Elderly fraud increasing in Oregon

by Jeremy C. Ruark

This infographic shows how many complaints the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received about different types of elder fraud in 2023. (Image courtesy of the FBI)

Internet scams targeting elderly Oregonians are increasing. The latest Federal Bureau of investigation report shows that segment of the population lost $44 million to the scammers in 2023.

FBI Report

Elder fraud complaints to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (or IC3) increased by 14 percent in 2023, and associated losses increased by about 11 percent, according to IC3’s 2023 Elder Fraud Report, released April 30.  

The annual publication provides statistics about incidents of elder fraud — or fraud that explicitly targets older Americans’ money or cryptocurrency — that are reported to IC3. The report aims to raise the public’s awareness of this issue and to prevent future and repeat incidents.

“Combatting the financial exploitation of those over 60 years of age continues to be a priority of the FBI,” FBI Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall wrote in the report. “Along with our partners, we continually work to aid victims and to identify and investigate the individuals and criminal organizations that perpetrate these schemes and target the elderly.” 

And elder fraud is probably a more insidious threat than the report shows. Many of these crimes likely go unreported, and, as the report states, only about half of the fraud scam complaints submitted to IC3 in 2023 included victims’ ages.

Here are five key takeaways from the 2023 report:

1) Elder fraud is an expensive crime. Scams targeting individuals aged 60 and older caused over $3.4 billion in losses in 2023 — an increase of approximately 11 percent from the year prior. The average victim of elder fraud lost $33,915 due to these crimes in 2023. 

2) Older Americans seem to be disproportionately impacted by scams and fraud. More than 101,000 victims aged 60 and over reported this kind of crime to IC3 in 2023. On the flip side, victims under the age of 20 years old seemed to be the least-impacted demographic, with about 18,000 victims in this demographic reporting suspected scams or frauds to IC3 last year. 

3) Tech support scams were the most widely reported kind of elder fraud in 2023. Nearly 18,000 victims aged 60 and over reported such scams to IC3. Personal data breaches, confidence and romance scams, non-payment or non-delivery scams, and investment scams rounded out the top five most common types of elder fraud reported to IC3 last year.  

4) Investment scams were the costliest kind of elder fraud in 2023. These schemes cost victims more than $1.2 billion in losses last year. And tech support scams, business email compromise scams, confidence and romance scams, government impersonation scams, and personal data breaches all respectively cost victims hundreds of millions of dollars in 2023. 

5) Scammers are coming for people’s cryptocurrency. More than 12,000 victims aged 60 and over indicated that cryptocurrency was a medium or tool used to facilitate the scam or fraud that targeted them when reporting it to IC3. 

Local impact

The Lincoln County Leader reached out to Lincoln City Police Sgt. Erik Anderson to find out the local impact of elderly fraud.

The Leader: What have been the most significant elderly fraud cases seen by your agency over the past few years?

Erik Anderson: So we have seen quite a few over the last couple years unfortunately. Many of these come to our attention through our strong partnership with Adult Protective Services, and many others are brought to us by the victims themselves. One of the more heinous cases we have seen with elder fraud locally includes a case in which a couple defrauded a senior citizen out of their entire home. That case is still being adjudicated. Many of our other cases involve the thefts of large sums of retirement savings through online scams and identity theft.

The Leader: Why are the elderly targeted?

Anderson: The elderly are often targeted for several reasons. Out of all of us, elderly folks tend to have more savings, although in our area we have plenty of seniors living on very fixed incomes. Unfortunately, professional scammers around the world don’t really care about the livelihood of their victims. 

Senior citizens are also more likely to have had personal identity information leaked online through decades of breaches in government organizations, health care agencies, financial records holders and so on. Senior citizens tend to have lower levels of digital literacy than younger generations and in many cases don’t realize they have been victimized until long after the fact.

Romance scams, in which people pretend to fall for an unsuspecting victim met online and request money be sent for prolonged periods, are very common. Elders are often targeted by these scams as many live alone, and the chance at a strong emotional connection is enticing.

Elderly folks are also significantly more likely than others to suffer from conditions affecting their memory, and in some of the most heartbreaking cases, don’t even recognize that they have been victimized. In Oregon, crimes against seniors carry additional penalties under ORS 164.061, which mandates 16 to 45 months of incarceration if certain conditions are met.   

The Leader: Is it difficult to find and arrest the suspects involved, and if so, why?

