Montana: Elders Lose $40K in Internet Site Scam

Local officials responded to 350 cases of elder abuse in 2011, most of them financial exploitation. If the first month of the new year is any indication, 2012 will be another tough year for seniors in the area.

In 2007 Rita Finch moved into her parents home to become their primary caretaker. Her mother is 84 and her father is 87.

Since the summer of 2011, [Finch's father has] been bombarded with letters and phone calls from people trying to turn his life's savings into a fortune. "Somebody offered to make him a million dollars in six months, and he fell for it," Finch said. She said the opposite has happened. "Their money is all gone."

Denise Armstrong with Big Sky Senior Services said it's the latest scam, and it's already affected at least two people in Billings. The alleged scam convinces seniors to start their own website where they can buy and sell merchandise.

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Two Elders Lose $40K in Internet Site