If It's Too Good To Be True, It Usually Is...
I was at my grandfather’s house earlier this week. As he was opening his mail, he became very excited. He received a letter informing him that he had won $2,500,000.00 and just needed to send a $20 “handling” fee to secure his prize. As he reached for his checkbook, I had to break the news to him…this was simply a scam.
My grandfather is a well respected and well educated doctor…and had I not been there, would have been a victim of financial elder abuse, otherwise known as “senior fraud”.
California financial elder abuse or “senior fraud” is punished under Penal Code 368 PC. It can include anything from stealing money from an elder’s wallet (a California elder is someone who is 65 or older), to scamming an elder out of money (like the letter sent to my grandfather), to sophisticated offenses like transferring an elder’s entire estate into your own name.
Not always easily detectible…nor always easily provable…California financial elder abuse is on the rise and…as a result…law enforcement officers are on the lookout.
