Q. I heard about a veteran who was scammed out of millions of dollars in Virginia before he passed away. The banks allowed dozens of huge wire transfers to go through to banks in Thailand without question. The man was very careful … [Read more...]
Deed Fraud May Be on the Rise – Learn How to Spot if You’re a Victim of House Theft
Q. I have owned my home for 20 years and am well on my way to paying off my mortgage. I have enough money to make my monthly payments, buy groceries, pay utility bills, and save a little for retirement. The same was true for my … [Read more...]
Protect Yourself from Being Scammed — Cybersecurity Awareness Training, Identity Theft Insurance, Forgery Insurance
Q. I have heard that identity theft and forgery theft have been more rampant than ever. I can’t imagine being the victim of either of these horrible crimes. Besides being vigilant (including reading your articles to learn how to … [Read more...]
Deed Scams and Title Scams – Protect Your Senior Loved Ones
Q. My brother, Alexander, recently transferred his residence to a Living Trust Plus®. Shortly after, he received a "Deed Processing Notice" in the mail that looks a lot like an official government bill. It indicated that he and … [Read more...]
Been the Victim of a Scam? The ReST Program Can Help!
You get a new text message from a number you've never seen before. It reads something like, “Hey is this Bonnie? It’s Steve. We chatted on a silver seniors dating site before when I came to visit my granddaughter, but we never met … [Read more...]
How to Scam-Proof Your Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Holiday Season
Q. My neighbor, Kathryn, was the victim of a COVID-19 grandparent scam recently. She was contacted by a criminal who posed as her panicked grandson in need of thousands of dollars quickly for an emergency hospital bill. Of course, … [Read more...]
Internet Scams Targeting the Elderly
Q. My Aunt Julie was recently the victim of tax-related fraud. She explained what happened and I knew right away that it was a scam targeting the elderly. Someone claiming to be from the IRS called her and told her that she owed … [Read more...]
Senior $afe Act and Other Safeguards Against Financial Exploitation
Joseph and Carol are in their 80's and are retired. Recently, their daughter Karen moved in after a tough divorce that left her broke. One of the reasons Karen's husband left was because of her spending habits. Shortly after … [Read more...]
Caregiver’s Convictions of Financial Exploitation and Credit Card Fraud Affirmed (Va. App.)
A.C. required 24-hour care due to a serious brain injury caused by West Nile virus and encephalitis. Raymeka White was employed by a caregiver service and placed in A.C.'s home. White made cash withdraws for her personal benefit … [Read more...]
How to Avoid Three Scams Following the Massive Equifax Data Breach
Wayne was planning on taking out a home equity loan last year to make his home more accessible for his mother, who was moving in with his family. One of the first things he did was order a credit report from Equifax, Experian, and … [Read more...]