May 25, 2012
From Staff Reports
A Victorville woman accused of stealing $6,000 from a 72-year-old Crestline woman she befriended at an Apple Valley gym pleaded guilty to elder abuse and fraud Wednesday, court records indicate.
Jacqueline Johnson-Seright, 51, of Victorville, met the 72-year-old Crestline victim in 2009 at “The Spinners” gym in Apple Valley, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff’s records. Johnson-Seright convinced the victim to hire her as a personal trainer and then as a housekeeper, according to reports.
During that time, Johnson-Seright reportedly stole the victim’s checkbook and wrote 15 checks totaling about $6,000. For months, she told the victim not to file a police report because she would pay the money back, but in Februarythe victim finally contacted sheriff’s officials.
Johnson-Seright missed a scheduled court date April 16 and was almost an hour late to her May 15 court date. When she finally showed up she was remanded into custody.
Officials said Johnson-Seright attended different gyms in the High Desert area. They are concerned there may be other victims.
Johnson-Seright has an extensive record for various offenses, according to court documents, including grand theft, theft of utilities, several traffic violations and three separate incidents of failing to obey the school attendance board.
Anyone with information is asked to contact authorities at (909) 336-0100.
SOURCE: The VVDaily Express
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May 25, 2012
Four Charged With Fraud Scheme That Targeted Seniors (USA)
Four charged with fraud scheme that targeted seniors
By the Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General
HARRISBURG —
Agents from the Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section and Elder Abuse Unit have filed criminal charges against four Philadelphia area men accused of operating an elaborate financial fraud scheme targeting hundreds of senior citizens across Pennsylvania.
Attorney General Linda Kelly identified the defendants as Bruce Howard Cherry, 52, of Philadelphia; Ross M. Rabelow, 52, of Southampton, Bucks County; Thomas J. Muldoon, 57, of Broomall, Delaware County; and Robert P. Lerner, 56, of Philadelphia.
Kelly said the four defendants are accused of conspiring to operate a financial fraud scheme specifically aimed at elderly victims who were deceived into spending thousands of dollars for “home care” or “home security” services that would supposedly assist seniors with their future care.
“This was a disturbing and despicable scheme designed to extract as much money as possible from unwitting seniors who believed they were protecting themselves against costly future home-care expenses,” Kelly said. “These con artists left a string of more than 200 victims, stretching from Philadelphia to Erie, and stole more than $700,000 through the sale of contracts for bogus home care services or stolen insurance premiums.”
Kelly said that investigators have identified at least 218 victims located in 41 counties. Many were widowed; living alone and without any nearby family members and the average age of the victims is estimated at 83 years old.
The investigation, known as “Operation False Comfort,” involved the presentation of extensive evidence and testimony to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the criminal charges that were announced today.
According to the grand jury, the scheme revolved around the sale of service contracts for businesses that supposedly provided specialty services for seniors:
American Comfort Home Care Services - owned by Ross Rabelow, with Bruce Cherry serving as the primary salesman - which claimed to provide non-medical home care services for the elderly.
Global Services for the Home - supposedly operated by Thomas Muldoon, which claimed to provide specialty services for seniors, including home safety equipment and/or serving as a “health advocate” to assist older residents in dealing with insurance companies.
Bruce Cherry also identified himself as the proprietor of “Cherry Senior Solutions,” a business that supposedly provided expert counseling regarding long term health care and other insurance needs.
SOURCE: The Times Herald
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By the Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General
HARRISBURG —
Agents from the Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section and Elder Abuse Unit have filed criminal charges against four Philadelphia area men accused of operating an elaborate financial fraud scheme targeting hundreds of senior citizens across Pennsylvania.
Attorney General Linda Kelly identified the defendants as Bruce Howard Cherry, 52, of Philadelphia; Ross M. Rabelow, 52, of Southampton, Bucks County; Thomas J. Muldoon, 57, of Broomall, Delaware County; and Robert P. Lerner, 56, of Philadelphia.
Kelly said the four defendants are accused of conspiring to operate a financial fraud scheme specifically aimed at elderly victims who were deceived into spending thousands of dollars for “home care” or “home security” services that would supposedly assist seniors with their future care.
“This was a disturbing and despicable scheme designed to extract as much money as possible from unwitting seniors who believed they were protecting themselves against costly future home-care expenses,” Kelly said. “These con artists left a string of more than 200 victims, stretching from Philadelphia to Erie, and stole more than $700,000 through the sale of contracts for bogus home care services or stolen insurance premiums.”
Kelly said that investigators have identified at least 218 victims located in 41 counties. Many were widowed; living alone and without any nearby family members and the average age of the victims is estimated at 83 years old.
The investigation, known as “Operation False Comfort,” involved the presentation of extensive evidence and testimony to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the criminal charges that were announced today.
According to the grand jury, the scheme revolved around the sale of service contracts for businesses that supposedly provided specialty services for seniors:
American Comfort Home Care Services - owned by Ross Rabelow, with Bruce Cherry serving as the primary salesman - which claimed to provide non-medical home care services for the elderly.
Global Services for the Home - supposedly operated by Thomas Muldoon, which claimed to provide specialty services for seniors, including home safety equipment and/or serving as a “health advocate” to assist older residents in dealing with insurance companies.
Bruce Cherry also identified himself as the proprietor of “Cherry Senior Solutions,” a business that supposedly provided expert counseling regarding long term health care and other insurance needs.
SOURCE: The Times Herald
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Easy Targets: Elder Abuse
May 23, 2012
A growing number of Americans are living out their golden years in fear.
Every year between one and two million vulnerable adults are abused or neglected, and the experts say for every report of abuse, five reports are not made.
From financial exploitation, to physical and sexual abuse, America's senior citizens are increasingly becoming targets of crime and abuse.
"These are local kids from our community and the allegations against them are shocking," says Albert Lea Police Chief Dwaine Winkels.
A recent case of sexual abuse in southern Minnesota rocked the nation. Two teenaged girls, who worked in a nursing home in Albert Lea, sexually abused elderly residents suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia.
And then, closer to home, reports from the Minnesota Department of Health, showed that three employees at Edgewood Vista in Virginia had slapped, pinched and verbally taunted elderly residents.
"I was mortified," says one Virginia resident. "I'm really relieved and glad that they caught them."