Anderson: Bringing suspects to justice is often difficult in many of these cases. Memory issues hinder the ability to recall key details of crimes. In some of our fraud cases, suspects have had victims sign over power of attorney in less than scrupulous methods. In these cases, Oregon laws related to criminal mistreatment come into play but are often hard to prove. As far as online fraud goes, these criminals are often never brought to justice as most reside in other countries, which turn a blind eye or even promote the nefarious activity.

The Leader: What recommendations can the LCDP provide to help keep local senior citizens aware of the fraud dangers?

Anderson: I think all people are well served by the early life lesson of stranger danger. Be cautious when contacted by unsolicited marketers or friendly text messages from strangers bearing the gift of wonderful investment opportunities.

I recently looked through a great resource from AARP. They have a whole portal outlining different kinds of scams: www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud This is a great read for seniors and their families who worry about them. Another resource for elderly citizens who have been victimized is to contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov). This is the FBI’s portal for taking complaints about cyber crime and scams. They aggregate complaints to target the worst actors. If they recover or seize funds that they can attribute to specific individuals, they work with local law enforcement to return the funds.

Lastly, the protection of our most vulnerable populations, like senior citizens and children, are an important part of our mission at the Lincoln City Police Department. We strive to achieve justice when possible on these cases. We aim to do our best and hope when we are in their position, future Oregonians will look out for us.

If you or someone you know may have been a victim of elder fraud, contact your local FBI field office or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. If the suspected fraud was internet-facilitated, you can also file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

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Elderly fraud increasing in Oregon

5 people tasked with helping Alabama woman — as live-in caretakers, cleaners and hairdressers — instead allegedly stole more than $200K from her in elder fraud scheme

by Serah Louis

An elderly woman who received full-time care in her Birmingham, Alabama home due to medical issues was allegedly defrauded of more than $200,000 by the people supposed to care for her.

Fed officials recently announced five individuals, including the woman’s caretakers, house cleaner and hairdresser, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The perpetrators are accused of scheming to swindle the woman using her credit card information, with the crimes taking place between December 2020 and February 2022.

The conspirators ran up the victim’s credit cards

The Birmingham woman’s caretakers, Mykia Henderson and her mother, Cynthia Mixon — along with Henderson’s husband, Corey Webb — are accused of stealing and using her credit card information.

Based on financial records, the family appears to have helped themselves to over $40,000, reports the Miami Herald. They used business banking services like Square and Stripe to charge the woman’s credit cards, as well as issue checks to themselves using her bank accounts and transferring those funds to their personal bank accounts.

Two other women in the victim’s orbit are implicated in the fraud. Whitney Wallace, a house cleaner, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in March, after she stole the victim’s credit card information and continued using the card to make purchases even after she stopped working for the woman.

Wallace spent about $43,227 on purchases from Amazon, Target and DoorDash — which included a commercial-grade bounce house, a 75-inch TV and pricey shoes, the Miami Herald discovered.

And the woman’s hairdresser, Shakira English, used her Square account to charge her client’s credit cards over $130,000, moving the funds to her personal bank account. English has been charged with 10 counts of wire fraud and one count of identity theft.

Elder fraud is becoming a major problem in the US

Financial elder abuse is harming older adults across America and their perpetrators can be friends, family, neighbors, or even caregivers and other professionals.

A 2022 AARP report says the rate of elder financial exploitation has more than doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

And an April analysis from the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) says filings show roughly $27 billion in suspicious activity related to elder financial exploitation in just one year between June 2022 and June 2023.

In some cases, the scammers may bleed funds from credit cards and bank accounts, fail to repay money they owe, make exorbitant charges for their services or not do what they were already paid to do. They might make calls pretending to be from the IRS, Social Security  Administration or Medicare, or send phishing emails and texts.

If you suspect you or someone you know has been scammed, contact your bank or financial services provider right away. In certain cases, your bank can cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions or monitor your accounts. You can also report a scam to the Federal Trade Commission and call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311.

There are Adult Protective Services agencies across the country that you can reach out to as well if you suspect someone you know might be a victim of elder abuse.

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5 people tasked with helping Alabama woman — as live-in caretakers, cleaners and hairdressers — instead allegedly stole more than $200K from her in elder fraud scheme

Former Ross County nurse caught again stealing fentanyl from patients

by The Guardian

ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — A former nurse from Ross County, who previously evaded charges for stealing medication from patients, has been sentenced for committing the same crime at another hospital.

