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David
N. Kirkman
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North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services |
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TO NCSCF TASK FORCE MEMBERS ******Alert #265****** Here is an alert from Det. Mike Davis of the Buncombe Co. Sheriff’s Financial Crimes Unit. Following his message is information on two resources for addressing the repeat victimization phenomenon Mike describes. We are still seeing elderly victims sending money to scammers. I just met with one that has been a victim for over 4 years. She has fallen for a scam at least once a year (mainly Jamaican scammers). The scams come in the form of phone calls and mail. This particular victim has a son who lives next door, but she does not tell him until after she has sent the money. She has her phone changed periodically but forgets to have it unlisted. The one saving grace is that her bank has refused to grant her loans once they know the reason for the loan and have contacted the authorities. PLEASE WATCH OUT FOR YOUR ELDERLY CLIENTS !!! Detective RM Davis Resource #1 Wire Transfer Cut-Off Requests Attorney General Roy Cooper has written agreements with the two major wire transfer companies whereby he can request and obtain the cut-off of wire transfers by elderly repeat victims of fraud such as the woman Det. Davis describes. Most tel-fraud and internet scammers who target older adults are based overseas, and their means of receiving funds from their victims usually is wire transfer. Resource #2 Victim Assistance Volunteers for Repeat Elder-Fraud Targets With funding from the Governor’s Crime Commission, the Attorney General’s Office and colleagues at the Division of Aging and Adult Services, NC Department of Health and Human Services, have been training victim assistance volunteers in communities across the state and, where appropriate, placing them with seniors such as the one described by Det. Davis. The premise of the program is that elder fraud groups usually target their victims repeatedly, sometimes for years. The program’s volunteers work with the victims and help them to spot the signs that a letter, call, email message or workman knocking at the door might be a prelude to another fraud. They also work with the victims to interrupt the communications from the scammers, reverse debits placed on the victims’ bank accounts, avoid identity theft and otherwise interrupt the cycle of scams. (Please note: This program assists those who are victims of organized criminal groups that systematically and repeatedly scam seniors. It is not tailored to or suitable for victims who have been financially exploited by individual family members, professional caregivers or others in the community. Also, victim assistance volunteers are not available in every community yet.) If you believe an older repeat victim of frauds and scams in your community might benefit from either of these resources, contact the Attorney General’s Elder Fraud – Prevent Repeat Victimization Project at 919-716-6000 and ask to speak with the telemarketing fraud duty agent. ******End of Alert****** March 24, 2011
David N. Kirkman
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NC Senior Consumer Fraud Task Force View Alerts: Federal
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