NYC Senior Wins Guardianship Battle

An Upper West Side woman has been liberated from her court appointed guardianship. Sarah Wallace reporting.

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NYC Senior Wins Guardianship Battle

Elderly man facing homelessness after Social Security orders $60,000 repayment

by KCTV/CNN/CNN Newsource

PECULIAR, Mo. (KCTV/CNN/CNN Newsource/WKRC) - An elderly man is facing homelessness after Social Security ordered him to repay over $60,000.

According to KCTV, Tim Middaugh of Peculiar, Missouri has been a recipient of Social Security for years. Recently, Middaugh told the outlet that he was mailed a letter from the agency saying he was overpaid and owed more than $62,000.

“There’s no way,” Middaugh told the outlet. “The scary part of this is, I’m just one step away from being homeless.”

According to the federal government, Middaugh isn't alone. More than 65 million Americans receive benefits from Social Security, but about a million each year get notification letters saying they were overpaid.

Although some of the overpayments were from a decade ago, the government said, by law, the money had to be paid back.

The issue has gotten attention on Capitol Hill, where the head of the Social Security Administration recently testified that they were reviewing the overpayments.

Middaugh said in the meantime, he has been forced to sell anything he can to stay afloat, which included his jewelry, his guns and personal treasures. 

“I sold a Snap-on toolbox that I’ve had since I was 18 years old,” Middaugh told KCTV. “It was my pride and joy. It’s gone.”

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Elderly man facing homelessness after Social Security orders $60,000 repayment

Self-described nurse arrested in the death of elderly woman in Huntington Beach

By Sara Cardine

A Huntington Beach woman was arrested on suspicion of murder Friday, after police responding to a call for service at a residence on the 6000 block of Tyndall Drive found the body of an elderly woman inside.

Christine Ann Lamphier, 48, was being held on $1-million bail Monday and due to appear in court Monday for an arraignment hearing, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Mike Woodroof.

A self-described nurse, Lamphier was taken into custody by Huntington Beach police and booked on suspicion of murder at 4:49 a.m. Friday, according to an arrest log maintained by HBPD.

The name of the victim, whom detectives believe to be an individual known to Lamphier, had still not been released by the coroner’s office Tuesday pending full confirmation of the woman’s identity, Woodroof reported.

In a criminal complaint filed Monday by the Orange County district attorney’s office, prosecutors allege Lamphier “did unlawfully and with malice aforethought kill Jane Doe, a human.”

“The offense involved great violence, great bodily harm, threat of great bodily harm and other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, and callousness,” the complaint reads.

“It is further alleged that [Lamphier] has engaged in violent conduct which indicates a serious danger to society.”

In social media posts a woman named Christine Lamphier, who previously went by the surname Pettner, describes herself as a student of the now-defunct Santa Ana trade school Newbridge College, which reportedly dissolved in the years following a 2009 lawsuit filed by several former students.

Lamphier listed medical assistance and phlebotomy as courses of study on a Linkedin.com profile and also mentioned studying photography and photojournalism at Cal State Fullerton. It is unclear whether the relationship between Lamphier and the victim may have involved nursing or caregiving.

Orange County Superior Court records indicate Lamphier was previously at the center of a handful of hearings involving a mental health conservatorship in 2019, although the outcome of those proceedings, or whether Lamphier is or was the subject of public guardianship, are unknown.

She was arrested in August 2011 for driving under the influence of alcohol and later pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge and was fined and sentenced to 15 days in jail followed by three year’s probation, according to court records.

Investigators with HBPD’s Crimes Against Person Unit said in a release issued Saturday they believe Friday’s incident was isolated and does not present a threat to public safety. Anyone with information related to this crime is asked to contact Sgt. Anthony Pham at (714) 878-5640.

Updates

4:38 p.m. Nov. 21, 2023: This story was updated with information from a criminal complaint filed Monday by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and confirmation from the sheriff’s department Tuesday that the victim’s identity had still not been fully confirmed.

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Self-described nurse arrested in the death of elderly woman in Huntington Beach

Former Cook County judge accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from elderly man faces theft, money laundering charges

by Rebecca Johnson and Madeline Buckley

CHICAGO — A former Cook County judge accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the bank accounts of an elderly former Tuskegee Airman to purchase cryptocurrency has been indicted on seven felony counts of theft, money laundering and financial exploitation of an elderly person.