Kimberly Clark, 48, was sentenced last week to two years of probation for stealing fentanyl from patients’ IV bags at Mercy Health Anderson Hospital. This sentencing follows allegations of a similar theft at Adena Regional Medical Center in 2023. Despite alleged supporting evidence, Ross County Prosecutor Jeffrey Marks chose not to pursue criminal charges against her.

As a result of her recent conviction in Hamilton County, Clark’s nursing license has been suspended.

Clark left Adena Health System in Chillicothe in March 2023 following allegations of patient medication theft. She was then hired at Mercy Health in May 2023 and arrested for stealing fentanyl in June 2023.

As part of her probation, Clark is required to undergo addiction counseling and treatment.

This case is one of many local cases that appear to have been overlooked by the Ross County Prosecutor’s Office. A sexual abuse case involving a Chillicothe medical provider has reportedly been under investigation since 2015. Despite an alleged audio confession of the abuse, no criminal charges have been filed. In another case, an outstanding homicide investigation has been stalled because no one will pay the cost of DNA testing. The DNA testing could potentially solve a 20-year-old cold case homicide of an elderly WWII veteran in Chillicothe.

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Former Ross County nurse caught again stealing fentanyl from patients

National Memorial Day Concert 2024 | PBS

Watch the National Memorial Day Concert, an American tradition honoring the military service of our troops, veterans, wounded warriors, all those who have given their lives for our nation, and their families. Join co-hosts Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise for the 35th Anniversary of the National Memorial Day Concert, at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, May 26, 2024. Watch on your PBS station, the PBS app, pbs.org, and here on YouTube.

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National Memorial Day Concert 2024 | PBS

Dog Saves Owner's Life with the Heimlich Maneuver

by Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell | Pet360.com

A Springer Spaniel named Mollypops is enjoying a new squeaky chicken and some treats of her own for saving her dog mom's life in a most unusual way.

Rachel Hayes just ate a piece of hard candy, which lodged in her throat. Choking, coughing and not able to talk, Mollypops came up from behind the woman and hit her in the back so hard that it dislodged the treat, in effect performing the Heimlich maneuver.

According to the U.K's the Mirror, Hayes sat down at her kitchen table and popped a strawberry candy into her mouth. When she knew she was in trouble, she said her dog kept coming up to her, but she kept pushing Mollypops away.

"I was having difficulty breathing but Mollypops' sixth sense kicked in and she knew I was in trouble," Hayes said.

After the rescue, Hayes said she was crying and shaking because she thought she was going to die.

"I just burst out crying and said, 'I love you.' She came over for a cuddle and I cuddled her. I told her she was a hero," Hayes said. "I think she's glad to have me alive, otherwise she would have been left all on her own. But I don't think she knows quite what she has done."

It's very possible Mollypops knew what was happening. There have been studies conducted in which dogs sense a human is in distress and rush up to put paws on the person's shoulder.

In a study conducted at the University of London, 18 dogs were filmed with their owners. In 15 instances, the dogs reacted to their human's crying.

One of the dogs, an 8-month-old Labrador retriever, went up to his human when he heard her pretend to cry and put his paw on her shoulder.

The dogs approached in a submissive way suggesting they were offering comfort and empathy, researchers said.

Editor's Note: Photo above is not of Mollypops.

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Dog Saves Owner's Life with the Heimlich Maneuver

How 5 types of elder abuse often hide in plain sight

Each year in the U.S., at least 10% of people age 65 and older experience some form of elder abuse, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. (iStockphoto via Getty Images)

By Teri Parker

Each year in the U.S., at least 10% of people age 65 and older experience some form of elder abuse, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Elder abuse is an intentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm, or a serious risk of harm, to an older adult. This type of abuse may not be outwardly obvious because the senior may not be sharing their situation with others. You may actually know someone who needs your help.

Recently, I spoke to a client who is concerned about the living conditions of her lifelong friends, who are in their late 80s. They’re living in a home they bought more than 60 years ago, which has not been maintained. The original roof leaks, and the home has dry rot and termites. Living with the seniors are two large dogs and a cat, all of which relieve themselves indoors.

Their house is full of items gathered over a lifetime. Objects are stacked throughout the home, limiting the senior’s mobility and accessibility to household items. It is impossible for them to cook, wash or bathe. They can hardly care for themselves, receive minimum help from family members, and do not know where to turn.

Their adult family members include one child and three grandchildren. Three of the family members live 20 minutes away.

