A Grandmother's Broken Heart

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A Grandmother's Broken Heart

On the Friday, December 26^th noonday edition of the local KCAL newscast, it was reported that an elderly woman in Minnesota had been ripped off by her teenage grandson to the tune of $250,000.00.

After the theft, the story stated that the grandson, along with a friend, went on a shopping spree in the Mall of America located in Minnesota.

After the shopping spree, the teenager made his way to his father's home where he presented him with one of the six cars he had bought during the course of the day. He told his father he bought the car with money he had won from the casino. Additionally, he gave $100 bills away to his friends. The father was suspicious but it was not until police knocked on his door advising him that his son and his son's friend had stolen cash from the grandmother's house. The father's response, "My son's a good kid. I guess he'll have to learn from this."

Fortunately, $140,000 of the grandmother's life savings along with five of the vehicles has been recovered in addition to the tools and electronics the pair had purchased.

What could the grandmother have done to protect herself?

1. DO NOT keep large sums of money in your house.
2. Open a bank account in a federally insured bank and deposit your money there.
3. Do not share information with others about your financial worth.
4. Make sure you have a living trust.
5. Make sure the named beneficiary in the living trust is trustworthy.
6. If you are unable to take care of your business affairs, make sure you appoint a responsible person to assist you.

This scam could happen to anyone, but an elderly person is most vulnerable. With the aging process, the older person's ability to make sound decisions is compromised and the situation is always more tragic when a family member is involved in the crime. There are 1.2 million elderly people abused every year, either mentally, physically, emotionally, or financially.

About the author; Janice Lauderdale authored the cutting-edge book Wealth of the Wicked: an American Tragedy of Elderly Abuse, which chronicles her own personal encounter with elderly abuse, a modern-day scourge upon society. She is sensitive to the abuses suffered by the elderly and is committed to shining a light on the disgrace. Contact her at: