FOR GOD’S SAKE

 For God’s sake, what is going on?!

From all I have observed during the past year and up to the present, there seems to be no doubt that fraud, scams, and all sorts of cons are blossoming out of control.

While financial-related scams typically come to mind whenever the topic of scams comes up, my observations of scams indicate that there are a multitude of various types of fraud and cons spreading like cancer across all sectors of everyday life. From the news media to government and AI’s influence over social media, it’s getting so that everything we see and read cannot – and must not – be taken at face value. It’s almost as if we are in the midst of a fraud “pandemic,” where no one and no one place is safe from infection.

What bothers me most about all of this, however, is the way this new world order of swimming in a sea of lies and cons has seemingly fueled a complacency among people of goodwill to either sit back and ignore it or accept it as a normal part of everyday life. And nowhere has that complacent attitude become more obvious than the way it’s directed toward older adults and what is being done to protect them from financial loss.

It is being reported that billions of dollars have been lost to financial scams, and that surprising dollar amount is only based on information rendered by those willing to publicly admit they were deceived. Sure, while there are those agencies and institutions like the FTC and AARP working to stem this rising tide, offering education, guidance, and resources as a way to demonstrate their corporate values, goodwill, and concern, many others seem to be looking the other way, hoping that the problem will simply go away or won’t metastasize any further.

And why care? Afterall, it’s really the elderly, living in the twilight years of their lives that are most vulnerable, right? But is that really how we all feel? For God’s sake, what is going on?

Is there a valid reason explaining why it appears that many seem to be readily abandoning today’s elderly, grouping them alongside many others in society who are being viciously looked down upon as parasites rather than contributors to this new emerging society in which we live? Have we become such navel gazers, such “me-focused” people, that there no longer is any reason to look beyond ourselves? To look out in a concerned way for the welfare of others? That’s not how I was raised, and I’ll wager not the way you were either.

National Consumer Protection Week kicks off on March 2 and runs through March 8. It’s a great national effort led by the Federal Trade Commission to help people understand their consumer rights and how to avoid scams and fraud. Perhaps we can use this year’s observance to engage our older adult members by planning and hosting an array of financial education programs and events, showing them how much we care and are committed to their financial well-being and safety.

If there ever was a time to honor the legacy of our elderly parents, grandparents, and loved ones – their achievements, loyalty, and inspiration – that time is now.