Help for Elderly Scam Victims

Southern California remains a national hot spot for scams. Some have been as simple as the West Los Angeles case of the man who phoned elderly women claiming to be a jailed relative in need of bail money--fast. Others have been more imaginative. A Canoga Park investment firm is accused of faking endorsements from NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw and former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop and then swindling customers out of $5 million.

The good news is that this type of crime has finally reached the radar screens of local and federal law enforcement in a big way. Helpful advice is plentiful and easy to find, but the biggest hurdle might be the elderly victim who for a variety of reasons won’t seek advice or even report the fraud.

“It’s a delicate situation,” said Det. David R. Straky of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Pacific division. “They’ve probably taken very good care of themselves all of their lives and find themselves slipping and making mistakes. They stay quiet about it because they are afraid of losing their independence.”

There are warning signs that family members should note: stacks of junk mail for contests, sweepstakes and “free” gifts; steady telephone calls offering awards and high-return investments; piles of shoddy merchandise purchased to win some incredible prize; checks and cash withdrawals in ever larger amounts to unknown companies; payments picked up by couriers and finally, and sadly, sudden shortages of food and other basic necessities.

One way to help senior citizens would be to take them to fraud seminars conducted by the American Assn. of Retired Persons. North Orange County Community College will be offering a 12-week course for seniors next month on how to avoid scams. The National Fraud Center is also an invaluable resource. Telephone (800) 876-7060 between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time or contact the center at https://www.fraud.org on the Internet.

Pursuing these avenues may help reduce the $40 billion stolen annually through telemarketing schemes, most of them perpetrated against the elderly--your parents, grandparents or neighbors. Knowledge is the smart protection against these thieves.