Although wide spread around the country, most crimes against the elderly go unreported. Many senior citizens are alone and isolated or suffer from diminished cognition, while others are simply too trusting of the supposed kindness of strangers or even members of their own family. Often times, shame and embarrassment will prevent them from reporting crime or abuse before it’s too late. Assets will have disappeared, including money and real estate, or a death occurs surrounded by mysterious circumstances.
Over the years, Trace Investigations has assisted family members or estate and probate attorneys in addressing elder fraud and abuse. We have been fortunate in most of these cases to have been retained in time to prevent substantial losses of assets and other abuse. Among the many cases: a caregiver who was attempting to take over the bank accounts of her charge; a former student who was exploiting the generosity of a retired professor suffering from dementia; the former companion of a man who passed intestate, yet she showed up with a forged will naming her as his sole heir. The list goes on but many times we are called in too late, after the money is gone and the perpetrator is “in the wind.”
There are numerous resources from government and private sector sources for seniors and their families in recognizing and preventing frauds and scams, including the following:
The more we know about the numerous and ever-growing scams, cons and grifts that prey not only on senior citizens but all of us, the better prepared we are. In all such matters “Knowledge is Power.”
If you suspect a fraud or scam against a senior, call Trace Investigations at (812) 334-8857 or email tina@traceinvestigations.com.