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06/10/2015 09:15 AMGuilford Senior Citizens Programs (GSCP) is hosting a program called “Safeguarding the Golden Generation” on Tuesday, June 16 that will focus on preventing the financial exploitation of senior citizens through scams and other types of fraud.
“Seniors, in particular, are a target for fraud because they’re more vulnerable,” said Terry Buckley, coordinator of GSCP and moderator of the event. “Hopefully people will learn some good information that will be helpful.”
The presentation will begin with a movie, Last Will and Embezzlement, before its producer, Pamela Glasner, discusses the film. Glasner noted that a study by MetLife estimates that more than $3 billion is stolen from more than 5 million seniors each year.
In addition to Glasner, there will be a Meet the Experts panel and an audience Q&A. The panel will feature Raymond Bower, an elder law attorney with Cartier & Bower, LLC; financial planner Diana Melville; and Detective Martina Jakober of Guilford Police Department’s Crime Prevention Unit.
Glasner chose to produce the film, which stars Mickey Rooney and was directed by Deborah Louise Robinson, after her parents, who lived in Florida, fell victim to fraud. Glasner had no idea it was happening until her mother passed away. Her brother called the nursing home to inform them that he would take over care of their father, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
“The social worker said, ‘You don’t have to worry about it because your brother is taking care of it,’ and he said, ‘I don’t have a brother,’” said Glasner. “The whole thing was born because both of my elderly parents were financially exploited by a man they met in their synagogue—churches and synagogues are excellent hunting ground because you expect a smiling face to be trustworthy.”
After getting in touch with the nursing home’s corporate attorney, Glasner flew to Florida for the funeral at which she learned a man had gotten his name added to her mother’s checking account, had power of attorney, and more.
“The man who did it came over to their house and bragged about what he’d done,” said Glasner. “I went to the police. I figured there was no way he could get away with this. It took a few weeks, but they did nothing. Pretty much everything had been cleaned out of their accounts. My dad passed away 10 months later, and after working his whole life, he died a pauper.”
Glasner, who is an author, didn’t know what else to do but raise awareness about the perils facing senior citizens. At the time, Rooney had been testifying before Congress after he had been financially exploited by his wife and step-child. She wrote to Rooney’s agent about directing a documentary and heard he was interested just a few days later.
Glasner and the panelists will stay for lunch at the Community Center, giving those in attendance an opportunity for a meet and greet. Her mission is to make people aware of the issue and offer prevention tips.
“If anything oddball or out of the blue happens, be suspicious,” said Glasner. “We want to make people aware of the issue and make people aware of their alternatives and ways they can protect themselves so they don’t end up like my family. He ended up with everything—gorgeous house that’s paid for, and he’s probably doing it to someone else right now. This is why I do this.”
The event begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Guilford Community Center. Admission is free; reservations are not required. For information on the event, call 203-453-8086 or for information on the film, visit www.lastwillandembezzlement.com.