Jim Winsett of the BBB. Q. What advice may BBB provide on elder abuse and fraud?
A. It’s a timely question since Thursday was Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The issue brings to mind troubling scenarios involving physical mistreatment, but sadly there are other aspects to the problem. The elderly are often victimized by scammers intent on robbing as many of their life savings as possible.
The Better Business Bureau is keenly aware of the problem. Unfortunate stories are reported to BBBs across the nation regarding scams perpetrated on older Americans. Why pick on seniors?
The reasons are many for targeting the elderly. Among them:
- Increased likelihood of having some savings, owning a home and having good credit.
- Exploitable characteristics like politeness, susceptibility to confusion and other aging mental effects.
- Interest in products that offset the physical and mental effects of aging.
- Reluctance to report victimization for fear of exposing their vulnerability to family members.
- Increased likelihood that they live alone, are home more often and are more inclined to answer the phone.
Here are some of the most frequently used scams on the elderly: