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Beware  -- Another Elder Scam!

          Not that our elderly population needed one more thing to guard against, but here it is.  In the latest scam targeting seniors, CNN reported in its Saturday, October 25, 2008 evening newscast that this latest atrocity involves grandmothers, and I assume grandfathers, and their grandchildren.

          What happens is a stranger places a desperation call to grandmother alarming her that her grandson has been involved in an auto accident and urgently needs grandma to wire $1,000.00.  The grandmother in this particular story becomes a little suspicious.  She places a call to her grandson to ensure that the information she had been given is correct.  As it turns out, her grandson was just fine.  Together, they agreed the whole thing was a hoax.  The grandmother in this story was not the unsuspecting grandmother he was expecting to get on the phone.  Well, grandma you deserve the prize today for not falling for this scam.  Good job!

          Conversely, we must also ask one question: how many seniors aren't   as keen as the grandmother in our story, not mentally sharp enough to ward off the predators.  Well, there are 1.2 million of our precious gems who are abused annually, mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially.  Far too many of them are just like sitting ducks. 

          What can they do to protect themselves?

1.       Do not ever give your personal information over the phone to anyone.  Ex: social security number, credit card and debit card numbers, bank routing information.

2,      Find someone to advocate for you.  If you ever get a call like the one in the story, ask the caller for their number and tell them you'll have someone call and speak with them.  That will be the end of that harassment.  They're only interested in dealing with you one-on-one.  Bring in a third party, and the perpetrator will run faster than a jack rabbit.

3.       Be brave while on the phone.  If they know you're scared, you'll begin to make errors in judgment and then they've got you right where they want you - frazzled and mistake prone.

          In my book Wealth of the Wicked: An American Tragedy of Elderly Abuse my aunt Lucille Stanton was duped by her nephew.  The only difference was her nephew didn't have to place a call to her and do evil because he lived with her as a caregiver. Still, in a short 115 days, he duped her out of her life savings by taking her to the bank and emptying her safe deposit box of $70,000 and transferred her bank savings into his checking account.

About the author-Janice M. Lauderdale has a degree in sociology and is a minister in the counseling division at a mega church in Los Angeles. Her recently published book Wealth of the Wicked: An American Tragedy of Elderly Abuse is a breakthrough for the legal and physical protection of the elderly.  It puts a face on 1.2 million seniors who are abused annually.  For more must-know steps and legal information contact her at:

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