Clara Jacob’s trusting nature and failing eyesight had led her to believe the promise of a contractor that everything was going to be fine.
At age 76, she had become totally blind following a fire in February 2009 that devastated her Davie County home, but she did not need her eyesight to see that things had gone horribly wrong.
Where the contractor had promised new replacement appliances, there was an old cracked stove and an aging refrigerator. Where she believed she had purchased improvements to her backyard, her old fence was still standing and her pool was filled with construction debris. Where she thought she was financially stable, she found herself bereft of more than $100,000.
Legal advocates consider her case extreme, but they also believe more and more seniors, like Jacobs, are falling victim to fraud and scams. Yet there have never been more resources to help seniors avoid such problems and to help resolve them when they do occur. It’s just a matter of finding them before it is too late.
Although there has been an uptick in complaints regarding scams, it may be because people are more aware and are being more careful. More than anything else, experts say seniors should be wary of unsolicited contacts, whether it’s someone knocking on the door offering an air conditioner or an e-mail offering a risk-free investment.
General Tips
• If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• Disasters, such as after a hurricane, are prime times for fraud.
• Current scams include tele-marketers pretending to represent Medicare
or the Social Security Administration.
• Never pay for a “free” gift.
• No investment is risk-free.
• Check out the company with the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org.