopping networks?

    Question - If it is her money and she has it to spend and she is 82, why do you bother her with trivial things, she's not out using heavy artilarry or anything, people do what they are comfortable with and what gives them comfort and it sounds like she is lonely. Spend more quality time with her so her brain can wander elsewhere...
    1 Community Answer

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

    Question - 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

40. Should I turn in my relative who's taking advantage of her elderly mother?

    Question - I am living in a apartment that a family memeber lived in, the family memeber had a stroke and went to a nursing home. i was asked to move in to help with rent.. the family memeber is now living with her daughter at the daughters home but the daughter refuses to changer her adress to her home. she is being paid to be her mothers caregiver...

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

    Question - 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

42. If I suspect someone is stealing from my parents, who should I turn to?

    Question - I just returned from my parents (both are 86) in florida,was down to see our daughter graduate college. Didnt have alot of time to do any investigating for my parents care. I found many personel items missing, a favorite gold necklace, a designer purse I bought my mom a year ago, that she loved, they...

43. How do I tell my my mom that I've taken control of her bank accounts?

    Question - Hi there all I am having trouble with my Mum blowing her whole Pension on the poker Machines when she receives it and then wants to borrow money for the next fornight to buy her smokes and all her bits and pieces well I have accessed POA and taken control of her accounts and worked out a plan for her...

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

    Question - 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

45. I'm afraid Mom is being scammed. How can I help her?

    Question - My mother in her early-80's, has a female neighbor in her mid-30's and that person's "boyfriend" is a minimum of 20 years her senior. Since she has moved in the neighborhood (about a year ago), she and her beau have basically made my mother's home their 2nd residence. They almost appear to be courting her, buying her gifts etc...

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

    Question - 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

47. Can I handle my mother's finances and not upset my siblings?

    Question - I'm not sure when this was written so it may be too late for your Mom, but not for other aging parents and their families. I would recommend getting on the AADMM.com website and finding a local daily money manager who may be even more experienced than an accountant in handling this type of situation...
    2 Community Answers

48. Can Power of Attorney be revoked in the event of identity theft?

    Question - Hello. I have been researching the subject of Powers of Attorney myself, but I am no expert! I have learned on this site that a Power of Attorney is no longer valid following the Principle's death. The Principle would be the person giving the Power of Attorney to the Agent, I gather...
    1 Community Answer

49. My cousin emptied out my grandmother's accounts and now she can't afford assisted living. How does this affect Medicaid eligibility?

    Question - Let's start with the legality of what your cousin did. Just because her name was on your grandmother's account does not necessarily mean that the money also belongs to your cousin. If the money was actually your grandmother's and not your cousin's, then your cousin's taking of the money may be illegal...
    1 Expert Answer

50. Is mom's caregiver taking advantage?

    Question - 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

51. Can I legally get Mom's boyfriend out of her life?

    Question - Any advice you get or take must be tempered with a dose of uncomfortable reality: Unless your mother’s boyfriend is truly acting fraudulently or abusively, it may not be possible to remove him from her life.
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

52. Are there safe life insurance policies for seniors?

    Question - There are Companies that have Life Insurance for Seniors. Even if you are 89 years old you still can get it. But you need to be healthy.
    1 Community Answer

53. Does my mother have a gambling addiction?

    Question - where in this website can I get answers about home health care threatening the caregivers?
    2 Community Answers

54. I am my father's only living adult child. He is in his early...

    Question - You clearly care for your father and want to protect him. However, your power is limited as far as his living choices go. You state that your father is still of sound mind. Therefore you would not have a factual basis to try to gain legal control over how your father lives, by obtaining a court-ordered...
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

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

    Question - 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