Hub targets schemes vs. seniors

Mull plan to protect elders from fraud

The city of Boston is looking to address scams that target seniors — causing them to cough up billions annually in the U.S. — as the City Council will today hold a hearing to conclude how it can better protect the elderly from fraud. City Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George, who ordered the hearing, said she and other councilors reached out to seniors to ask about their experiences with scams, and found that they ranged from “home repairs from people who never show up” to “computer repair phone calls” to calls that claimed the person owed taxes and that there was a warrant out for their arrest. “There were many cases where seniors were frightened,” Essaibi-George told the Herald yesterday. “And there were also cases where seniors realized quickly that it was a scam. But, there’s this uncertainty of how to respond, what the proper response is. It’s not just, ‘I don’t have a car,’ or, ‘You have the wrong number,’ or ‘I’m not going to talk to you,’ because there’s also telemarketers trying to identify who actually lives in the household, what type of people are in the household.” A 2015 True Link Report on elder financial abuse revealed that seniors lose $36.48 billion each year. In February, the Department of Justice coordinated a nationwide elder fraud sweep, charging 200 with running elder fraud schemes. In Massachusetts, Attorney General Maura Healey’s office has a statewide hotline for seniors that assists with a number of different issues. A representative from Healey’s office is scheduled to be at today’s hearing. “Elders are particularly at risk of being taken advantage of,” a spokeswoman for Healey’s office said in a statement. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to speak with Boston City Council and the Boston Council on Aging about how the AG’s office is protecting our seniors from exploitation and fraud.” Essaibi-George worries that not enough seniors report fraud and scams simply because they’re too embarrassed. “There is this feeling that, ‘I’m supposed to be smarter than this, I should have known,’ ” she said. “But, also credit card bills and telephone statements, even bank statements can be kind of complex and not always very clear about what is being withdrawn from your account or what fees are attached.” She added that public service announcements, possibly even a campaign, are crucial to assist seniors with these fraudulent attempts, but also said the city will pursue all it can when it comes to regulation. “We’re hoping to understand from a regulatory perspective, what can be restricted and what can’t be,” Essaibi-George said. “I think the most important piece is ... figuring out ways to actually protect our seniors. But, then also, the awareness.”