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LANSING – In recognition of Older Michiganians Day, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is urging seniors and their families to be vigilant against fraudsters by learning how to recognize a scam and highlighting the work of Michigan’s Elder Abuse Task Force. Most scams have common characteristics. By being aware of the warning signs, Michiganders can be alert to their key features and avoid becoming victims.
“Older adults are particularly vulnerable to fraud and exploitation,” said Attorney General Nessel. “It’s imperative that seniors and their families recognize the warning signs of scams and abuse. Our Consumer Protection Team and Elder Abuse Task Force have resources available to help Michiganders stay a step ahead of bad actors. I encourage everyone to learn how to better protect themselves and those they love.”
Common signs of scams include when residents are:
- Contacted out of the blue with an urgent request.
- Pressured to act or respond immediately. Offered something that sounds suspicious.
- Urged to keep the call, text, email, or chat secret.
- Requested or demanded to provide personal or financial information or money.
- Asked for payment in an unusual form.
- Told to go to their financial institution to withdraw money and instructed to put their phone in their pocket while the scammer remains on the line. The scammer may also instruct victims on what to say to the staff at their financial institution.
- Told they have won or inherited a large sum of money, then instructed to pay an up-front fee to collect on the windfall. The scammer claims the fee is to cover the cost of processing or shipping or to pay taxes on the winnings.
- Given vague information regarding the purpose of the call and/or caller is reluctant to answer questions about the business or their offer.
- Threatened if they don’t comply with demands or promised something too good to be true.
Common scams targeting older Michiganians include toll or ticket scams, grandparent family emergency scams, artificial intelligence scams, phishing scams, and investment romance scams. To avoid becoming a victim of a scam, consumers should:
- Block unwanted calls and text messages. Do NOT provide personal or financial information in response to a request that they did not expect. Legitimate organizations won’t call, email, or text to ask for personal information like Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers.
- Avoid clicking on any links in an email or text message from a company they believe could be a scam. Instead, contact the business using a website they know is trustworthy or look up the phone number. Don’t call a number provided by the caller or the number from the caller ID.
- Resist the pressure to act immediately. Legitimate businesses will give customers time to decide. Anyone who pressures them to pay or give personal information could be a scammer.
- Recognize how scammers tell them to pay. Never pay someone who insists on payment with a gift card or by using a money transfer service.
- Stop and talk to someone they trust. Before doing anything else, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened. Talking about it could help them realize it’s a scam. It can also make others aware of the scam and help them to avoid it.
Attorney General Nessel is also highlighting the work of Michigan's Elder Abuse Task Force. The Task Force launched in 2019 and consists of more than 55 different organizations in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors – all working together to combat elder abuse. The more than 100 individuals on the Task Force are divided into seven committees working diligently to draft and submit proposed legislation including:
- Senate Bills 111-114, which would create specific elder and vulnerable adult personal protection orders, enhance prosecutors’ tools by amending Michigan law to include embezzlement from a vulnerable adult as a racketeering offense, allow prosecution of financial abuse that occurs during a vulnerable adult’s lifetime and the money or property is stolen at death, and create the legal definition for multi-disciplinary teams that focus on elder abuse and preserve privacy. The bill package passed the Senate with broad bipartisan support, including unanimous votes on Senate Bills 112, 113, and 114. They have been awaiting a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee for a year.
- Senate Bills 585 and 586, which would require an appraisal before selling the home of an adult under guardianship to ensure the sale is for fair market value. The legislation would also require a hearing before removing an adult under guardianship from their home if they object and guarantee their right to an attorney. The bills passed the Senate and are awaiting a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.
- House Bills 4418 and 4419, which would enable certain individuals to make healthcare decisions on behalf of a patient when the patient is unable to do so on their own behalf and does not have a patient advocate designation in place, or the designated patient advocate is unavailable to fulfill that role. This Surrogate Consent legislation passed the House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support and passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously with one minor change in January. The package currently awaits a vote before the Michigan Senate.
Achievements of the Elder Abuse Task Force include the adoption of a Vulnerable Adult Incident Report form for investigations by law enforcement across the state, including the implementation of related trainings. The Task Force has trained hundreds of police officers, prosecutors and Adult Protective Services workers. The training videos have been viewed thousands of times. In addition to the vulnerable adult incident report and associated trainings, the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act was passed and ensures mandated reporting for financial institutions on suspected fraud or exploitation. Financial advisors and securities brokers were also added as mandatory reporters in a separate law. Hundreds of bank and credit union employees have received training to recognize signs of financial exploitation.
The Uniform Power of Attorney Act was also passed and became effective July 1, 2024, to make powers of attorney more accessible with a standard form in the statute. Attorney General Nessel recently released a public service announcement explaining the new law. Free, fillable Power of Attorney forms are now available for download on the Department of Attorney General’s website. The forms, prepared by the Kimble Center for Legal Drafting at Cooley Law School, make it easier for Michigan residents and their family members to appoint a trusted individual to make important financial and medical decisions on their behalf if they become unable to do so.
More than 100,000 older adults in Michigan are victims of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Michigan residents seeking elder abuse resources are encouraged to call 800-24-ABUSE (22873), or 855-444-3911 to report suspected elder abuse.
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