Many wrote these incidents off as isolated events. But experts fear elder abuse is much more widespread than we know.
"It's hard to know because of the secrecy when nursing home residents are cared for at night with some of the staff, or the secrecy that occurs behind closed doors in anyone's individual homes," says Iris Freeman of the Center on Elder Justice and Policy at the William Mitchell College of Law.
While the recent nursing home cases made the headlines, Minnesota's Senior Ombudsman Deb Holtz says elders are often most vulnerable when taken care of in private homes.
"Most of the cases we see, when it is that severe of neglect, happens in the community, in people's homes," says Holtz.
"Many cases of deprivation occur in such secrecy, in such silence, that by the time the victim is found there has been such disastrous harm that the victim is not likely to live," adds Iris.
"We see it oftentimes; a caregiver is alone taking care of someone with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, and they get frustrated in dealing with that, and they don't know how to cope," says Dave Hall of Carlton County Adult Protection.
A big part of the problem is that often senior citizens are afraid to report crimes of abuse.
"It's a closed door. I should be dealing with it. Nobody needs to know about it," says Tribal Elder Victim Services, Harbir Kaur.
"A lot of time, the family, it's embarrassing for them because they see it's more of a family issue," says Sergeant Chad Nagorski of the Duluth Police Department.
Experts say it's not only embarrassment, some seniors feel they just don't have a choice.
"They're afraid of being sent somewhere worse. Or they're getting subtle threats from the individual whose doing it," says Holtz.
As the elderly population grows experts say various forms of dementia will make them increasingly easy targets. And they say law enforcement and lawmakers must work more aggressively to protect our senior citizens.
"There isn't enough being done. There's nothing addressing prevention as far as I can see," says Tribal Spiritual Adviser, Lee Staples.
One step in that direction happened this legislative session. A new Minnesota law makes some forms of elder neglect a felony level crime.
"Before this law we had laws where if you intentionally neglected your animals you might be punished more than if you intentionally neglected your mom or your grandma," says Holtz.
"There are cases in the record that showed that one, literally, could be fined a greater number of dollars for running a red light than for starving an old person nearly to death," says Freeman.
Many experts see the new Minnesota law as a step in the right direction but feel more needs to be done.
"We have to make sure that county governments, the vulnerable adults units, that all county government and local law enforcement, that everybody's on the same page," says former Duluth Police Chief, Scott Lyons.
As we continue our special report on "Easy Targets" Barbara will take a look at what's being done to protect our vulnerable senior citizens and how we can recognize signs of abuse among our elderly population.
SOURCE: The NorthlandsNewsCenter
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A growing number of Americans are living out their golden years in fear.
Every year between one and two million vulnerable adults are abused or neglected, and the experts say for every report of abuse, five reports are not made.
From financial exploitation, to physical and sexual abuse, America's senior citizens are increasingly becoming targets of crime and abuse.
"These are local kids from our community and the allegations against them are shocking," says Albert Lea Police Chief Dwaine Winkels.
A recent case of sexual abuse in southern Minnesota rocked the nation. Two teenaged girls, who worked in a nursing home in Albert Lea, sexually abused elderly residents suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia.
And then, closer to home, reports from the Minnesota Department of Health, showed that three employees at Edgewood Vista in Virginia had slapped, pinched and verbally taunted elderly residents.
"I was mortified," says one Virginia resident. "I'm really relieved and glad that they caught them."
Many wrote these incidents off as isolated events. But experts fear elder abuse is much more widespread than we know.
"It's hard to know because of the secrecy when nursing home residents are cared for at night with some of the staff, or the secrecy that occurs behind closed doors in anyone's individual homes," says Iris Freeman of the Center on Elder Justice and Policy at the William Mitchell College of Law.
While the recent nursing home cases made the headlines, Minnesota's Senior Ombudsman Deb Holtz says elders are often most vulnerable when taken care of in private homes.
"Most of the cases we see, when it is that severe of neglect, happens in the community, in people's homes," says Holtz.
"Many cases of deprivation occur in such secrecy, in such silence, that by the time the victim is found there has been such disastrous harm that the victim is not likely to live," adds Iris.
"We see it oftentimes; a caregiver is alone taking care of someone with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, and they get frustrated in dealing with that, and they don't know how to cope," says Dave Hall of Carlton County Adult Protection.
A big part of the problem is that often senior citizens are afraid to report crimes of abuse.
"It's a closed door. I should be dealing with it. Nobody needs to know about it," says Tribal Elder Victim Services, Harbir Kaur.
"A lot of time, the family, it's embarrassing for them because they see it's more of a family issue," says Sergeant Chad Nagorski of the Duluth Police Department.
Experts say it's not only embarrassment, some seniors feel they just don't have a choice.
"They're afraid of being sent somewhere worse. Or they're getting subtle threats from the individual whose doing it," says Holtz.
As the elderly population grows experts say various forms of dementia will make them increasingly easy targets. And they say law enforcement and lawmakers must work more aggressively to protect our senior citizens.
"There isn't enough being done. There's nothing addressing prevention as far as I can see," says Tribal Spiritual Adviser, Lee Staples.
One step in that direction happened this legislative session. A new Minnesota law makes some forms of elder neglect a felony level crime.
"Before this law we had laws where if you intentionally neglected your animals you might be punished more than if you intentionally neglected your mom or your grandma," says Holtz.
"There are cases in the record that showed that one, literally, could be fined a greater number of dollars for running a red light than for starving an old person nearly to death," says Freeman.
Many experts see the new Minnesota law as a step in the right direction but feel more needs to be done.
"We have to make sure that county governments, the vulnerable adults units, that all county government and local law enforcement, that everybody's on the same page," says former Duluth Police Chief, Scott Lyons.
As we continue our special report on "Easy Targets" Barbara will take a look at what's being done to protect our vulnerable senior citizens and how we can recognize signs of abuse among our elderly population.
SOURCE: The NorthlandsNewsCenter
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May 24, 2012
AG: More Than 200 Seniors Defrauded in Home-Care Scam
AG: More than 200 seniors defrauded in home-care scam
May 23, 2012
By Margaret Gibbons Staff writer
An Upper Southampton man is among four suspects arrested Monday on charges of bilking more than a combined $700,000 from 200-plus seniors in a multi-pronged fraud scam involving home care, home security services and long-term care insurance.
