How to Guard Against Senior Fraud

Published: June 11, 2019, 2:05 p.m.

People over age 65 are shockingly vulnerable to financial exploitation--sometimes by family members who pressure them to sign over assets, but often by strangers on the telephone who fraudulently promise them big winnings--if they’ll only fork over some money first for up-front expenses. That’s just the start.Three Maryland experts tell us that an older person who’s lonely is more receptive to the fraudster who claims to care for them. We speak with Jacke Schroeder, a licensed social worker and director of SAFE--Stop Abuse of Elders at CHANA, Debby Chenoweth, Baltimore County Police Investigator and Amy Greensfelder, who heads the Pro Bono Counseling Project.