• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Law Offices of Kobrick and Moccia

Long Island Estate Planning Attorneys

ESTATE, TRUST PLANNING &
ELDER LAW INFORMATION CENTER

Call Now: (800) 295.1917

  • Attend Our Free Webinars
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Client Testimonials
    • Meet Our Team
  • Services
    • Blended Family Planning
    • Elder Law
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Guardianship
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Nursing Home Planning
  • Resources
    • Articles
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Commack Elder Law
      • Elder Law Reports
      • Harrison Elder Law
      • Hauppauge Elder Law
      • Rockville Centre Elder Law
      • White Plains Elder Law
    • Estate Planning Definitions
    • FREE Estate Planning Worksheet
    • FREE Seminars
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Elder Law
      • Estate Planning
      • Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Medicaid
      • Probate
      • Trust Administration
      • Trust Administration & Probate
      • Wills and Trusts
    • Is My Estate Plan Outdated?
    • Legacy Wealth Planning Consultation Form
    • Medicaid Resources
    • Probate Resources
      • Harrison Probate
      • Hauppauge Probate
      • Long Island Probate
    • Probate Checklist
    • Special Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning for Niches
      • Trust Administration
    • Top Estate Planning Techniques
  • Communities We Serve
    • Nassau County
      • Garden City
      • Lynbrook
      • Malverne
      • Rockville Centre
    • Suffolk County
      • Commack
      • Dix Hills
      • Hauppauge
      • Nesconset
      • Smithtown
    • Westchester County
      • Harrison
      • Mamaroneck
      • Rye Brook
      • White Plains
  • Webinars
  • BLOG
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Contact Us
Home » Elder Law » Protecting Elderly Loved Ones from Financial Scams – One Grandma’s Story

Protecting Elderly Loved Ones from Financial Scams – One Grandma’s Story

July 12, 2018 by Anthony Moccia

financial scamAs the population of older Americans continues to grow at a historic rate, incidences of abuse of the elderly grow as well. Financial exploitation of the elderly, in particular, is occurring at an astounding rate. Making it more difficult to catch those who prey on the elderly is that fact that victims are often too embarrassed to come forward and admit that they were scammed.  Fortunately, one brave New York grandmother did come forward to tell how she fell victim to a financial scam. Her story, as reported in a local newspaper, should serve as a warning to all seniors and to those who about them.

Anne’s Story

About a year ago, Anne Hurrell received a frantic call from a voice that sounded awfully like her grandson.

“Grandma, I’ve just been in an accident,” the voice said, crying.

A man who identified himself as a police officer came on the phone and said Anne’s grandson was in an accident while riding with a friend. He was okay, but drugs had been found in the car. Anne wasn’t to say anything because she could jeopardize the investigation. This continued for some time. “He kept calling me everyday. I guess now I realize I was getting brainwashed,” Anne recalled.

Eventually, the man called and said assault weapons were found in the car. Anne needed to send $12,000 in bail money to help her grandson. She had $9,000 in savings that she sent along via UPS, after receiving instructions from the man. He advised her to get Walmart gift certificates for the other $3,000, which is when, at the advice of Walmart employees, she realized something was amiss. That was when Anne finally reported the whole business to local police and State Troopers, who quickly determined that she was being scammed.

Anne told her story to the Allegany County Board of Legislators, which proclaimed June Elder Abuse Awareness Month. Anne’s story reflects countless others. Each year an estimated 5 million older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect or exploitation. For each case of elder abuse reported, experts believe nearly 23 cases go unreported.

“I just didn’t want it to happen to somebody else,” Hurrell said. “You do feel embarrassed for believing it, but this officer gave me his name, his badge number, his security telephone number that I could get in touch with. He had this very believable southern drawl, and I fell for it. I just hope this helps someone else not believe everything they hear. I hope they’re still investigating.”

