Can you get the mail forwarded elsewhere so it can be purged first? Get him on the registry to be dropped for unsolicited offers. Take away his ability to send these funds out. If he's doing this now he probably won't know that he's screwing himself. Get info about elder fraud money scams and go over it with him. If he can't understand this figure out your next step. Can he keep track of his meds and bills? Probably not.
JP, do you live with your father? If so, perhaps you could volunteer to pay his bills for him. If you're not able to get him to agree to stop writing these checks, offer to do it for him. You could pretend to write a check, and/or even write it, put it in an envelope then take it out and shred it when your father can't see what you're doing.
The elderly are so vulnerable and aren't often able to believe that these scams are just that.
I've thought about this a lot and think one of the reasons they buy this stuff is because it's a replacement for going out shopping buying things, which they don't do as much because they're not driving. There's an economic phenomenon (the name of which I can't remember) that addresses the good feelings people get when they spend money and buy things.
I've started taking my father to Man Caves more often; at least what he might there is legitimate and worthwhile.
If your father has shaky hands or trouble seeing, that's a good opportunity to ask to take over writing the checks.
Some years ago (probably at least a decade), Sen. Carl Levin and I believe then Sen. John Kerry as well as others held a hearing investigating fraud by so-called charities and outfits like Publishers Clearing House.
It wasn't just the elderly that these outfits targeted - it was the military community as well. One of the solicitations which was read into record was one allegedly written by someone in the Gulf of Tonkin, emotionally thinking back while pleading for money for POW/MIA searches (to the best of my recollection).
Under pressure from Levin, the writer finally admitted this tear jerking plea was written while this beltway bandit was in his office in DC. Testimony brought out that these emotional pleas were designed to get military families to party with their money, to organizations which ostensibly were searching for MIAs and POWs.
I don't normally get excited when I see legislative outrage, but Levin was furious at this hearing and really lit into these scumbags who were scamming families.
Anderson Cooper has reported on other scamming organizations, including ones targeting cancer, animals and veterans.
Jessie, I wouldn't just give these people a copy of Dante's Inferno; I would find a way to send them there.
Does he write checks? Do you have POA? It sounds like someone needs to take charge of his finances for him. It is not easy to stop them from sending money or ordering things from catalogs or TV, but it can quickly drive a senior into debt. Have a serious talk with him about POAs and managing finances. If he is competent, you can't make him do anything. However, you can lead him in the right direction and provide assistance. Much luck. There are many companies out there that prey on the elderly. I think we should send the people at these companies a copy of Dante's Inferno. It might make them think about the harm they do.
The elderly are so vulnerable and aren't often able to believe that these scams are just that.
I've thought about this a lot and think one of the reasons they buy this stuff is because it's a replacement for going out shopping buying things, which they don't do as much because they're not driving. There's an economic phenomenon (the name of which I can't remember) that addresses the good feelings people get when they spend money and buy things.
I've started taking my father to Man Caves more often; at least what he might there is legitimate and worthwhile.
If your father has shaky hands or trouble seeing, that's a good opportunity to ask to take over writing the checks.
Some years ago (probably at least a decade), Sen. Carl Levin and I believe then Sen. John Kerry as well as others held a hearing investigating fraud by so-called charities and outfits like Publishers Clearing House.
It wasn't just the elderly that these outfits targeted - it was the military community as well. One of the solicitations which was read into record was one allegedly written by someone in the Gulf of Tonkin, emotionally thinking back while pleading for money for POW/MIA searches (to the best of my recollection).
Under pressure from Levin, the writer finally admitted this tear jerking plea was written while this beltway bandit was in his office in DC. Testimony brought out that these emotional pleas were designed to get military families to party with their money, to organizations which ostensibly were searching for MIAs and POWs.
I don't normally get excited when I see legislative outrage, but Levin was furious at this hearing and really lit into these scumbags who were scamming families.
Anderson Cooper has reported on other scamming organizations, including ones targeting cancer, animals and veterans.
Jessie, I wouldn't just give these people a copy of Dante's Inferno; I would find a way to send them there.