Neighbors worry about fraud

Dear Amy: My husband and I live next to a widower, “Fred.” We check in on him once or twice a week. He’s told us he has a brother and nieces and nephews that live a few hours away.

Fred asked for my help with “something on the computer.”

I went inside his house and he handed me handwritten instructions, saying he needed help connecting his checking account to a money transfer app, so he could send money to his niece. He asked me to send her $500.

Yesterday, Fred and I were chatting, and he said that he was worried about this niece, as she was fired from her job, didn’t have a car and might have a drug problem.

I immediately became concerned and asked if she was taking advantage of him. He seemed slightly offended, became dismissive and then changed the subject.

I can’t stop thinking about this. My husband said I should disconnect his checking account from the app.

What should I do? — Worried Neighbor

Dear Worried: Financial exploitation is a growing problem for elder Americans. According to the National Adult Protective Services Association (napsa-now.org), 1 in 9 elders are victims of financial abuse. Yes, intervene.

Please, attempt to communicate about this further. Has he been able to verify that the person asking for this money is actually his niece? If this is his niece, a red flag would be if she insists that he keep these transactions a secret. Encourage him to talk with his brother about this situation.

Don’t approach him as if he has made a mistake. Tell him that just like he wants to help her, you want to help him. Don’t press too hard. He will likely feel embarrassed, and this may lead to more isolation.

If you become more alarmed and believe that he is being defrauded, disconnect the app.