People over age 65 are shockingly vulnerable to financial exploitation--sometimes by family members who pressure them to sign over assets, but often by strangers on the telephone who fraudulently promise them big winnings--if they’ll only fork over some money first for up-front expenses. That’s just the start.
Three Maryland experts tell us that an older person who’s lonely is more receptive to the fraudster who claims to care for them. We speak with Jacke Schroeder, a licensed social worker and director of SAFE--Stop Abuse of Elders at CHANA, Debby Chenoweth, Baltimore County Police Investigator and Amy Greensfelder, who heads the Pro Bono Counseling Project.
Here is a list of resources mentioned during the program:
Resources and events of Protect Week (“Protect Older Americans from Financial Exploitation”) here:
Find The Marketplace Morning Report’s “Brains and Losses” series here
The Pro Bono Counseling Project information can be found here
SAFE Stop Abuse of Elders can be found here.
The Baltimore County Financial/Cyber Crimes Team contact is here.
