Scam artists have been targeting my mom, who do I contact?

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pkwcare Asked February 2013

Scam artists have been targeting my mom, who do I contact?

My 89 year old mother in NYC (Queens) has been getting individuals (scam artist) contacting her. Instead of the usual 'Congratulations you won a million dollars!' she got one that said they were holding a $1000 check that is due her that they will send it if she sends them a finders fee of $23.68. So she thinks that this is from some past incident or something that is legit. She doesn't want to send the money, but is convinced that she is entitled to that $1000 check if she can only figure out what forms to fill out or who to call.

My brother has talked to the local police and even contacted a State Police fraud task force but got nowhere. Any have any ideas on how to make this stop? My poor Mom who has some cognitive issues (early stage) is convinced these letters and phone calls are legal. She is very protective of her mail and prides herself on still being independent and doing her bills. Meanwhile we can't get them to stop.

Frauds & Scams

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score 1 · Answer 1

Another thing you might try is contacting your states Attorney General's Office. It maybe happening to others and they may have reported it. They may also be able to provide info on what to do to stop these calls or mailings. Just a thought.

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score 1 · Answer 2

This is a major problem for the elderly. Your mother is not alone. Con-men target the elderly because they know their mind is not as sharp and they are often easily confused by fast talk. Plus many still live in the good ole days when they didn't have to lock doors. Your mother in Queens, though, probably always locked her door. :) The only way I have found to avoid the scams is to say not to do it. Still, I have failed to get through to my mother twice and she was taken.You can report a scam to the post office or the police, but they rarely act upon something unless a crime is committed. Then after the crime is committed, the perpetrators are nowhere to be found and, from what I've heard, the police don't even try.

Someone that might be interested is the local TV stations. I wonder if any of them would follow the scams through. When TV gets on it, police usually care more. It would be wonderful if there was more done on fraud involving the elderly.

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Scam artists have been targeting my mom, who do I contact?

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