Geoffrey Groff-Smith of Bellevue, Washington,
is one of the fraud-fighters. He wanted to join
our project after his wife, who suffers from
moderate dementia, was repeatedly victimized by
sweepstakes scams. She would send checks for
$500 to $700 to cover “taxes” on her winnings.
“It’s hard for her to say no to anybody,” Groff-Smith told the AARP Bulletin in July.
From nine call centers located across the country,
volunteers advised consumers on how to avoid
being scammed. At the kick-off of one of our
newest locations, in Denver, volunteers with the
AARP Foundation Colorado Elder Watch program
“smiled and dialed” more than 1,500 potential
victims. The Elder Watch program in West
Virginia also helps prevent fraud by participating
in this national public education effort.
A new website provided tips to help consumers
recognize, resist and report the frauds and scams
that could destroy their financial security.
Money Management
A personal lifeline was provided to more
than 6,000 vulnerable adults in 2009 who had
difficulty budgeting, paying routine bills or
keeping track of their finances. These frail or
disabled clients received help from the AARP
Money Management Program, thanks to 4,400
volunteers and support from nearly 150 agencies
in 24 states plus the District of Columbia.
With the assistance of funding from Harrah’s
Foundation, two program sites were added in
New Jersey (one of which operated on a test basis
from a senior housing development, making it
easier for residents to get help with their modest
finances).
Preventing Identity Theft
Thousands of Colorado and West Virginia
residents took advantage of the opportunity to
avoid identity theft by shredding their personal
documents at events co-sponsored by the AARP
Foundation Elder Watch program and the
attorneys general of those states. Cyber security
was also the focus of an informative event
held five times—due to popular demand!—by
AARP West Virginia, the West Virginia Attorney
General, the West Virginia Auditor’s Office, the
Social Security Administration, the National
avoiding eviction and celebrating independence
A husband and wife from Beckley, West Virginia,
who suffered from physical and mental disabilities
faced eviction from their government-subsidized
apartment in 2009.
Staff of the Raleigh County Commission on Aging
realized the couple would be great candidates
for the AARP Foundation’s Money Management
Program. One of the program’s volunteers, David
Shilling (shown above), met with the couple and
began working up a sensible household budget that
separated “needs” from “wants.” Soon they had
saved enough to bring their rent up to date, turn the
phone back on, regain access to the storage facility
and even welcome a pet cat for companionship.
White Collar Crime Center, the National Cyber
Security Alliance, the Verizon Foundation,
Suddenlink and Comcast.
Supporting Caregivers
Caregivers were better able to fulfill those
responsibilities while building their own
long-term financial security, thanks to a $1.1
million gift from the Harrah’s Foundation. The
collaboration emphasized the devoted efforts of
African American and Hispanic caregivers in
specific areas, including the states of Mississippi,
New Jersey and New York and the cities of
New Orleans, Louisiana, Phoenix, Arizona
and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition, we
provided employers with tools to help their
workers balance caregiving responsibilities with
their jobs.