Ross M. Rabelow, 52, of the 500 block of Jason Drive, is behind bars in lieu of $1 million cash bail on charges that include participating in a corrupt organization, theft, unfair business practices, insurance fraud, conspiracy and dealing in proceeds from unlawful activity.
Bruce Howard Cherry, 52, of Philadelphia, and Thomas J. Muldoon, 57, of Delaware County, are also in prison in lieu of similar bail on the same charges. Robert P. Lerner, 56, of Philadelphia, is in prison in lieu of $250,000 cash bail. Lerner is charged with most of the same charges except for corrupt organization.
“This was a disturbing and despicable scheme designed to extract as much money as possible from unwitting seniors who believed they were protecting themselves against costly future home care expenses,” state Attorney General Linda Kelly said Monday in announcing the arrest of the four at a press conference at the state agency’s office in Lower Providence.
The victims were deceived into spending thousands of dollars for bogus home care or home security services, according to Kelly.
State investigators have identified at least 218 victims of the alleged frauds that date from September 2008 until this year. The victims are from 41 counties in Pennsylvania as well as from New Jersey, New York and Maryland.
The bulk of the victims primarily are from Southeast Pennsylvania, with 10 to 15 victims each in Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, Northampton, Lancaster and Berks counties. The largest number of victims, 24, live in Lehigh County.
The average age of the victims, many who were listed as retired school teachers, was 83, according to Kelly. Most were women, widowed and living alone without any nearby family members.
The alleged business fronts used in the various scams, said authorities, included:
• American Comfort Home Care Services: A company, owned by Rabelow and for which Cherry served as the primary salesman, that purportedly provided nonmedical home care services such as housekeeping, cooking and dressing for the elderly. Victims were typically encouraged to purchase 1,000 hours of service at a yearly cost of $1,590, according to Kelly.
• Global Services for the Home: A company allegedly operated by Muldoon that was to provide home safety equipment for seniors and would serve as a “health advocate” to assist seniors in dealing with their insurance companies.
• Cherry Senior Solutions: A company allegedly operated by Cherry that was to provide “expert” counseling for seniors concerning long-term health care insurance and other insurance needs that they might have had.
“In reality, these businesses were little more than names on pieces of paper, serving as a mechanism to repeatedly approach seniors with sales presentation,” said Kelly. “Victims were often encouraged to purchase multiple overlapping contracts or to pay for duplicate ‘services’ included in this scheme. In some cases, victims were advised to cancel legitimate insurance policies for long-term health care in favor of the bogus programs pushed by the defendants.”
In most cases, one or more of the defendants would make cold calls to the victims’ homes, said Kelly.
Both Cherry and Rabelow once worked in legitimate long-term health insurance businesses and had access to databases through which they could get names to target their alleged victims, according to Kelly.
In most cases, the defendants initially approached their targeted victims to get them to contract with American Comfort Home Care Services. Subsequent calls were made to have them sign up for home security needs and counseling on other long-term health care insurance.
An investigation by the state indicated that more than 70 percent of the revenue that came into American Comfort Home Care Services went into the pockets of the defendants while only 3 percent went to actual services provided by the company, said Kelly.
Victims’ requests for assistance often were ignored, delayed, discouraged or minimized in an effort to avoid providing services, according to Kelly. Only when a victim or a victim’s family were persistent were a minimal amount of services provided, said Kelly.
In one case where the family was persistent, Rabelow allegedly advertised for a caregiver on Craigslist, interviewed the person at a doughnut shop and then directed the person not to provide the senior with any more than 18 hours of care over a two-week period, said Kelly. She added that Rabelow never did any background checks on the woman.
In another case, a 90-year-old woman preparing for hip-replacement surgery repeatedly tried to contact American Comfort to arrange for services, according to Kelly. Her repeated calls and phone messages were ignored even though she had purchased two contracts through which she was to receive 1,600 hours of services. As a result, the woman had to rely on her elderly friends for help.
Rabelow, Cherry and Muldoon visited the woman’s home several days after she returned home from surgery to advise her that the “fine print” in her contracts voided the contracts because her friends had cared for her, said Kelly.
Once the group got their proverbial foot in the door through the purchases of the American Comfort contracts, they then pushed the victims to purchase home security contracts as well as counseling services, said Kelly.
“These defendants just repeatedly preyed on our most vulnerable citizens,” said Kelly.
Family members and friends of the elderly should reach out to them to ensure that they do not become victims of scam artists, said Kelly.
The preliminary hearings for the four defendants are scheduled for June 30 before District Judge Paul N. Leo in Hatboro.
Abridged
SOURCE: The PhillyBurbs
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May 23, 2012
By Margaret Gibbons Staff writer
An Upper Southampton man is among four suspects arrested Monday on charges of bilking more than a combined $700,000 from 200-plus seniors in a multi-pronged fraud scam involving home care, home security services and long-term care insurance.
Ross M. Rabelow, 52, of the 500 block of Jason Drive, is behind bars in lieu of $1 million cash bail on charges that include participating in a corrupt organization, theft, unfair business practices, insurance fraud, conspiracy and dealing in proceeds from unlawful activity.
Bruce Howard Cherry, 52, of Philadelphia, and Thomas J. Muldoon, 57, of Delaware County, are also in prison in lieu of similar bail on the same charges. Robert P. Lerner, 56, of Philadelphia, is in prison in lieu of $250,000 cash bail. Lerner is charged with most of the same charges except for corrupt organization.
“This was a disturbing and despicable scheme designed to extract as much money as possible from unwitting seniors who believed they were protecting themselves against costly future home care expenses,” state Attorney General Linda Kelly said Monday in announcing the arrest of the four at a press conference at the state agency’s office in Lower Providence.
The victims were deceived into spending thousands of dollars for bogus home care or home security services, according to Kelly.
State investigators have identified at least 218 victims of the alleged frauds that date from September 2008 until this year. The victims are from 41 counties in Pennsylvania as well as from New Jersey, New York and Maryland.
The bulk of the victims primarily are from Southeast Pennsylvania, with 10 to 15 victims each in Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, Northampton, Lancaster and Berks counties. The largest number of victims, 24, live in Lehigh County.
The average age of the victims, many who were listed as retired school teachers, was 83, according to Kelly. Most were women, widowed and living alone without any nearby family members.
