Consumer Scams Article
Directives and Ways to Avoid Financial Exploitation
Financial Exploitation
Financial exploitation can take on many different forms. It is defined in the Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S. § 46-451(A)(4)) as being “the illegal or improper use of an incapacitated or vulnerable adult or his resources for another’s profit or advantage.” Samples of abuse can include:
· Forgeries
· stolen cash or assets
· abuse of joint accounts
· abuse of power of attorney
Financial exploitation and trickery can arise in different ways including through e-mail, phone, or letter scams.
Signs of Financial Exploitation
Identifying financial exploitation and/or scams can be difficult. Some noticeable signs of financial exploitation include:
· Showing a difference between income and assets
· unexplained or sudden inability to pay bills
· inaccurate or lack of knowledge about one’s finances
· fear or anxiety when discussing finances
· unusual transfer of assets to others.
But, there are also less noticeable signs of financial exploitation, which can be:
· an individual’s change in appearance and grooming
· confusion
· change in mood
· change in eye contact with bank personal
· cringing or withdrawing
Since the signs of financial exploitation can be confused as the signs of many different physical, mental and/or emotional changes in a vulnerable adults life, it can be very difficult to identify.
Methods Used to Communicate Scams
It is important to pay close attention to information received and the manner in which the information is communicated. If an email, phone call, letter, prize or lottery notification has any of the following elements, it is probably a scam, seek additional help to determine whether it is actually a scam.
· If the organization has no website and cannot be located in an online search-engine or other online resource it is possibly a scam.
· Be cautious if an e-mail communication or requestor asks for bank account information, credit card numbers, driver's license numbers, passport numbers, your mother's maiden name or other personal information. Often companies do not request the personal and confidential information from their clients in this manner. Rather than responding to the e-mail, check with your local bank to ask whether the e-mail is valid.
· Be cautious if the e-mail, mail or phone caller advises that you have won a prize - but you did not enter any competition run by the prize promoters. E-mail claims indicating that you won a lottery are scams because a legal lottery never notifies it’s winners by e-mail.
Another clue that the communication received is a possible scam is when the return e-mail address is a free email account. While not always the case, most legitimate companies can afford the roughly $100 per year that it costs to acquire and maintain a domain and related company email account.
Resources for Victims of Financial Exploitation
If you or someone you know of is a victim of financial exploitation, you can contact any of the following services:
· Adult Protective Services (APS) Hotline at (877) SOS-ADULT (767-2385) TDD: (877) 815-8390. (A.R.S. §§ 46-451 et seq.).
· If you suspect that the abuse is occurring in a licensed long-term care facility, such as a nursing home, contact your local long-term care Ombudsman. To locate the Ombudsman, call (800) 872-2879. Your report will be confidential, and you can remain anonymous. (A.R.S. §§ 46-452.01, 452.02).
· You can also order the Senior Citizen’s Protection Manual, produced by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. For a free copy of this guide, call (602) 542-2123 or (866) 358-6661 (outside Maricopa County) or visit the Attorney General's Office on-line. (Go to Publications and Seniors).
· You may also phone your local police department if you feel that you or someone you know may be a victim of financial exploitation.
Potential Obstacles When Reporting the Financial Exploitation of another person
If you report possible elder abuse against another person, try to be specific in your description. Also, try to understand the position of the person you are attempting to help. The alleged victim may refuse to admit that he or she is being taken advantage of because of embarrassment, mental capacity, or fear of retaliation. The best thing that one can do to stop scammers is to report incidences of exploitation and abuses.
Ways to Protect Oneself From Financial Exploitation
There are ways a person can be proactive and protect him or herself from financial exploitation. The following list has some examples:
· Make sure that all financial and legal affairs are in order. If they aren’t, enlist professional help to get them in order, with the assistance of a trusted friend or relative if necessary.
· Keep in touch with family and friends and avoid becoming isolated; which increases your vulnerability to elder abuse.
· If you are unhappy with the care you’re receiving, whether it’s in your own home or in a care facility, speak up.
· Tell someone you trust and ask that person to report abuse, neglect, or substandard care to your state’s elder abuse helpline or long term care ombudsman, or make the call yourself.
Can Money Resulting From Financial Exploitation Be Regained
Generally, it is extremely difficult to get one’s money back after a person has been scammed. However, federal and state laws prohibit unfair or deceptive trade acts or practices. If you think you've been cheated, immediately let the appropriate government agencies know. The more agencies you notify, the more likely someone will take notice of your complaint and act on it.
· To find the consumer protection office in your state, county or city, visit the federal consumer action website (of the Federal Citizen Information Center) at http://consumeraction.gov/ (click on "Where to File a Complaint" and "State Offices").
· Another way to get relief is to bring a lawsuit against the person in small claims court and/or file charges against the individual.
By taking the actions above we can prevent financial exploitation from becoming simply a matter of fact and protect one of our more valuable assets, the elderly members of our society.
http://www.azag.gov/seniors/FinancialExploitationoftheElderly.pdf
http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/identify.php
http://www.azag.gov/seniors/elder_abuse.html
http://www.lawforseniors.org/articles_info.cfm?articleid=125&mc=8&sc=85
Comments:
QUESTIONS
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I think I am being scammed. I received a letter from a previous business firm with a demand to pay. There is no account number, no return address and no signature on the abnormal letter head. How can I tell?
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I am a victim of a ponzi scheme, lost all my money, am being sued by a friend, as if I was responsible, for fraud in Phoenix. Have spent countless hours trying to find an attorney to answer the complaint before it goes to a default judgement. Need desperately to talk to counsel.
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My father who is 70 years old was approached by a Phoenix company. How do I find out if this company is legitimate? I think it's a scam and want to convince my Dad - as he is already filling out the paperwork. Thank you for your help in this matter.
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a man is demanding I pay him for assisting me in selling a house I sold "by owner" I he is not licensed. He claims we had an oral agreement that I would pay him rather then hiring a realtor He is suing me for $5000
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What about lemon laws in AZ for used cars? My rights.
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How can I avoid being solicited by telemarketers and marketing mail?
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How many days can a contract be cancelled?
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Signed a contract with vacation club & they breached it in my opinion.I wanted $ back right away but have gotten runaround.I have been trying to end it since the first week, & now it's 2 1/2 months & no luck. I have documented everything; do I have any rights in this scam?
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I signed up for online Lpn to Rn program online for 13,000 dollars with Achieve Test Prep and took one class that cost 300 dollars. After 1 month Achieve Test Prep said there program no longer supports AZ so i asked for my money back since i didn't cancel the contract. They said they can only send back 10,000 and charged me 3,000 in administrative fees. This is fraud how can i sue and get this in front of a jury and what are my options?
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What can I do or whom shall I speak to about a fraudulent company for a mortgage loan modification. GREEN TREE FINANCIAL GROUP. We paid them 2,800 dollars and they acted very legitiment until I tried to get in touch with them a week ago. I found out through the California and Arizona policy that they are indeed frauds. Can you please help us. My home is now in foreclosure.
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