The felony charges were lodged Nov. 9 against Patricia Martin, who stepped down in 2020 as presiding judge in the Child Protection Division of Cook County Circuit Court. She’s allowed to live in Missouri while she awaits her next court date in December, according to court records.

“She had a long and distinguished career, and we expect her to be vindicated,” said Martin’s attorney, Michael Leonard.

The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, which handles allegations of lawyer misconduct, said in a May 31 fraud complaint that Martin stole from Oscar Wilkerson, an elderly man whose financial affairs she was supposed to manage. They alleged she used the money for her own benefit, including buying more than $100,000 in cryptocurrency in her own name.

Wilkerson died in February at 97.

In total, the attorney discipline complaint alleged Martin took $246,203.80 of Wilkerson’s money during about a two-year period. It also accused her of lying to Wilkerson and his doctor and failing to cooperate with an investigation.

Lawyers for Wilkerson also filed a lawsuit against Martin last year where a judge ordered a $1.1 million default judgment due to Martin’s “continued unresponsiveness” to court hearings and orders. Martin has already been disbarred.

Martin’s attorneys are appealing the default judgment.

Martin filed a motion in July to dismiss the judgment, arguing, among other issues, that Wilkerson’s death in February left the case without a proper plaintiff.

Mary Wisniewski, a spokesperson for Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans’ office, said in a statement that “neither judges nor employees … can comment on pending or impending cases, under Illinois Supreme Court ethical rules.”

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Former Cook County judge accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from elderly man faces theft, money laundering charges

New Jersey duo arrested in Washington County, Tenn. scam investigation

by Caleb Perhne

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. — A New Jersey duo are in the Washington County, Tennessee jail, accused of scamming a resident in our region out of more than $100,000.

Chinagorom Onwumere and Salma Abdalkareem are each facing numerous charges, including multiple counts of extortion, financial exploitation of an elderly person, theft over $60,000, and criminal impersonation.

Lt. Vince Walters said it's the only time he's seen an alleged scammer caught in his 27 years.

“We put as much resources into every case we have,” Walters said. “The difference in this case was the evidence was there. We were able to follow the money, and it led us to the New Jersey duo and we were able to make an arrest.”

Investigators said the two New Jersey residents pretended to be with the FBI and scammed a Washington County, Tennessee resident out of more than $100,000. They said the suspects threatened the victim with arrest and court if the victim didn't pay thousands of dollars through checks and gift cards.

Investigators said that's a red flag, something law enforcement will never do.

“They're not going to put out an arrest warrant and let you know over the phone that they've put an arrest warrant out,” Walters said. “And there's no way that you can pay to get out of it.”

The suspects are now in jail, each on $500,000 bonds. They're due back in court November 30.

“We're not going to set on the sidelines and put up with it,” Walters said. “Our citizens are valued. Our citizens of the United States are valued. Our money is hard-earned, and we are vigilant in finding these individuals.”

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New Jersey duo arrested in Washington County, Tenn. scam investigation

Winnebago County nurse indicted on theft, drug charges

By Meghan Schobinger

WINNEBAGO, Ill. (WIFR) - A grand jury indicted a 62-year-old nurse Tuesday on federal charges including theft, financial exploitation of the elderly, and possession of a controlled substance.

Jane Biller, 62, is due for an arraignment hearing at 10 a.m. on Dec. 12.

The charges stem from an investigation in October at Prairie View Assisted Living Facility on McNair Road. Police were called to the facility to investigate missing narcotic prescription medication. Investigators found several instances where patient medications had been unaccounted for over a months-long period.

Biller, worked as a nurse at the facility at the time, and during the investigation was developed as a suspect.

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Winnebago County nurse indicted on theft, drug charges

MN FIRST GRADER GOES DOOR-TO-DOOR WITH OFFER TO READ TO SENIORS!

EAST GRAND FORKS, Minn. —
Maggie [7 years old] knocks on Joni Benson's door before entering her apartment.

“Okay, what are you going to read to grandma?” Joni asks.

Joni isn’t really Maggie’s grandma; it just feels that way when the two are sharing a book.

Over the next couple hours, the process will be repeated multiple times. Maggie walks from apartment to apartment, knocking on doors, as residents of Good Samaritan Society Heritage Grove senior living invite her in to read to them.

Maggie’s mother, Tiffany Kuznia, works at Heritage Grove. On snow days, Maggie would go with her mother to work.