The alleged business fronts used in the various scams, said authorities, included:
• American Comfort Home Care Services: A company, owned by Rabelow and for which Cherry served as the primary salesman, that purportedly provided nonmedical home care services such as housekeeping, cooking and dressing for the elderly. Victims were typically encouraged to purchase 1,000 hours of service at a yearly cost of $1,590, according to Kelly.
• Global Services for the Home: A company allegedly operated by Muldoon that was to provide home safety equipment for seniors and would serve as a “health advocate” to assist seniors in dealing with their insurance companies.
• Cherry Senior Solutions: A company allegedly operated by Cherry that was to provide “expert” counseling for seniors concerning long-term health care insurance and other insurance needs that they might have had.
“In reality, these businesses were little more than names on pieces of paper, serving as a mechanism to repeatedly approach seniors with sales presentation,” said Kelly. “Victims were often encouraged to purchase multiple overlapping contracts or to pay for duplicate ‘services’ included in this scheme. In some cases, victims were advised to cancel legitimate insurance policies for long-term health care in favor of the bogus programs pushed by the defendants.”
In most cases, one or more of the defendants would make cold calls to the victims’ homes, said Kelly.
Both Cherry and Rabelow once worked in legitimate long-term health insurance businesses and had access to databases through which they could get names to target their alleged victims, according to Kelly.
In most cases, the defendants initially approached their targeted victims to get them to contract with American Comfort Home Care Services. Subsequent calls were made to have them sign up for home security needs and counseling on other long-term health care insurance.
An investigation by the state indicated that more than 70 percent of the revenue that came into American Comfort Home Care Services went into the pockets of the defendants while only 3 percent went to actual services provided by the company, said Kelly.
Victims’ requests for assistance often were ignored, delayed, discouraged or minimized in an effort to avoid providing services, according to Kelly. Only when a victim or a victim’s family were persistent were a minimal amount of services provided, said Kelly.
In one case where the family was persistent, Rabelow allegedly advertised for a caregiver on Craigslist, interviewed the person at a doughnut shop and then directed the person not to provide the senior with any more than 18 hours of care over a two-week period, said Kelly. She added that Rabelow never did any background checks on the woman.
In another case, a 90-year-old woman preparing for hip-replacement surgery repeatedly tried to contact American Comfort to arrange for services, according to Kelly. Her repeated calls and phone messages were ignored even though she had purchased two contracts through which she was to receive 1,600 hours of services. As a result, the woman had to rely on her elderly friends for help.
Rabelow, Cherry and Muldoon visited the woman’s home several days after she returned home from surgery to advise her that the “fine print” in her contracts voided the contracts because her friends had cared for her, said Kelly.
Once the group got their proverbial foot in the door through the purchases of the American Comfort contracts, they then pushed the victims to purchase home security contracts as well as counseling services, said Kelly.
“These defendants just repeatedly preyed on our most vulnerable citizens,” said Kelly.
Family members and friends of the elderly should reach out to them to ensure that they do not become victims of scam artists, said Kelly.
The preliminary hearings for the four defendants are scheduled for June 30 before District Judge Paul N. Leo in Hatboro.
Abridged
SOURCE: The PhillyBurbs
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Police Look for 'Pros' in $62K Scam of Daytona Beach Woman
Police look for 'pros' in $62K scam of Daytona Beach woman
By CHRIS GRAHAM, Staff writer
May 24, 2012
DAYTONA BEACH -- A pair of scammers talked an 87-year-old woman into giving them $62,000 before running off, and it's likely they've done it before, the police chief said.
"These people were absolute pros," Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood said Wednesday.
Detectives continue to search for the suspects who pulled off the scam Tuesday afternoon from the parking lots of Publix and Sam's Club on Beville Road, according to an incident report.
Police say the victim, whose identity was withheld by authorities, had parked in a handicapped spot in the Publix parking lot on her way to get a prescription filled when she was approached by a heavy-set black female.
The suspect talked the victim into driving her to the Sam's Club parking lot, where a man was waiting. The male suspect approached the victim's vehicle and said he needed money to fly to Sudan, Africa, because his royal father had died and left $300,000 to be donated to charity. He also said he would give them $25,000 for helping him out, the report shows.
The female suspect convinced the victim to withdraw $12,000 from Wells Fargo Bank on Beville Road. The victim was told by the female suspect to tell bank officials she needed the money to travel to see her sister. Bank officials told police that they are not allowed to question people about their money once the account owner is "verified," though the service manager told officers "she just did not feel right about the situation," according to the report.
When the victim and female suspect returned to the Sam's Club parking lot, the male suspect said it was not enough. The victim then went to her Daytona Beach home and took $50,000 from a safe, police said.
She drove back to the parking lot and gave the man the money, which he prayed over, and then ran away with the female suspect.
The female suspect is described in the incident report as being 5 foot 3 to 5 foot 6, 240 to 250 pounds, and wearing a long hair wig. The male suspect was described as black, with a thin build, short brown hair and clean shaven. They were seen leaving the area in a white Nissan Altima.
Chitwood said the woman has gone to many of his community police meetings, but she forgot everything she had learned until it was too late.
"She was kind of caught off guard," Chitwood said.
A growing number of criminals are preying on the elderly, the chief said.
According to the National Center of Elder Abuse, there may be at least 5 million financial abuse victims each year. It's estimated for each case of elder abuse, about five cases going unreported.
"It's a growing group and the scumbags and dregs of society are taking advantage of them," he said, "and these folks don't have the ability to fight back."
A $2,500 reward is being offered for the arrest and conviction of the suspects. Anyone with information on the suspects is urged to contact police at 386-671-5100
SOURCE: NewsJournalOnline
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By CHRIS GRAHAM, Staff writer
May 24, 2012
DAYTONA BEACH -- A pair of scammers talked an 87-year-old woman into giving them $62,000 before running off, and it's likely they've done it before, the police chief said.
"These people were absolute pros," Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood said Wednesday.
Detectives continue to search for the suspects who pulled off the scam Tuesday afternoon from the parking lots of Publix and Sam's Club on Beville Road, according to an incident report.
Police say the victim, whose identity was withheld by authorities, had parked in a handicapped spot in the Publix parking lot on her way to get a prescription filled when she was approached by a heavy-set black female.
