What Are Common Elder Law Scams?

As Florida residents, many of us know about the incessant phone calls, mailers, and other scare tactics that our senior citizens face. From one fraudulent scheme to another, criminals play on the fears of the elderly and attempt to siphon their savings by creating a problem that does not exist.  Or, the fraudsters may try to make seniors worry that they have somehow not complied with the law. Those kinds of schemes have been on the rise in this digital age.   

Below are common elder law scams that often subject those who are easily misled into turning over thousands of dollars or their entire life savings. If you or anyone you know has been a victim of a scam targeting senior citizens, contact the elder law attorneys in Palm Beach County at Doane & Doane. We can help make sure that you or your loved ones are protected against any type of scam against elders. You can reach us at 561-656-0200 .

Here are the most common scams impacting our seniors in Palm Beach County and nationwide:

Oftentimes, seniors on a fixed income are the first to fall for the promise of counterfeit prescription drugs. Unscrupulous merchants entice vulnerable men and women with the promise of savings and either deliver ineffective pills disguised as prescription medication or do not deliver at all. Elder law attorneys in Palm Beach County can help work to ensure that these scams are shut down by the proper authorities if reported.

One of the more common ways seniors are defrauded of significant amounts of money is through health insurance scams that masquerade as legitimate, and then threaten the future healthcare of the elderly person. From menacing phone calls to emails which purport to be about an outstanding debt, the authoritative-sounding voices or words impacting seniors make the seniors easy prey especially given the prospect of never being able to go to a hospital again without incurring a six-figure bill. 

Any Florida senior who has been the victim of any of these scams or believes they are a target should contact the Doane & Doane elder law attorneys in Palm Beach County.

For many seniors, living beyond a certain age has gone from wishful thinking to reality. While this provides for more time with friends and family, it can prove to be a strain on their finances. 

Often, criminals who specialize in fraud will call seniors with what sounds like a sure-fire investment to stretch the precious dollars they have been saving through a lifetime of work. They then entice the senior to give all or part of their savings to those behind the investment scheme and either create false statements or abscond with the money, never to be seen or heard from again. 

Doane & Doane’s elder law attorneys in Palm Beach County can help ensure that any victim of a fraudulent investment scheme has someone in their corner to fight for their rights.

Seniors often work their entire lives with the goal of paying off their mortgage which is a laudable goal and provides much of their nest egg. This later enables them to take out a reverse mortgage, line of credit, or line of equity on their property in their later years should they need to as a fail-safe. 

However, unscrupulous criminals often prey on this situation by fraudulently presenting themselves as a governmental or financial institution or person tied to either to induce seniors to pay them a “commission” for procuring more favorable terms – a fabrication – or another potentially criminal scheme. The elder law attorneys at Doane & Doane can help ensure that any victim of a reverse mortgage or homeowner scam has someone to assist them and get away from the fraudulent scheme.

Sometimes, scammers will call with a young-sounding voice asking if a senior citizen recognizes the voice on the other end of the line. When the senior responds with the name of a grandchild, a rapport has been established and the purported grandchild begins to ask for money for unexpected bills, an emergency, or another issue which tugs at the heart strings of the grandparent. 

Unfortunately, many seniors may be susceptible to this scam as it is easy for a perpetrator to execute given the lack of background knowledge needed and the relatively small amount of money they will ask for – likely in the hundreds. Many of these scams may go unreported but if you or any senior you know has been a victim of a grandparent scam, the elder law attorneys in Palm Beach County at Doane & Doane can help you today. 

Founded in 2003 by husband and wife legal team, Randell C. Doane and Rebecca G. Doane , Doane & Doane provides legal and financial services to families, individuals, and businesses throughout Southeast Florida. 

Scams targeting the elderly are nothing new for Palm Beach County residents. Oftentimes, the intention of criminals remains the same but only the technological means to achieve its changes. Among our most vulnerable populations, seniors are susceptible to a wide variety of criminal schemes that defraud them of money and leave them high and dry without recourse on their own. The elder law attorneys at Doane & Doane in Palm Beach County are experienced counselors to our community’s seniors who know how to fight for the rights of those who are often left voiceless. 

Our firm stands ready and willing to help recover any money lost to scammers who target senior citizens. Our elder law attorneys in Palm Beach County know how to fight back against those who scam seniors for a living and defraud them of their hard-earned money. Call us at Doane & Doane, P.A., to help you if you are faced with an elder law matter in Southeast Florida.  You can reach us at 561-656-0200. Call us today.  

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