Additionally, one of the seniors is hooked on buying items on home shopping networks and has accumulated a significant amount of debt.

Despite this, for the past several years they have been giving their only child a couple of thousand dollars a month to help with expenses. As parents of an only child, they placed their child’s interests first. The monthly checks were accepted and cashed.

Because they’re embarrassed by their living conditions, they rarely invite people inside and have slowly withdrawn from society.

These seniors are not unique. Elder abuse can happen to anyone, including family members, friends or neighbors.

The types of elder abuse have five subtypes: physical, psychological, sexual, financial exploitation and neglect and abandonment.

You may notice that your elderly neighbor has oddly placed bruises, broken bones, black eyes and wounds at various stages of healing. The senior may have a sudden change of behavior, and their caregiver may always be present with visitors. This could be a sign that the senior is being physically abused.

Psychological abuse may be more difficult to observe. Someone in the victim’s household may verbally attack, scold or intimidate the senior. They may talk to them as if they are a child or tell them that their opinion is worthless. The abuser may also keep the senior away from their friends, favorite activities or family members. The senior may become withdrawn, agitated or depressed.

Sexual abuse may not be obvious because the predator preys on the senior when they’re alone. Signs of abuse could include bruises around the breasts or genital area, and blood found on clothing or bedding. Unexplained venereal diseases or genital infections may be diagnosed. And changes in the senior’s demeanor, especially when near the offender, may be apparent.

Neglect and abandonment may be a bit more obvious. Have you observed that the senior has stopped being cared for? Do they have food in their home? Do they regularly visit the doctor? Do they bathe or shower? Signs of poor personal hygiene, malnutrition, and untreated health problems are red flags that the senior may be neglected or abandoned.

Financial abuse can be creative, as the criminal’s mind is imaginative. The range of financial abuse is very wide. It can be as simple as someone taking or keeping money without the senior’s permission, to much more elaborate schemes involving bank accounts, credit cards or the deed to their home. Red flags would be bank balances changing quickly, additional names added to the bank account, unpaid bills, and abrupt changes to a will or other financial documents.

If you believe that a senior you know may be abused or neglected, contact the Adult Protective Services hotline. APS is a resource to report suspected elder abuse or neglect. California residents who call 833-401-0832 and enter the 5-digit ZIP code when prompted, will be connected to the APS in their county, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

When a report of abuse, neglect, or exploitation is received, APS’s goal is to create a stable environment where the individual can safely function without requiring ongoing intervention from the APS program. Services provided by APS include responding to reports of known or suspected abuse or neglect, investigating, and arranging for the delivery of services from available community agencies.

APS is not intended to interfere with the lifestyle choices of older adults, nor to protect those individuals from the consequences of their choices.

In the case of my client, during our last conversation, she mentioned her plan to reach out to APS for help with resources for her life-long friends. APS will investigate the home to determine what assistance can be provided to help this family.

It takes a village to raise a child, and a community to care for their elders.

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How 5 types of elder abuse often hide in plain sight

Robbie Robertson’s Children Say Widow Committed ‘Elder Abuse’

by Nick DeRiso

Children of the Band's late Robbie Robertson, a long-time collaborator with Martin Scorcese and Bob Dylan, are claiming elder abuse in a new legal action against his widow. 

Robertson died last year, just months after a private marriage to Janet Zuccarini. His three adult children — Alexandra, Delphine and Sebastian Robertson — filed suit against the Toronto restaurateur in Los Angeles Superior Court.

 "This lawsuit is a meritless fiction and the truth will prevail," said Zuccarini attorney Gabrielle Vidal, told the Los Angeles Times. "This is a gross and exploitative attempt by Robbie Robertson's children to eviscerate their father's expressed wishes for his beloved wife Janet.

The younger Robertsons say his intent upon death was for his children to become 50 percent owners of a Beverly Hills home that Zuccarini and Robertson jointly purchased from David Geffen for $6 million in 2021. (The suit alleges that Robertson put down the entire $1.8-million down payment.) His heirs would then be free to sell the property to Zuccarini, buy out her share or jointly sell. 

Instead, Zuccarini has informed the family that "she was entitled to reside in the property until her death — and that [Robertson's heirs] were required to pay, from what would have been their modest inheritance, the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and half of the daily property maintenance expenses for the duration of her life," according to the lawsuit.