The suspect talked the victim into driving her to the Sam's Club parking lot, where a man was waiting. The male suspect approached the victim's vehicle and said he needed money to fly to Sudan, Africa, because his royal father had died and left $300,000 to be donated to charity. He also said he would give them $25,000 for helping him out, the report shows.
The female suspect convinced the victim to withdraw $12,000 from Wells Fargo Bank on Beville Road. The victim was told by the female suspect to tell bank officials she needed the money to travel to see her sister. Bank officials told police that they are not allowed to question people about their money once the account owner is "verified," though the service manager told officers "she just did not feel right about the situation," according to the report.
When the victim and female suspect returned to the Sam's Club parking lot, the male suspect said it was not enough. The victim then went to her Daytona Beach home and took $50,000 from a safe, police said.
She drove back to the parking lot and gave the man the money, which he prayed over, and then ran away with the female suspect.
The female suspect is described in the incident report as being 5 foot 3 to 5 foot 6, 240 to 250 pounds, and wearing a long hair wig. The male suspect was described as black, with a thin build, short brown hair and clean shaven. They were seen leaving the area in a white Nissan Altima.
Chitwood said the woman has gone to many of his community police meetings, but she forgot everything she had learned until it was too late.
"She was kind of caught off guard," Chitwood said.
A growing number of criminals are preying on the elderly, the chief said.
According to the National Center of Elder Abuse, there may be at least 5 million financial abuse victims each year. It's estimated for each case of elder abuse, about five cases going unreported.
"It's a growing group and the scumbags and dregs of society are taking advantage of them," he said, "and these folks don't have the ability to fight back."
A $2,500 reward is being offered for the arrest and conviction of the suspects. Anyone with information on the suspects is urged to contact police at 386-671-5100
SOURCE: NewsJournalOnline
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May 23, 2012
Scam Artists Caught Heading for Hong Kong
Older Chinese women were approached on the street and told they were plagued by evil spirits, and that a "purification" ceremony was needed.
May 18, 2012
Three women have been arrested and charged in connection with a scam targeting older Chinese women in San Francisco and other major cities around the U.S. in the past few months, police and prosecutors announced Thursday at a news conference.
Lirong Lin, 57, Caiqiong Chen, 43, and Huifei Lin, 42, were arrested and charged with multiple counts of grand theft, extortion and elder financial abuse. Lirong and Huifei Lin are also being held on out of state warrants, according to police.
The scams took place all around San Francisco, mostly in March of this year, and targeted mostly older Chinese women who were approached on the street and told they were plagued by evil spirits, police said.
The suspects would convince victims that a "purification" ceremony was needed to get rid of the evil spirits and tell them to bring all of their jewelry and money to be purified.
The suspects would then place the items in a bag and, when the victim was not looking, would take the items out of the bag and tell the victim not to look in the bag for several days or else the purification would not work.
At least 25 victims fell for the scam around the city, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cash and jewelry, police Chief Greg Suhr said.
The suspects, who also allegedly targeted victims in other major cities such as New York City and Boston, were identified by New York police and were caught on May 10 as they were getting ready to board a plane from San Francisco International Airport to Hong Kong, Suhr said.
The women had tens of thousands of dollars in cash and property in their luggage, police said.
Two other women who were with the suspects, Feiyan Wu, 45, and Qinying Ke, 47, were also arrested on out-of-state warrants at the airport while a sixth woman was detained but later released.
Suhr said the arrests "have tremendously impacted this organized crime ring" and said he hoped more victims will come forward or be aware of suspects trying a similar scam.
"If the deal seems too good to be true, or there's pressure put on you that something has to happen right now with your property or finances...there's something wrong with that," he said.
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon called the case "a classic bait and switch scam" and said it highlighted the issue of elder abuse, which he called "a real problem in our community."
Thirteen of the 25 victims identified so far are elderly, defined by police as age 65 or older.
Huifei Lin, Caiqiong Chen and Lirong Lin were arraigned on various charges on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty.
Huifei Lin faces four counts of grand theft, five counts of extortion, three counts of defrauding an elder and one count each of robbery and causing injury to an elder, all felonies, and is being held on $740,000, prosecutors said.
Caiqiong Chen and Lirong Lin have each been charged with seven felonies - three counts of grand theft, three counts of extortion and a count of defrauding an elder. They are each being held in lieu of $495,000 bail apiece, according to the district attorney's office.
The trio is scheduled to return to court on June 14 to set a preliminary hearing date.
Anyone who may have been a victim of the scam is encouraged to call Inspectors Kim Lewis or Julie Yee of the San Francisco Police Department's financial crimes unit at (415) 553-1521.
Police have also established a tip line to provide information in Cantonese at (415) 553-9212.
SOURCE: The FosterPatch
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Older Chinese women were approached on the street and told they were plagued by evil spirits, and that a "purification" ceremony was needed.
May 18, 2012
Three women have been arrested and charged in connection with a scam targeting older Chinese women in San Francisco and other major cities around the U.S. in the past few months, police and prosecutors announced Thursday at a news conference.
Lirong Lin, 57, Caiqiong Chen, 43, and Huifei Lin, 42, were arrested and charged with multiple counts of grand theft, extortion and elder financial abuse. Lirong and Huifei Lin are also being held on out of state warrants, according to police.
The scams took place all around San Francisco, mostly in March of this year, and targeted mostly older Chinese women who were approached on the street and told they were plagued by evil spirits, police said.
The suspects would convince victims that a "purification" ceremony was needed to get rid of the evil spirits and tell them to bring all of their jewelry and money to be purified.
The suspects would then place the items in a bag and, when the victim was not looking, would take the items out of the bag and tell the victim not to look in the bag for several days or else the purification would not work.
At least 25 victims fell for the scam around the city, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cash and jewelry, police Chief Greg Suhr said.
The suspects, who also allegedly targeted victims in other major cities such as New York City and Boston, were identified by New York police and were caught on May 10 as they were getting ready to board a plane from San Francisco International Airport to Hong Kong, Suhr said.
The women had tens of thousands of dollars in cash and property in their luggage, police said.
Two other women who were with the suspects, Feiyan Wu, 45, and Qinying Ke, 47, were also arrested on out-of-state warrants at the airport while a sixth woman was detained but later released.
