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My mother was recently involved in an internet scam from Nigeria. Has anyone else had experience with this? Should we be worried?

Asked by worrywart | Jul 22, 2009

Answers 1 to 4 of 4

Jul 22, 2009

yes, my mother was scammed out of 40 thousand dollars in a lottery scam. We had to take control of her finances, have her declare bankruptcy, and change her phone number. It stemmed from dementia and some small strokes affecting the judgement area of her brain.

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lovingdaughter

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Jul 22, 2009

Get POA and make sure, if she signs anything, that it requires your signature too! If they think they have a willing lamb, they will come back!

Also, drifters came to a neighbor of my mom. One went in the back yard to discuss a tree that a neighbor needed to have cut down. The other one went into the house and stole money and jewelry. Is there a way you can keep the house secure? Does she live with you? I find the elderly believe what strangers tell them. It is like a four year old in the park with a stranger. It really makes you aware of strangers for your parents as well as the children. Good luck.
Linda

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Micheleangel

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Jul 22, 2009

My Mom did too!!! Finally it all stopped. This went on for years, sweepstakes and letters saying she won millions of dollars (some looked unbelievably real). Canada was a major problem for us. Had to call police they contacted authorities that deal with this, she wired money many times no way to track that. We still have no idea in dollar amounts how much she gave away, really sad. Linda you are right they are like little kids. We were really afraid for her at that time. Thank God they let up.

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SecretSister

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Jul 22, 2009

Dear worrywart, we have family members who lost money this way, too. The sad thing is, elders are often willing victims. They grasp at straws to regain or retain health, or become "rich" never realizing they've been duped. Thank God for vigilant and loving family members who are watching out for them. I would research any leads you may suspect, and, as Micheleangel did: report any suspicious activity at once.

casjen58 is right: judgement is often the first thing to go. Evil people are just waiting to prey on the vulnerable.

lovingdaughter's story is a sad one, but unfortunately very common. It is wise to be alert. I've also been warned not to open any email from Nigeria, but to report it as Spam. Thanks for posting, and please let us know how it all works out!

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