His heirs say the elder abuse stems from Zuccarini's insistence that Robertson sign documents when he was not capable of understanding them. The lawsuit argues that he never fully recovered after a 2022 cancer-related surgery, and was using powerful opioids, THC and antipsychotics to manage the pain.

Robbie Robertson's Children Say He Was 'Severely Impaired'

"Robertson's mental state was severely impaired," the Robertson children's attorney says. "These drugs he was taking, in the period of time when Zuccarini was arranging the secret wedding and having him sign oppressive documents, are known to have significant effects on cognition – including confusion, hallucinations, torpor, depression, memory loss, and dissociation."

Property ownership was changed when the couple amended a Tenant in Common agreement just months before Robertson died in August 2023. A copy of the new agreement was included in the legal action and now states that if one of them were to die, the estate would assume responsibility for paying off the deceased's half of the mortgage.

Robertson's heirs are asking the court to cancel the agreement. They did not immediately offer comments to the Times through their attorney.

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Robbie Robertson’s Children Say Widow Committed ‘Elder Abuse’

Senior Fraud complaint form available on Attorney General's Office website

Attorney General Gentner Drummond | Attorney General Gentner Drummond Official website

Press Release

May 24, 2024

Suspected incidents of fraud aimed at older Oklahomans can now be easily reported to the Office of the Attorney General via an online senior fraud complaint form at oag.ok.gov.

“Older Oklahomans deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and yet far too often they are targeted by unscrupulous actors,” said Attorney General Gentner Drummond. “These cases are particularly egregious and a form of senior abuse, plain and simple. The Consumer Protection Unit of the Attorney General’s Office thoroughly investigates such complaints and urges Oklahomans to keep a watchful eye for signs of elder exploitation.”

A multitude of confidence schemes often prey on seniors in scenarios ranging from fake lotteries to tech support scams and correspondence from individuals posing as a grandchild, a government official or an interested romantic partner.

While suspected senior fraud should be reported through the form, Oklahomans are urged to take certain precautions to guard against such scams:

- Don’t give out personal information over the phone or in response to an email or other message.

- Never click on emailed links or attachments, even if the email appears to be sent by someone you know, unless you first verify that the email was in fact sent by that person. Email messages that appear to be from known contacts can be phishing attempts to gain your personal information.

- Be wary of individuals who demand payment upfront or in a certain format (e.g. wire, Venmo/CashApp/Zelle, gift cards, cryptocurrency).

- Check incoming bills for charges that you did not authorize.

- Take your time and reject high-pressure approaches from individuals you do not know.

A report by the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center indicates that financial scams reported by individuals over age 60 reached $3.4 billion last year, a nearly 11 percent increase over 2022.

Original source can be found here.

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Senior Fraud complaint form available on Attorney General's Office website

Health aide charged with elder abuse after ignoring man who fell off bed

Lydia Lungile was arrested Wednesday on reckless endangerment and cruelty to persons charges. (Norwalk Police Department)

By Muri Assunção

A woman responsible for the care of an elderly man has been arrested on abuse charges, authorities in Connecticut said Thursday.

According to police, 40-year-old Lydia Lungile, of Newark, N.J., “ignored” the man she was supposed to attend to after he fell out of his bed.

Lungile was arrested in Orange, Connecticut, on Wednesday and charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and cruelty to persons.

The arrest followed months of investigation, Norwalk Police Lt. Tomasz Podgorski  said in a news release.

In November 2023, the department’s special victims unit received a report of an alleged incident of elder abuse involving a man under the care of the Fairfield Family Care Center in Norwalk.

An elderly male had been left unattended and injured “after falling out of his bed during the overnight hours,” Podgorski said.

After interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence, detectives determined Lydia Lungile, who was in charge of the man’s care, had “ignored the victim.”

As a result of the investigation, police obtained a warrant for her arrest. SVU detectives then worked with an officer assigned to the United States Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Force to locate and arrest Lungile.

Her bond was set at $125,000 and she’s expected to face a judge on June 5, police said.

Fairfield Family Care has offered “comprehensive and compassionate elderly care and companion services” for families in Stamford, Conn. and surrounding areas for over 25 years, according to its website.

Lungile, who had been recently hired by the company, was “terminated directly after” the incident, a company spokesperson told the Hartford Courant.

“From what I understand she was suffering from allergies and took an allergy pill that made her drowsy and did not respond to the incident immediately,” the spokesperson said.

The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily News.

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Health aide charged with elder abuse after ignoring man who fell off bed