Suhr said the arrests "have tremendously impacted this organized crime ring" and said he hoped more victims will come forward or be aware of suspects trying a similar scam.
"If the deal seems too good to be true, or there's pressure put on you that something has to happen right now with your property or finances...there's something wrong with that," he said.
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon called the case "a classic bait and switch scam" and said it highlighted the issue of elder abuse, which he called "a real problem in our community."
Thirteen of the 25 victims identified so far are elderly, defined by police as age 65 or older.
Huifei Lin, Caiqiong Chen and Lirong Lin were arraigned on various charges on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty.
Huifei Lin faces four counts of grand theft, five counts of extortion, three counts of defrauding an elder and one count each of robbery and causing injury to an elder, all felonies, and is being held on $740,000, prosecutors said.
Caiqiong Chen and Lirong Lin have each been charged with seven felonies - three counts of grand theft, three counts of extortion and a count of defrauding an elder. They are each being held in lieu of $495,000 bail apiece, according to the district attorney's office.
The trio is scheduled to return to court on June 14 to set a preliminary hearing date.
Anyone who may have been a victim of the scam is encouraged to call Inspectors Kim Lewis or Julie Yee of the San Francisco Police Department's financial crimes unit at (415) 553-1521.
Police have also established a tip line to provide information in Cantonese at (415) 553-9212.
SOURCE: The FosterPatch
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Senior's Rare Coin Collection Swiped
By Sharon Hill
The Windsor Star
May 19, 2012
Eighty-seven-year-old Roseann Robinson wanted a coin dealer she invited into her home to just look at her late mother's coin collection, not rush out the door with it.
"I followed him out in the hall and thanked him for coming. I turned around and came back in. He had taken everything," Robinson said. "There was nothing. None of the paper money. Nothing."
She had been hesitant to show the collection to anyone but trusted this acquaintance she knew from Chrysler pension meetings. She had just served him coffee and chatted for about an hour. Although curious about the value of some of the coins she didn't intend to sell them and had only agreed to sell some Canadian silver dollar coins for $20.
As she was putting the coffee cups back in the kitchen she heard the man snapping shut his attaché case and leaving. She didn't realize until she saw the empty kitchen table that the collection she estimates was worth $3,000 to $4,000 was gone - coins and paper money from around the world. American silver dollars and 50 cent pieces in their felt boxes. Coins that had never been in circulation. One that dated back to around 1900. Gone.
She ran to catch him but he had already driven away.
"I just walked around in a circle crying all day," Robinson said Friday.
She was so upset she couldn't sleep for two nights. She said she felt stupid and then she got angry.
Robinson tried to phone the man and talk to him at a coin show saying she wouldn't phone the police if he would just give her back the coin collection. When he wouldn't she went to police.
"I don't think he should get away with this."
Windsor police have charged Glen Gibbons, 68, of Windsor with theft under $5,000. If convicted the maximum jail sentence is two years. He is to appear in court May 29.
Sadly it's a typical case among our trusting seniors, said Const. Julie Hebert, an elder abuse officer with the Windsor police.
Elder abuse, whether it is financial, physical, psychological or a case of neglect, affects about a quarter of seniors in Windsor and Essex County, Hebert said.
"It bothers me when people take advantage of seniors. These are people who have been contributing members of society for 60, 70, 80 years and at moments when they are most vulnerable people take advantage of them," Hebert said.
Statistics from 2005 indicated there were about 12,000 cases of elder abuse each year, which means five to 12 per cent of seniors being abused locally, but Hebert said that has likely doubled.
And it may only get worse. Hebert figures elder abuse cases in Windsor will only grow as the area - with its low cost of living and mild climate - attracts more retirees.
"Elder abuse is one of the most under-reported forms of abuse if not the most underreported because 90 per cent of elderly people are abused by somebody they know, either a caregiver or a family member."
The elderly adult may not want to get a family member in trouble or they may have dementia and not recognize they are being abused.
Most of the elder abuse is financial and seniors can lose their life savings, hundreds of thousands of dollars, she said.
"Theft by power of attorney is a huge one where somebody who is supposed to be looking after their finances is bleeding them dry," she said.
When you have power of attorney you have to keep your finances and the other person's finances separate, Hebert said. That means keeping track of purchases made for the other person and not using their money for yourself. She recommends seniors keep track of their bank records and have two joint power of attorneys and that neither of those people live in the same household.
Then there are scams online, in the mail and through persistent telephone calls.
Hebert warns seniors to be very careful about who they invite into their home and who they hire to have work done. She said before they sign a contract always have a second person see it.
SOURCE: The WindsorStar
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The Windsor Star
May 19, 2012
Eighty-seven-year-old Roseann Robinson wanted a coin dealer she invited into her home to just look at her late mother's coin collection, not rush out the door with it.
"I followed him out in the hall and thanked him for coming. I turned around and came back in. He had taken everything," Robinson said. "There was nothing. None of the paper money. Nothing."
She had been hesitant to show the collection to anyone but trusted this acquaintance she knew from Chrysler pension meetings. She had just served him coffee and chatted for about an hour. Although curious about the value of some of the coins she didn't intend to sell them and had only agreed to sell some Canadian silver dollar coins for $20.
As she was putting the coffee cups back in the kitchen she heard the man snapping shut his attaché case and leaving. She didn't realize until she saw the empty kitchen table that the collection she estimates was worth $3,000 to $4,000 was gone - coins and paper money from around the world. American silver dollars and 50 cent pieces in their felt boxes. Coins that had never been in circulation. One that dated back to around 1900. Gone.
She ran to catch him but he had already driven away.
"I just walked around in a circle crying all day," Robinson said Friday.
She was so upset she couldn't sleep for two nights. She said she felt stupid and then she got angry.
Robinson tried to phone the man and talk to him at a coin show saying she wouldn't phone the police if he would just give her back the coin collection. When he wouldn't she went to police.
"I don't think he should get away with this."
Windsor police have charged Glen Gibbons, 68, of Windsor with theft under $5,000. If convicted the maximum jail sentence is two years. He is to appear in court May 29.
Sadly it's a typical case among our trusting seniors, said Const. Julie Hebert, an elder abuse officer with the Windsor police.
Elder abuse, whether it is financial, physical, psychological or a case of neglect, affects about a quarter of seniors in Windsor and Essex County, Hebert said.
"It bothers me when people take advantage of seniors. These are people who have been contributing members of society for 60, 70, 80 years and at moments when they are most vulnerable people take advantage of them," Hebert said.
Statistics from 2005 indicated there were about 12,000 cases of elder abuse each year, which means five to 12 per cent of seniors being abused locally, but Hebert said that has likely doubled.
And it may only get worse. Hebert figures elder abuse cases in Windsor will only grow as the area - with its low cost of living and mild climate - attracts more retirees.
"Elder abuse is one of the most under-reported forms of abuse if not the most underreported because 90 per cent of elderly people are abused by somebody they know, either a caregiver or a family member."
The elderly adult may not want to get a family member in trouble or they may have dementia and not recognize they are being abused.
Most of the elder abuse is financial and seniors can lose their life savings, hundreds of thousands of dollars, she said.
"Theft by power of attorney is a huge one where somebody who is supposed to be looking after their finances is bleeding them dry," she said.
When you have power of attorney you have to keep your finances and the other person's finances separate, Hebert said. That means keeping track of purchases made for the other person and not using their money for yourself. She recommends seniors keep track of their bank records and have two joint power of attorneys and that neither of those people live in the same household.
Then there are scams online, in the mail and through persistent telephone calls.
Hebert warns seniors to be very careful about who they invite into their home and who they hire to have work done. She said before they sign a contract always have a second person see it.
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star
SOURCE: The WindsorStar
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Woman Accused of Stealing $28,000 from Elderly Lady
Woman accused of stealing $28,000 from elderly lady
May 21, 2012 4:27 PM
THE RECORDER
Police arrested a Porterville woman accused of taking approximately $28,000 from an 87-year-old woman who was in her care.
The suspect, identified as 54-year-old Mary Louise Moore, is in custody of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department.
The Porterville Police Department reports that on Thursday, detectives received a referral from Tulare County Adult Protective Services alleging potential financial abuse that had been occurring since 2010.
The crime was said to have taken place at an assisted living home in the 500 block of West Kanai Avenue in Porterville. Moore, a caregiver at the facility, was identified as the suspect.
Detectives contacted the victim’s family members and found that about $28,000 was missing from her bank accounts.
Moore was contacted and reportedly confessed to the crime.
According to the PPD, Moore said she had obtained the money without the victim’s permission and gambled $12,000 at the casino. She also said she had placed $9,000 of the victim’s money in a safe in her home.
The cash was recovered by detectives and returned to the victim’s family.
Moore was taken into custody of the Bob Wiley Detention Facility on suspicion of financial elder abuse.
The investigation is ongoing to ensure there are no other victim’s living in the care facility
SOURCE: The RecordOnline
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May 21, 2012 4:27 PM
THE RECORDER
Police arrested a Porterville woman accused of taking approximately $28,000 from an 87-year-old woman who was in her care.
The suspect, identified as 54-year-old Mary Louise Moore, is in custody of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department.
The Porterville Police Department reports that on Thursday, detectives received a referral from Tulare County Adult Protective Services alleging potential financial abuse that had been occurring since 2010.
The crime was said to have taken place at an assisted living home in the 500 block of West Kanai Avenue in Porterville. Moore, a caregiver at the facility, was identified as the suspect.
Detectives contacted the victim’s family members and found that about $28,000 was missing from her bank accounts.
Moore was contacted and reportedly confessed to the crime.
According to the PPD, Moore said she had obtained the money without the victim’s permission and gambled $12,000 at the casino. She also said she had placed $9,000 of the victim’s money in a safe in her home.
The cash was recovered by detectives and returned to the victim’s family.
Moore was taken into custody of the Bob Wiley Detention Facility on suspicion of financial elder abuse.
The investigation is ongoing to ensure there are no other victim’s living in the care facility
SOURCE: The RecordOnline
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Spotlight on Reporting of Elder Abuse (AUSTRALIA)
22 May 2012
Nurses and carers are being called on to share their experiences of reporting suspected cases of elder abuse for an Australian first research project, writes Linda Belardi.
An Australian first study is investigating the under-researched field of elder abuse, which researchers say lags 30 years behind research and policy development in child abuse and domestic violence.
Linda Starr, a PhD student from the school of nursing and midwifery at Flinders University, said most of the evidence collected in this area had come from the US.
The study will form the basis of recommendations to improve the reporting of elder abuse for staff and the effectiveness of the system for the elderly.
Registered nurses, enrolled nurses and personal carers working in aged care facilities are being asked to share their experiences of identifying and reporting elder abuse as compelled under the Aged Care Act.
The research aims to identify the facilitators and barriers for nurses to identify abuse and make a report. To date, researchers are yet to explore the factors that contribute to the successful prosecution of elder abuse cases in residential aged care, said Starr.
Starr said memory loss, illness or disability were significant issues which meant that a victim would be unable to testify.
Starr is keen to explore whether inadequate documentation practices within aged care facilities could be hampering the prosecution of a case
“A lack of knowledge of what evidence is and how this should be collected, preserved and documented has led to prosecutors not being able to trial cases leaving perpetrators of abuse unaccountable for their actions,” she said.
Starr will also explore the experience of investigating officers and police to better understand the hidden phenomenon of elder abuse in Australia. This part of her research will help identify the strengths or weaknesses of the reports and the impact on the capacity of police to investigate and prosecute these cases.
“The aim of the research is to identify what were the ‘bridges’ or good aspects of the experience that facilitated [a nurse or carer] recognising abuse and making the report and what were the ‘barriers - the aspects that impeded or made it difficult for someone to identify abuse and make the report,” she said.
In 2007, the Commonwealth government introduced reporting laws for actual or suspected cases of elder abuse.
In the first year of mandatory reporting there were 925 reports made; 725 for alleged unreasonable force and 200 alleged unlawful sexual assault. In the following year, the number of reports rose to 1,411 alleged assaults. However it is unknown how many of these reports were substantiated cases of elder abuse.
Starr said few charges have ever been laid and even fewer convictions made.
For more information or to participate in the study which has received ethics approval; contact Linda Starr at linda.starr@flinders.edu.au or on (08) 8201 3340 or 0427234203.
