Frauds Against the Elderly

Fraud committed against the elderly has reached epidemic proportions, and the problem will only worsen as a large segment of the American population approaches retirement age. This book explores the disturbing rise in these offenses-crimes aimed at a vulnerable segment of society that is often unable to overcome the consequences-with an eye towards helping seniors protect themselves.

This handbook first defines fraud, then discusses why the elderly are targeted, the growing scope of the problem, and why these crimes often go unreported or unsolved. The second section clearly explains 28 of the most common types of fraud-including home improvement scams, health frauds, identity theft and magazine sales-in a manner that allows readers to recognize and avoid the predatory actions of others (whether strangers, friends, or even family members). The third section provides a list of resources and actions to take and for those who believe themselves to be the victim of fraud. The book also contains a list of related acronyms, an index and a bibliography.

Charles C. Sharpe is also the author of McFarland's Online Resources for Senior Citizens (2003, $32) and Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Searching on the Internet (2000, $39.95). His other publications include Nursing Malpractice: Liability and Risk Management (1999), Medical Records Review and Analysis (1999), and Telenursing: Nursing Practice in Cyberspace (2000). He lives in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania.

The media reports plenty of case studies, says Sharpe, so he focuses instead on describing the most prevalent frauds, schemes, and scams that are perpetrated on the elderly, in order to alert senior citizens and their families and caregivers. Most of the documents he cites are issued by the US Federal Trade Commission, which is the primary and virtually the sole source of research and published reports on fraud against senior citizens. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR