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

By Sandra K Wells, Betty L. Alt, Sandra K. Wells

Book Overview

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 from their money and their homes. Here, Alt and Wells 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 marks.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0275981797
• ISBN13: 9780275981792
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Praeger
• Length: 167 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Important as a basic consumer reference

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.

Excellent Book - Great Guide to Avoiding Scams

This book should be required reading for anyone who has responsibility for elderly people, children or vulnerable adults. The authors could have put this book forward as a general guide to fraud prevention; most of the schemes listed are used against other groups as well as the elderly (e.g. Nigerian Advance Payment frauds - this fraud relies on greed). The chapter on Internet dating is as applicable to teenagers as it is to the elderly. Two negatives; the book does not explain how to convey the information without inducing excessive fear (if you have someone who is vulnerable you may want to think how you convey the message); and, as with any book of this type, the information could be misused. Great book - forewarned is forearmed. Well worth reading.