SOURCE: The Nursing Review, Australia
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Nurses and carers are being called on to share their experiences of reporting suspected cases of elder abuse for an Australian first research project, writes Linda Belardi.
An Australian first study is investigating the under-researched field of elder abuse, which researchers say lags 30 years behind research and policy development in child abuse and domestic violence.
Linda Starr, a PhD student from the school of nursing and midwifery at Flinders University, said most of the evidence collected in this area had come from the US.
The study will form the basis of recommendations to improve the reporting of elder abuse for staff and the effectiveness of the system for the elderly.
Registered nurses, enrolled nurses and personal carers working in aged care facilities are being asked to share their experiences of identifying and reporting elder abuse as compelled under the Aged Care Act.
The research aims to identify the facilitators and barriers for nurses to identify abuse and make a report. To date, researchers are yet to explore the factors that contribute to the successful prosecution of elder abuse cases in residential aged care, said Starr.
Starr said memory loss, illness or disability were significant issues which meant that a victim would be unable to testify.
Starr is keen to explore whether inadequate documentation practices within aged care facilities could be hampering the prosecution of a case
“A lack of knowledge of what evidence is and how this should be collected, preserved and documented has led to prosecutors not being able to trial cases leaving perpetrators of abuse unaccountable for their actions,” she said.
Starr will also explore the experience of investigating officers and police to better understand the hidden phenomenon of elder abuse in Australia. This part of her research will help identify the strengths or weaknesses of the reports and the impact on the capacity of police to investigate and prosecute these cases.
“The aim of the research is to identify what were the ‘bridges’ or good aspects of the experience that facilitated [a nurse or carer] recognising abuse and making the report and what were the ‘barriers - the aspects that impeded or made it difficult for someone to identify abuse and make the report,” she said.
In 2007, the Commonwealth government introduced reporting laws for actual or suspected cases of elder abuse.
In the first year of mandatory reporting there were 925 reports made; 725 for alleged unreasonable force and 200 alleged unlawful sexual assault. In the following year, the number of reports rose to 1,411 alleged assaults. However it is unknown how many of these reports were substantiated cases of elder abuse.
Starr said few charges have ever been laid and even fewer convictions made.
For more information or to participate in the study which has received ethics approval; contact Linda Starr at linda.starr@flinders.edu.au or on (08) 8201 3340 or 0427234203.
SOURCE: The Nursing Review, Australia
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May 22, 2012
New Jersey Considers Law to Prevent 'Granny Snatching' (USA)
Law would alleviate jurisdictional issues when families feud over guardianship.
By Beth Fitzgerald, NJ Spotlight
The New Jersey Legislature is considering a new law to prevent an elder abuse known as “granny snatching” by joining a multi-state network that protects adults who need the assistance of a guardian when families feud.
“There has been one case after another where we have venue challenges and jurisdictional challenges that have caused a lot of problems,” said Sen. Fred H. Madden (D-Gloucester), co-sponsor of the legislation.
Typically, a NJ court appoints a daughter as guardian for an elderly mother incapacitated by Alzheimer’s. The mother then visits another daughter in Florida, who goes to court seeking to overturn the New Jersey guardianship order and be named the new legal guardian.
The bill now under consideration in Trenton -- the New Jersey Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act -- would allow New Jersey’s guardianship orders to be recognized by other states with the law.
The bills, S1755 and A2628, establish uniform procedures for addressing interstate conflicts regarding adult guardianship issues, and brings New Jersey into an national guardianship reciprocity network that includes more than 30 states.
The bill has bipartisan support and was approved last week by the Senate’s health committee. Co-sponsors are Madden and Sen. Dawn Marie Addiego (R-Burlington).
“There have been cases where another family member moved to establish guardianship in another state, and they prevailed,” Madden said. “We had no strength to bring the individual back to New Jersey, which was where the original guardianship had taken place.”
Such feuds can lead to costly court that deplete the elderly ward’s resources and tie of up courts, at taxpayer’s expense.
“I am hoping [the bill] will save money, and it will help family members in different states by making laws uniform and consistent,” Addiego said. “Guardianship cases stretching beyond state boundaries raise questions about jurisdiction, laws and rights in today’s mobile society.”
Elder law attorney Sharon Rivenson Mark, president of the Guardianship Association of New Jersey, said the legislation would not put an end to dispute among family members. What the legislation will do, however, is address the issue of how to determine which state has jurisdiction in a guardianship case.
Abridged
SOURCE: The East Windsor Patch
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By Beth Fitzgerald, NJ Spotlight
The New Jersey Legislature is considering a new law to prevent an elder abuse known as “granny snatching” by joining a multi-state network that protects adults who need the assistance of a guardian when families feud.
“There has been one case after another where we have venue challenges and jurisdictional challenges that have caused a lot of problems,” said Sen. Fred H. Madden (D-Gloucester), co-sponsor of the legislation.
Typically, a NJ court appoints a daughter as guardian for an elderly mother incapacitated by Alzheimer’s. The mother then visits another daughter in Florida, who goes to court seeking to overturn the New Jersey guardianship order and be named the new legal guardian.
The bill now under consideration in Trenton -- the New Jersey Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act -- would allow New Jersey’s guardianship orders to be recognized by other states with the law.
The bills, S1755 and A2628, establish uniform procedures for addressing interstate conflicts regarding adult guardianship issues, and brings New Jersey into an national guardianship reciprocity network that includes more than 30 states.
The bill has bipartisan support and was approved last week by the Senate’s health committee. Co-sponsors are Madden and Sen. Dawn Marie Addiego (R-Burlington).
“There have been cases where another family member moved to establish guardianship in another state, and they prevailed,” Madden said. “We had no strength to bring the individual back to New Jersey, which was where the original guardianship had taken place.”
Such feuds can lead to costly court that deplete the elderly ward’s resources and tie of up courts, at taxpayer’s expense.
“I am hoping [the bill] will save money, and it will help family members in different states by making laws uniform and consistent,” Addiego said. “Guardianship cases stretching beyond state boundaries raise questions about jurisdiction, laws and rights in today’s mobile society.”
Elder law attorney Sharon Rivenson Mark, president of the Guardianship Association of New Jersey, said the legislation would not put an end to dispute among family members. What the legislation will do, however, is address the issue of how to determine which state has jurisdiction in a guardianship case.
Abridged
SOURCE: The East Windsor Patch
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