Elder Fraud Wars: Case Histories from an Enforcement Attorney

By recounting actual court cases, this book examines the multi-billion-dollar elder fraud industry, the special vulnerabilities of those it targets, and the ease and frequency with which it obtains hundreds of thousands of dollars per victim. It also reveals successful strategies for combating that industry and the important contributions to that effort by concerned bankers, doctors, reporters and others in the private sector. The cases reveal an increasingly sophisticated global industry that targets each victim with a series of repeat "hits." This tactic--criminals call it "reloading"--sets the elder fraud industry apart from groups that defraud younger individuals. Twelve key age-related fraud vulnerabilities are illustrated in the cases. So, too, are the scammers' skills in mapping their target's unique combination of vulnerabilities and then tailoring their narratives to exploit each one. Most of the cases highlight actual victims, scam artists or fraud fighters. Their individual stories range from inspiring and sometimes comical to frustrating and deeply disturbing. Readers with aging parents, law enforcement officials, medical professionals, members of the financial industry and others who work with older adults will find it particularly useful.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Introduction: The Elder Fraud Industry Marches Through Town Part One. Before We Even Called It “Elder Fraud”  1. Will Garrett’s Morning Run  2. Three Early Cases  3. Generating Obsession: The Fire Alarm Salesman and Three Grandmothers  4. Sweepstakes and Lottery Scams: The Cases of Mrs. B and Mrs. D Part Two. Will, Bill and the War Against the Home Repair Fraud Gang  5. “Something big and sinister”  6. Road Trip to Rocky Mount  7. Without Something Else, These Cases Were Going to Be Hell to Prosecute  8. Special Agent Will Garrett Comes to Raleigh  9. Tucker Seeks Out “the Colonel” Part Three. Victim Mindsets and Vulnerabilities 10. Mrs. S and the Twins 11. As Little as $1400 Can Be Devastating 12. “I found the Colonel!” 13. Twelve Key Victim Vulnerabilities and One Myth 14. Our ­House-Mazza Posse Gets Mired in the Mud 15. Call the Doctor! Part Four. Payoff 16. The AG Calls Channel 11 Troubleshooter Jennifer Julian 17. “We need to go check on the Colonel!” 18. “­Boom-Boom!!!” Part Five. The Losses Are Seldom Just Financial 19. You Can’t Assign a Dollar Figure to It 20. “Reloading” and the Cycle of Fraud 21. Lewis the Elder Orphan 22. Will We Save the Elder Orphan? 23. George Love, Elder Fraud Fighter Part Six. Judgment 24. “What were you trying to run on my grandmother yesterday?” 25. ­House-Mazza: “Soon, every day will be Saturday!” 26. “Frog” and the Habitual Felons Part Seven. Going International 27. Whack-a-Mole Leads to the “Means and Instrumentalities” Approach 28. Canada Calls—FBI Special Agent Joan Fleming Answers Part Eight. Miracles and Grace 29. On a Muggy July Afternoon … the McPhauls’ Case 30. Miracle Just Off US 1 North 31. McPhaul Miracle Postscript Part Nine. Money Mules, “VAP” and Scam Jams 32. Charles and Miriam Parker 33. VAP and the Retired Fortune 100 Company Exec 34. Justice for the Parkers? 35. What Are Scientists Saying About All This? 36. We’re Scam Jammin’! Part Ten. King Tommy Won’t Relinquish His Throne 37. Tommy C, King of the Driveway Paving Scammers 38. Tommy C Is Back 39. Cat and Mouse with Tommy C 40. Famous Last Words About Tommy C Part Eleven. More and More 41. Romance Scams: What Percy Sledge Said 42. Threats 43. “Bahkah?” 44. Barker Wasn’t the Only One 45. Retired Fortune 100 Exec: The Rest of the Story Conclusion: The Rewards of Fighting Elder Fraud Chapter Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
David Neil Kirkman is a former enforcement attorney with the North Carolina Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Division. During his three decades there, he battled a growing and increasingly sophisticated network of US-based and overseas fraud groups that target seniors with an assortment of scams. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Review :
“Quite frankly, I was not anticipating the book I read. I thought I would be treated to analytical, fact-filled case studies, with a foray or two into complicated legal issues. To my delight, from the very beginning I was captured by well-written narratives seasoned with vivid descriptive passages. As I read, I felt as if I were actually present with you on your investigative trips and at the legal planning sessions. The variety of episodes held my interest as I read, and I enjoyed the legal details almost as much as I enjoyed the stories you told.”—Charles Cornwell, English professor (retired), Davidson College “Kirkman provides engaging stories from his work on elder fraud cases. Elder Fraud Wars is a helpful resource for Elder Law practitioners. Kirkman’s writing style brings the issues to life and provides detailed case studies that are rarely found in legal literature. While Kirkman provides data to support his observations, the real value of the book is in the journalistic accounts that give a fuller picture of how elder fraud occurs and the complicated reasons as to why it is often successful.”—NC Bar Blog