Fleecing Grandma and Grandpa: Protecting against Scams, Cons, and Frauds

(Hardback)

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Description

Falling for a scam or con is humiliating for anyone, and can have terrible consequences. But for the elderly, being the victim of fraud can be disastrous, and they are the most common and vulnerable targets of everyday scams, cons, and frauds. From identity theft to gambling scams, from power of attorney issues to pyramid schemes, there is no dearth of creativity in the ways some criminals will relieve the elderly of their money and their homes. Here, the authors describe the most common scams, offer the stories of actual victims, and detail ways to protect yourself and your family from becoming easy targets. What makes the elderly such easy marks for con artists How can they avoid the common traps Knowing about them is one place to start, and this book helps readers to understand and identify the most common scams perpetrated against the elderly. Because such cons are so hard to prosecute, it is important to know the methods criminals employ to separate innocents from their hard-earned money. This lively, vivid account of one of the most insidious forms of crime will help families and individuals protect themselves and their loved ones from the machinations of those who view them as easy targets.

Reviews

The elderly are particularly susceptible to scams and cons and new ones pop up each day: that's why Fleecing Grandma and Grandpa: Protecting against Scams, Cons, and Frauds is so important as a basic consumer reference: it covers everything from identity theft and telemarketing fraud to caregiver scams, it follows case histories and descriptions with preventative advice, and its absorption will make for a more savvy senior.-MBR Internet Bookwatch/The Bookwatch
"The elderly are particularly susceptible to scams and cons and new ones pop up each day: that's why Fleecing Grandma and Grandpa: Protecting against Scams, Cons, and Frauds is so important as a basic consumer reference: it covers everything from identity theft and telemarketing fraud to caregiver scams, it follows case histories and descriptions with preventative advice, and its absorption will make for a more savvy senior."-MBR Internet Bookwatch/The Bookwatch

Author Bio

BETTY L. ALT is lecturer in Sociology at Colorado State University, Pueblo. She is the co-author of Wicked Women (2000) and author of Black Soldiers, White Wars (Praeger, 2002). SANDRA K. WELLS After 29 years, Sandra K. Wells retired as Cheif Investigator with the District Attorney's office in Pueblo, Colorado, and now teaches at Pueblo Community College and Colorado State University-Pueblo. She is the co-author of Wicked Women (2000) and Fleecing Grandma and Grandpa (Praeger, 2004).