Page 2 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, June 11, 2021 Malden to celebrate Flag Day 2021 Understanding elder abuse and financial exploitation J une marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Month, a time to bring attention to this critical issue affecting one in six elders worldwide. Elder abuse can include physical, emotional, sexual, caregiver neglect, self-neglect and financial exploitation. It impacts seniors from all walks of life. “Elder abuse is a very complex T he City of Malden will celebrate Flag Day on Monday, June 14 at 5 p.m. at Bell Rock Memorial Park on Main Street. Attendees can look forward to patriotic songs being performed by the Malden High School Choral Arts Society. The featured speaker will be U.S. Marine Corps Veteran ANGELO’S FULL SERVICE Regular Unleaded $2.779 Mid Unleaded $2.879 Super $3.019 Diesel Fuel $2.979 "42 Years of Excellence!" 1978-2020 KERO $4.65 DEF $3.49 9 Diesel $2.569 9 HEATING OIL 24-Hour Burner Service Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available by Pump! Open an account and order online at: www.angelosoil.com (781) 231-3500 (781) 231-3003 367 LINCOLN AVE • SAUGUS • OPEN 7 DAYS Deb Olson, who is Commander of the Disabled American Veterans of Massachusetts. Malden Boy Scout Troop 603 will perform a Flag Folding Ceremony, and the Malden Girl Scouts will read a poem. The annual event is being coordinated by Ward 1 Councillor Peg Crowe and Ward 1 School Committee Member Mike Drummey. The ceremony will take place rain or shine. Flag Day commemorates the June 14, 1777, adoption of the United States Flag by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. On May 30, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson officially established June 14 as Flag Day, and on August 3, 1949, President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating every June 14 as National Flag Day. issue. It’s important because it’s common. And it can happen to anyone,” said Shelly Sevinor, protective services quality improvement specialist and community liaison for Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES). Sevinor points out that the financial exploitation of elders is at an all-time high. Many scammers think of elders as prime targets because they might live alone and have retirement savings or own a home. Scammers might assume that their crimes against seniors will go unreported. Many schemes against elders Century 21 North East THE SPRING MARKET IS IN FULL BLOOM! Contact me today to review properties on the market or for a FREE Market Value Analysis of Realtor Phil Terban C21Phil.com 781-864-4414 your home! ® are conducted by phone or over email, or sometimes even through door-to-door solicitation. They might come in the form of credit card offers, charitable donation requests, investment opportunities, sweepstakes, home improvement offers, wire and banking transfers, health and wellness products, Amazon scams, computer pop-ups and insurance offers. All too often, scammers access seniors’ personal information online and leverage it to exploit them financially. For example, an older adult posts to her Facebook page that her grandson has been accepted to a specific college or university. A scammer accesses her phone number online and calls to seek a donation to the school’s alumni association. Once the senior gives her personal information, including credit card number and billing address, the scammer can then make fraudulent charges. According to the AARP, sweetheart scams (also referred to as romance scams) cause a heavy financial toll on men and women aged 60 and older. These cons are like other scams except that these scammers are providing their purported affection in an attempt to get the victim’s money. In today’s world of online dating and social media, these scams have increased as perpetrators leverage the anonymity of the Internet to target victims. Once the perpetrator gets a senior’s money, he or she often disappears, leaving the senior feeling taken advantage of and ashamed. While seniors may be targeted over the phone or online by scammers, Sevinor points out that MVES regularly sees cases of family members financially exploiting their loved ones. In other words, it’s not always a stranger taking advantage of a senior. “An adult child may be managing Mom’s finances and begin drawing on her mother’s money when she loses her job,” said Sevinor. Oftentimes elders are less likely to report cases of financial exploitation when it involves a child, grandchild or other relative. MVES plays a proactive role in addressing elder abuse by not only investigating cases but by proactively offering education and trainings in the 11 communities MVES serves. “We have developed a strong rapport with mandated reporters of elder abuse such as police officers and hospitals,” said Sevinor. “We also educate seniors themselves by offering seminars and resources. Our goal is to build awareness while enabling seniors to remain safe and independent living in the community.” If you suspect elder abuse of a loved one or are being abused yourself, please call the state’s Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-922-2275 or file online at https://www.mass.gov/how-to/ report-elder-abuse. What can you do to avoid a scam? • Block unwanted calls and text messages. Take steps to block unwanted calls and to filter unwanted text messages. • Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Legitimate organizations won’t call, email or text to ask for your personal information, such as your social security number, bank account or credit card numbers. • If you get an email or text message from a company you do business with and you think it’s real, it’s still best not to click on any links. Don’t call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID. • Resist the pressure to act immediately. Legitimate businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer. • Know how scammers tell you to pay. Never pay someone who insists you pay with a gift card or by using a money transfer service. And never deposit a check and send money back to someone. • Stop and talk to someone you trust. Before you do anything else, tell someone – a friend, a family member, a neighbor – what happened. Talking about it could help you realize that it’s a scam. Prices subject to change Spring is around the Corner! FLEET
3 Publizr Home