“What is that on the mountain?”
my granddaughter inquired as we were watering flowers together in my front
yard.
“Where?”
“Up there,” she pointed. “The red and white thing.”
I looked toward the mountain that
dominates the eastern view from my yard.
Not seeing what might have caught her attention, I absent-mindedly said
it was leaves on the trees.
“Now Pop Pop,” she began to
lecture me, “have you EVER seen white leaves?”
I had to confess I had not, so I
made an extra effort to determine what interested her so much. I finally figured out she was looking at the
radio towers—painted white and red—along the ridge of the mountain.
Don’t try to fool a six-year-old.
I wish I could as confidently
offer the same caution about the elderly; but alas, that segment of our
population makes a very vulnerable and juicy target for scammers. They are more prone to answer their phone
(when I was growing up before the age of caller ID, letting a phone ring more
than three times at my house was very nearly a criminal act), are generally
more trusting and polite (and thus less likely to abruptly hang up on a
suspicious caller), are more likely to have a large savings (retirement)
account, and may suffer from some degree of cognitive decline, rendering them
less able to recognize a con. The FBI
estimates that last year the elderly lost $2.9 billion to financial scams.
Some of the more common scams are:
1. Fake
lotteries A caller tells the
potential victim they have won some lottery—often in another country—but must
send a security deposit to have the funds released.
2. Relative
in trouble The caller pretends to
either be a relative (often a grandchild) or the friend of a relative who has
found herself in trouble with the law in another state, due to no fault of her
own, but needs bail money.
3. Social
Security at risk The caller poses as
a government agent, saying that the person on the other end of the call has had
his Social Security number cancelled and he must pay a fine right away to
restore it and ensure his benefits continue.
4. Love The proliferation of dating websites and
social media in general offers unscrupulous people opportunity to pose as old friends
or cultivate a fake love relationship—sometimes to the point of becoming potential
marriage partners—but then ask for money to get out of some financial jam or
just to buy an airplane ticket to come see the victim.
June 15, 2021 is World Elder
Abuse Awareness Day. It is sad that we
must have a day to bring attention to this shameful treatment of those we
should respect most. But take some time
this week and every week to check on the welfare of your parents, aunts,
uncles….anyone elderly and at risk of falling victim to fraud or physical or
mental abuse. Teach them to do what I
did NOT do with my granddaughter in the story above: Take time to understand what is being said,
don’t make assumptions, pay close attention and ask questions. And be a resource for them. These scammers thrive on secrecy. If everyone can learn to ask a trusted friend
or relative about an abusive or potentially abusive situation before it goes
too far, then we might be able to ensure a safer world for the vulnerable
elderly.
Until next time,
Roger
“Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for
the elderly and revere your God. I am
the Lord.” Leviticus 19:32 NIV*
*Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New
International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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