Scams targeting senior citizens are nothing new. But Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma is warning seniors that scammers are getting better at what they do, and they don’t feel bad about it.
Senior citizens are the most targeted demographic for scams, according to Legal Aid attorney Kevin McMahon. He warns that Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are common places scams occur.
“Scammers don’t really make money by being bad at their job,” McMahon said during the Tri-County Council on Aging’s Sept. 2 meeting. The group advises the Indian Nations Council of Governments’ Area Agency on Aging, which serves seniors across Creek, Osage and Tulsa counties.
Many scams are preventable, McMahon said. The trend he’s noticing right now is scams conducted by people who are close to the senior, like a friend or family member, by abusing “legitimate tools” like guardianship and power of attorney.
“It can be medical. It can be financial. It can be everything,” said McMahon. “I see people have a basic medical power of attorney for if they are incapacitated used to buy a car.”
McMahon urges seniors to contact Legal Aid free of charge if they suspect they are a victim of a scam. Residents can call 1-888-534-5243 or check the organization’s website.
“Seniors are overwhelmingly the most targeted demographic for anybody who is trying to take advantage of people,” said McMahon. “They have the overwhelmingly most amount of capital and wealth in the country, and they’re the easiest to take advantage of.”
Legal Aid offers a Sixty-Plus Legal Aid Services Helpline (SPLASH) where seniors can ask legal questions and get free legal advice. Call: 855-488-6814 between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday for help.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” said McMahon.
Discovered by Documenters
This was informed by Melodie Coulter-Pennington’s Documenter notes from the Tri-County Council on Aging meeting Sept. 2. Find out more about how Tulsa Documenters works here.
News decisions at the Tulsa Flyer are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