Last winter, Maggie was packing her bag for the day, when her mother reminded her to bring her Nintendo Switch.

“I'm not bringing that today,” Maggie responded. “I'm going to bring books and I'm going to read to the residents.”

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First Grader Goes Door to Door With Offer to Read to Seniors

A Visually Impaired Engineer Invents a SMART Cane That Guides Blind People Using Google Maps

While the more recent innovations were designed for entertainment, some companies are taking technology to the next level by incorporating a high level of help and hopefully, to make a difference to the lives of people who need it the most.

“Unfortunately I cannot name a single city as a perfectly disabled-friendly city that is why we are trying to provide this independence for visually impaired people” shared Kurtsat Ceylan on CNN.

The WeWALK smart cane for blind people was born from a visually impaired engineer named Kursat Ceylan. He is also the CEO and co-founder of a non-profit called the Young Guru Academy (YGA), the one responsible for making WeWALK come to life.

As someone who faces the daily challenges of being blind, Kursat Ceylan knew the limitations of the current technology that people like him have to make do of. Knowing this, he created the WeWALK in hopes of changing the lives of the blind.

This innovative cane includes a built-in speakers, voice assistance, Google Maps Chrome, a Bluetooth system that makes syncing to other devices possible, and high-end sensors that alerts the user through vibrations when above chest level obstacles are within proximity—something a regular cane cannot provide.

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A Visually Impaired Engineer Invents a SMART Cane That Guides Blind People Using Google Maps

Scams targeting seniors are climbing. AI will only make it worse.

Opinion by Steve Weisman, opinion contributor

According to the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel report for 2022, older Americans reported more than $1.6 billion in losses to frauds and scams. This number is undoubtedly lower than the actual figure because many seniors, for a variety of reasons, including embarrassment, shame or naivete, fail to report the scams perpetrated against them. FTC estimates that in 2022 the actual amount lost by seniors to scams could be as high as $48.4 billion.

Now, the scams are getting worse, as AI has become a sophisticated weapon that can be deployed by even the most unsophisticated of scammers.

In 2022, older Americans had higher reported losses to scams than younger people and those ages 80 and older reported the highest individual median losses among all age groups. Since many seniors may have accumulated a lifetime of savings, they are often coveted targets. Coupled with studies which suggest seniors are more susceptible to scams as they tend to be more trusting, and there is a recipe for disaster.

AI is also helping scammers get better through some of their tried and true methods that have already been so devastating to victims. Through the use of AI, scammers can create more sophisticated and effective spear phishing emails to convince a targeted victim to provide personal information that can lead to identity theft or click on that link downloading dangerous malware. For scams originating overseas where English is not the primary language, improper grammar, syntax or spelling were reliable giveaways. AI has solved these problems for foreign scammers, making their phishing emails harder to recognize.

Scammers have always mined social media for personal information that they can leverage to scam their victims. In the past, the gathering of personal information through social media was a time consuming effort for scammers, but now through AI vast amounts of information can be gathered to craft effective scams. 

Regulation of AI is a critical element to protect people from AI-enhanced scams; President Biden’s recent executive order will help by providing protection from AI related scams by setting standards and best practices for the detection of AI generated content and authenticating official government content. In addition, the FTC has regulatory authority over AI through Section 5 of the FTC Act, and Congress also will have a role to play in crafting appropriate regulation. The Stop Senior Scams Act, championed by Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) as chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, is a great step in the right direction, particularly as it applies to steps toward reducing the use of gift cards and wire transfers, which are preferred methods of payments to scammers.

Undoubtedly, scammers are likely to ignore new regulations, just as they ignore existing ones. So, regulators should also focus on AI-detection and content authentication guidance, which will enable consumers to identify whether they are seeing or hearing authentic content or AI-generated, and possibly fraudulent, content. 

Alerting the public as to telltale signs of scams and how to recognize them is a key element in protecting seniors. When it comes to protecting seniors from the daunting challenge of AI-enhanced scams, the time is now to do the best we can.

Steve Weisman is a Senior Lecturer in Law, Taxation and Financial Planning at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass. He is also the author and creator of www.scamicide.com. He testified on Nov. 16 in a hearing for the Senate Committee on Aging on the proliferation of scams targeting seniors.

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Scams targeting seniors are climbing. AI will only make it worse.