Jenny Lanstrom regularly visits her grandfather, Mike Lanstrom, every Thursday night. Jenny’s grandfather has been a widower for the past six years. Jenny’s grandfather is very intelligent. He is a decorated veteran of World War II, and over the years, he has been active in community service. Because Mike Lanstrom practiced as a family doctor for 46 years, he is a respected member of the community. For the last several months, Jenny has noticed something different about her grandfather. Lately, he has been agitated and upset.
One Thursday night, Mike told Jenny about products he had been buying over the phone. As Jenny investigated further, she realized that her grandfather had bought several products from a vendor by the name of Products for Life. Although the transactions were not large, the total amount had already added up to several hundred dollars. The next day, Jenny decided to research the company on the Internet. Surprisingly, she was unable to find any information about the company. She became extremely worried that someone was taking advantage of her grandfather.
1. What should Jenny do? Should she confront her grandfather about the possibility of fraud? If so, how should she approach him?
2. Jenny realizes that certain words and phrases should be avoided when talking to the elderly about fraud. What are these words and phrases?
3. Why are the elderly so susceptible to fraud?
4. In what ways do fraudsters manipulate elderly victims’ emotions?