Serving Our Seniors Magazine April - June 2023

Financial Elder Abuse Investigator Shares His Cell Phone Number With YOU! Dan McLaughlin is the Financial Elder Abuse Investigator for Erie County. His passion is preventing this crime from victimizing older adults. That is why he wants you to have this phone number on speed dial, 419-503-5385. Dan knows how cunning and convincing these sophisticated rip-off artists can be. He knows older Americans are targeted, daily, because they have money. Whether it is social security income, retirement investments/savings or a life insurance benefit these criminals will trick their older victims into sending them money. Dan said, “I want Erie County residents, age 60+ to call me if they have been asked by phone or on the computer to buy gift cards, wire money, give out bank account information, investment account information, Social Security numbers or Medicare numbers. I also want them to call me if they have received a phone call and told that local police or sheriff’s department is threatening to come to their home and arrest them for something the older person failed to do. These are all common scam tactics, but if you don’t know this… You will think that it’s real.” Dan explained, “My concern is if these scam calls occur when Serving Our Seniors is closed, the older person has no one to call and ask, “What should I do?” That is why I want everyone to have this phone number. It’s better to prevent a rip-off than to report it after the money has been sent. I have never been successful getting money back after it has left the United States.” 15