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Elder Abuse: what it is

Elder Abuse: what it is

Written by R. A. Stewart

Elder Abuse may be a term you may not have heard of. It is a term that is being used more frequently than in the past so what does it mean?

It is when someone who is of the older generation is being taken advantage of. The abuse may not need to be of a financial nature. As with all kinds of abuse it could come in a number of forms; financial abuse

Not repaying loans

Unauthorised taking of money or other assets

Scams that rely on developing a relationship with the older person with the intention of taking their money and assets. Dating scams is an example of this.

Use of home without contributing to the costs.

Psychological abuse

This comes in many forms and could be threats, intimidation, and hostility.

Control

This can be making decisions on the behalf of the elder person or taking authority over their everyday life.

Isolation

Lack of affection

Ridicule, humiliation, and general put downs.

Physical

Intimidation

Threats of violence

Neglect

This could be neglecting the physical and emotional needs of the person.

Abandonment

This could be someone who is responsible for the care of an older person not fulfilling their obligations.

Many victims of Elder Abuse do not speak about what is happening because they are dependent on others for support. Low self-esteem is another reason why incidents are not reported by victims of elder abuse.

Elder Abuse victims are not necessarily in their eighties or nineties; they could just as easily be in their fifties or sixties and being young does not necessarily mean that you are immune to Elder Abuse. It is not recognised as such in the younger generation.

Those who like to control others will employ the same strategies irrespective of the age of their victims. They will:

  1. Use pets to control others.

Many people in bad relationships stay in the relationships for fear of something happening to their pets. They feel as though they are held hostage and are unable to escape from their situation.

  1. Intimidate their victims

Control Freaks use intimidation as a tool to gain power over others and as a result it leaves victims very down trodden and with a low self-esteem.

  1. Isolate others

Controlling people will isolate others from the outside world leaving them with no means of communication with others. 

  1. Financially controls

Controlling people will keep those that they control financially dependent on them and this makes it hard for victims to leave the situation. 

There are organisations available to help those who are victims of elder abuse. It is just a matter of finding the courage to pick up the phone or to tell someone.

About this article

You may use this article as content for your blog or website. Feel free to share it with others.

Read my other articles on www.robertastewart.com

 

“Retire with Little Money” is your practical guide to achieving a comfortable and stress-free retirement on a limited budget. This ebook covers strategies to maximize your savings, reduce living costs, and make the most of available resources. From affordable housing options and healthcare savings tips to part-time income ideas and smart budgeting practices, every chapter is packed with actionable advice. Whether you’re approaching retirement age or just planning ahead, this guide will help you create a lifestyle that balances financial security with the freedom to enjoy your golden years. Embrace retirement confidently, even without a large nest egg!

 

If you enjoyed this article, maybe you will like this ebook, “Retire with little money.” Click on the link below to obtain your copy.

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Attention Men: Don’t let Dating Scams Destroy your Retirement Plans 

Attention Men: Don’t let Dating Scams Destroy your Retirement Plans 

Written By R. A. Stewart

Millions of dollars are lost to romance scams every year and the target of these scams are older men. This is understandable, because retired men are likely to have built their assets up by the time they reach a certain age. 

If you are at that age when you are making yourself available for dating, just be careful because not everyone who joins a dating site is looking for romance, some are scammers who are searching for potential victims. 

If you are contacted by a lady who says she is looking for a marriage-minded man then there are some telltale signs which will indicate that she is not who she says she is and rather than finding a place in your heart she has her eye on your bank account.

Here are the main indicators of a scammer:

  1. She is about 30+ years younger than you and claims that age difference does not matter.
  2. She claims she is from a European country and is working in Africa as a nurse or school teacher.
  3. She claims that she is Christian but the contents of her letter/email do not line up with Christian values.
  4. She does not dress modestly (that is putting it mildly)
  5. She asks you for money.

The fifth one is a sure sign that you are dealing with a scammer.

Once she has gained your trust she will then make up excuses for why she needs the money.

This unfortunate lady will create circumstances why she needs the money, here are some:

My late father has died and I have no money to bury him.

My child is sick and I need money for medical expenses.

I need money for the plane ticket to meet you, etc, etc, etc.

Be aware of anyone who tries to make you feel guilty in order to get you to send them money.

If she says, “If you don’t send me money, my child will die.”

What human being wouldn’t want to help someone in this unfortunate situation?

Most people will feel guilty if they do not do as the lady suggests.

She is using what is known as, “Manipulation by guilt.” It is when someone tries to get you to do something by making you feel guilty.

There is one message for all men: “Don’t give in to any kind of emotional blackmail.” 

As far as dating websites are concerned, there is no shortage of options. It is important to choose a site which is based in your own country or at least a country which has laws that protect consumers.

Don’t sign up to any site which asks you to pay to send messages. What you will be doing is communicating with women who are being paid by the site owner to correspond with men.

Losing money to fraud is both emotionally and financially damaging for victims, even more so when someone you thought you could trust is the scammer. Heartless criminals are taking advantage of people looking for a life.

About this article: You may use this article as content for your blog or ebook. Read my other articles  on www.robertastewart.com

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Retiree scammed out of $100,000

Banking fraud is a major problem in the age of technology and there are some very sad stories of people being scammed out of their life savings. This is one of these stories and this could happen to your elderly relative. At the bottom of this article I have included some steps to take in order to protect yourself against banking scams.

Retiree scammed out of $100,000

A New Zealand bank refused to reimburse a New Zealand retiree after cyber criminals gained access to his account and transferred $100,000 from his accounts to an overseas account.

The 71 year old victim believes the scammers hacked into his banking app.

He claims the bank should take responsibility for his loss.

Three unauthorized transactions were made from the pensioner’s account; the first of 49k and two others of $11k and 38k and while the bank was able to stop the $11k and $38k transactions it was unable to prevent the $49k withdrawal which occurred the day before the other two.

Some of the money was set aside as an inheritance for his grandnieces. It is likely they will now miss out on their inheritance.

The bank’s customer who has been with this particular bank for years described the bank’s position on this situation as harsh.

Police had investigated this matter but believed it was between the bank and their customer to deal with. 

The bank had communications with the beneficiary bank in regards to the stolen money and say if they are unsuccessful in recovering the funds then they will not reimburse their customer for the loss.

There was no evidence to suggest that the bank’s own security system was breached and this was made known to the customer. It tends to suggest that somehow the customer’s to blame for this scam. However, he maintains that he did not share his internet banking login or password with anyone or divulged his personal banking details in response to an unsolicited email.

Unfortunately what happened to this pensioner is not an isolated incident. 

Another pensioner was scammed out of $134,000 and his bank refused to reimburse him after they claimed that he did not take adequate precautions.

Precautions against banking fraud

Here are some basic precautions to take to protect yourself against banking fraud:

1 Do not put all of your eggs in the one basket

The pensioner in this story should not have just left all of his money in the one bank account. He should have opened an account with a separate bank and NOT linked it to internet banking and invested his grand neice’s inheritance in this account. 

2 Do not click on links

Do not click on any links on any email you receive even if you believe it is from your bank because it may be from an internet scammer instead. It is safer to type in the URL address instead and just type in the URL address and log in.

3 Do not link your debit card to your personal savings account. Someone I know had $3,000 NZ go missing from his account when the website that had his banking details was hacked. Fortunately the bank reimbursed him the amount.

4 The other precautions are basic common sense ones such as not sharing passwords and changing passwords occasionally.

5 When signing up to a dating or other sites it will pay to use an email address which is different from the one which you do your banking. 

www.robertastewart.com