SOSMagAprilJune2021

By Sue Daugherty Romance scams don’t just occur over the internet. This “con” also takes place in-person and targets widows and widowers. Local residents Fritz Everson and his wife Jenny, said they went through hell to protect Fritz’s father, Dean, from being emotionally manipulated and financially exploited by a female “friend”, 30 years his younger. Dean and his wife knew the younger woman from a restaurant/bar they would frequent. Once a widower, the younger woman expressed more interest in Dean. “She would rub his leg and snuggle up to him. Then they would go on ‘dates,’ out to dinner. He believed that she was going to go to school to become a nurse, they would get married and she would take care of him. He truly believed that,” Jenny explained. As time went on she became possessive of Dean and was driving a wedge between him, Fritz and Jenny. “We became alarmed when Fritz went to his Dad’s home, to pick him up, and he was gone.” When Fritz called his Dad’s cell phone, Dean answered the phone laughing and said, he was on his way to a Shania Twain concert, in Columbus. Dean had bought four tickets - one for himself, for her, her daughter and her daughter’s friend. A music experience, he admitted later, he didn’t like. The spending didn’t stop there. Jenny said, “He was giving her money because she told him she needed help with her bills.” As Dean’s health declined he needed a nursing home. She would visit and he would give her all the money he had in his pocket. Sometimes as much as $200.00 - $300.00. In the end, what stopped the elder exploitation was his death. Jenny and Fritz believe, if Dean were still living, she would still be trying. Since this case, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office has established the Elder Justice Unit. Financial elder abuse is complex. It requires specific expertise to effectively investigate and prosecute. The OAG’s Elder Justice unit knows the laws, rules and regulations and can provide expertise to law enforcement, Adult Protective Services and prosecuting attorneys to crack these cases and stop financial elder abuse. For more information about financial elder abuse call Serving Our Seniors (419-624-1856) or Dan McLaughlin, Financial Elder Abuse Investigator (419-627-7735) . Romance Scams in Later Life Definition of Financial Exploitation – It is the misuse, mismanagement, or exploitation of property, belongings, or assets. This includes using an older adult’s assets without consent, under false pretense, or through intimidation and/or manipulation. (Source: National Institutes on Aging) Common Tactic Used to Commit Elder Exploitation – The perpetrator endears themselves to the older person and later asks for money. The perpetrator works to isolate the older adult from existing supportive relationships. Facts About Elder Exploitation Fritz & Jenny holding photo of Dean. 10