When Ben and Ida received an invitation for a complimentary gourmet meal if they attended an investment seminar, they learned the hard way that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Promised a guaranteed income on an investment, the senior couple opened an account with the sponsoring firm, and got bilked out of thousands of dollars. They are not alone.
A survey by the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) shows senior investment fraud accounts for nearly 50% of all complaints received by state securities regulators. That number is up from the 2005 survey, when 28% percent of fraud reports involved the elderly.
The financial industry is littered with slick schemes that result in broken dreams for seniors who take the bait. Stories of elderly seniors losing their life savings are far too abundant. Seniors are being targeted through the internet, mail, phone, in-home visits, and free "financial seminars" specifically tailored to large groups of seniors, says Bob Webster, Director of Communications for NASSA.