Seniors should be on the lookout for accounting scams
By Avi Rutschman avi@theacorn.com

With tax season rapidly approaching, senior advocacy groups are warning the elderly to be on guard for criminal scams.

"Senior citizens are being warned to be on the lookout for fraudulent income tax schemes, and they should be especially wary of email or telephone correspondence from people who claim to be from the Internal Revenue Service," said Julie Swartz, a spokesperson for Home Instead Senior Care. The company pairs bonded, insured caregivers with the elderly.

According to Laurie Dickinson, director of the Simi Valley Senior Center, several services geared toward protecting and informing the elderly are offered free of charge at the center.

"For anyone who has any questions or suspicions, there are a number of services available. We're very protective over who can enter the center, and we don't allow forprofit companies to solicit our seniors," Dickinson said.

The center also offers seniors tax preparation programs and counseling from health insurance experts.

According to law enforcement officials, seniors should be especially on guard against anyone who asks for their Social Security of credit card numbers.

"If a con criminal can call seniors and get them to give up their Social Security number, they can create any type of transaction," said Edward Hutchinson, program director of the National Association of Triades, Inc., an organization that is part of the National Sheriff's Association.

Once a con man obtains a senior's personal information, he can take out mortgages on the victim's house, file quit-claim deeds on a house, or open joint checking accounts, Hutchinson said.

In addition to the monetary damages suffered, a recent report issued in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that victims of elder mistreatment, including exploitation, had a mortality rate three times higher than that of their counterparts.

Popular scams targeted towards seniors include prize and sweepstakes scams, in which elders are given a fake check and asked to pay taxes on it; home improvement frauds, where repairman ask for money up front and never return; phishing schemes, in which seniors reveal critical financial information in a phone call; Internet fraud; and identity theft.

"Seniors often worry that they will outlive their money and are concerned that they might not be able to continue to live the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed. Some get caught up in these scams because they are looking for ways to improve their financial situation," said Laurie Reid of Home Instead Senior Care.

Caregivers and families can help seniors avoid these schemes by watching for unusual activity, being on guard for individuals that have recently befriended a senior, contacting the Better Business Bureau before donating money to organizations, assisting seniors with their finances, destroying documents that contain sensitive information and building a support network for seniors who live apart from their famiies.