Mail scams, phone scams and overall financial abuse is on the rise. As our parents and grandparents age, it is important that we keep an eye on them and make sure that they are not being taken advantage of by one of the many scams out there. In a recent situation, I had a client who was potentially being scammed by some people he had met years ago from another country. They became friends and traveled together. Even though the client is no longer able to travel, the foreign friends are still in contact, but not just for friendship, for money. This elderly man continues to send them money.
I also have clients who have received letters telling them that they need to obtain a certified copy of their deed and that this company can provide that to them for the sum of $88.00. You do not need a certified deed. When you buy a piece of property the deed is filed with the register of deeds. Even if you cannot locate the original filed deed, you can always pick up a copy of the deed at the register of deeds for a dollar. There is no subsequent certification that needs to take place.
When requests are made for a gift to nonprofit, or a letter is sent telling you that you need a certified deed, take time the to validate the request as well as the company. Is this company in fact a legal entity or a legal non-profit? There are many fake non profits that set themselves up to sound like a real non profit, but they may not be legitimate 501(c)(3) organizations. Why are people so comfortable just putting money in an envelope without doing a due diligence check? In some situations, the scammers are bold enough to pick up the phone and call the donor. They are not afraid to request information over the phone. If you have not sat down with your elderly parent and had a discussion about the possibility of mail fraud campaigns or even inquired as to what type of contact they are receiving, now is the time to do it. If you wait too long, it could be too late. They may have given away tons of money or they may have given a stranger/scammer access to their personal information.