The courier who picked up Anne’s money was found and arrested, but it was later determined he was a victim of the scam as well. Authorities believe the true culprit is located in Canada. The man charged calls to Anne’s phone from Toronto. Anne has been assisted by Allegany County Crime Victims Coordinator Shannon Ozzella during the ordeal. “I think you’re amazing and you don’t have anything to be embarrassed about. I think you should be applauded,” Ozzella told Hurrell, who did indeed receive a standing ovation for her courage in sharing her story. “They also had a recording that sounded just like her grandson. ‘Grandma, I’m in trouble.’ How many of us would believe that?” Ozzella asked.

“This story really demonstrates the complexities of financial exploitation. That is a primary effort of our elder abuse prevention committee at this time,” said Belinda Knight, ACCORD Director of Community Operations. “We have seen cases like yours in our case reviews. Often a person who has been exploited is being exploited by their family members who may or may not have the person’s best interest at heart. We’ve often discovered those individuals are their primary caregivers. If we didn’t work together as a team to provide those comprehensive services to those individuals, that person would lose their care structure and their support.”

Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones from “Granny Scams”

Sadly, Anne’s story is a fairly common one. Scam artists prey on the elderly, counting on their trusting nature and lack of technical knowledge to help pull off the scam. To prevent becoming a victim of a similar scam:

  • Always confirm the identity of anyone claiming to be a law enforcement officer or government official. Ask for the official name of the office or precinct number and look up a number yourself to call and verify the individual’s identity.
  • Never send money, or anything of value, to someone you don’t know personally.
  • Check privacy settings on social media and be careful what you post.
  • When in doubt, confide in someone you trust for advice.

Contact Elder Law Attorneys

Please feel free to download our FREE estate planning worksheet. If you have questions or concerns about elder abuse, or any other elder law legal issues, contact the New York elder law attorneys at the Law Offices of Kobrick & Moccia by calling 800-295-1917 to schedule your appointment.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Anthony Moccia
Anthony Moccia
Anthony Moccia is an attorney and partner at The Law Offices of Kobrick & Moccia.His practice focuses on estate planning and elder law.He is a member of the New York State and Nassau County Bar Associations.He frequently presents free seminars on wills & living trusts to area residents and his seminars are said to be “informative, entertaining & easy to understand.”
Anthony Moccia
Latest posts by Anthony Moccia (see all)
  • “Last Will and Testament” Origin - April 1, 2021
  • Do I Need a “Durable” Power of Attorney? - April 2, 2020
  • Joint Tenancy Pros and Cons - March 31, 2020

Filed Under: Elder Law

Other Articles You May Find Useful

Harrison elder law attorney
How Can a Geriatric Care Manager Help You?
Harrison elder law attorney
The Sad Reality about Elder Abuse
Harrison Elder Law Attorneys
Health Workers Are Not Reporting Signs of Elder Abuse
Hauppauge elder law attorneys
Report Shows Lack of Oversight of Assisted Living Facilities
Federal Authorities Investigating Elder Abuse Scam
Harrison elder law lawyer
How to Be a Long-Distance Caregiver

Primary Sidebar

Law Offices of Kobrick and Moccia

Download our free estate planning worksheet

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Blog Subscription

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

GARDEN CITY

1305 Franklin Avenue Suite 170
Garden City, NY 11530
United States (US)
Phone: (516) 248-9500
Fax: (516) 248-7606

HAUPPAUGE

150 Motor Parkway Suite 401 (Regus)
Hauppauge, NY 11788
United States (US)
Phone: (631) 941-3400
Fax: (516) 248-7606

HARRISON

600 Mamaroneck Avenue, 4th Floor
Harrison, NY 10528
United States (US)
Phone: (914) 701-0777
Fax: (516) 248-7606

MAP

kobrick_sidbr_map

Office Hours

Monday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Footer

footer-logo
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

The information on this Attorneys & Lawyers / Law Firm website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, emails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. The information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

Kobrick and Moccia, Attorneys at Law. Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Site Map | Powered by American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

Law Offices of Kobrick and Moccia
Attorney Advertisement
© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.