Scammed. Now What?

The worst has happened, and now you have to tell someone. Ask yourself the following questions and answer them with as many details as possible:

  1. How was the contact made? (Phone, email, door to door, etc.)
  2. Was there a financial transaction?
  3. If money was transferred, how? (Wired, personal escort to a bank, check in the mail, prepaid debit card.)
  4. Was this a one-time occurrence or something that happened repeatedly, over a period of time?

When you have your answers and a record of everything you know and can remember, you can start reporting the crime and notifying any businesses involved, like a bank or credit card company.

Reporting

Regulations vary from state to state. Visit the National Adult Protective Services (NAPSA) website to find the latest mandated reporting laws, as well as the contact information to report the abuse of older adults and adults with disabilities in your state. AgingCare.com also has an excellent page of recommendations for scam victims. For cases of identity theft, visit IdentityTheft.gov to make a report and begin a plan for recovery.

In Tennessee, you can contact Adult Protective Services at 888-277-8366. Adult Protective Services (APS) investigates cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults and adults with disabilities.

To report institutional abuse, contact the office of the Tennessee Long-Term Care Ombudsman, which advocates for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes, and assisted living facilities:

State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability
502 Deaderick Street, 9th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243-0860
Tel: 615-925-1552
Fax: 615-741-3309
Toll Free: 877-236-0013
TDD: 615-532-3893
Email: teresa.teeple@tn.gov

Content Details  
Source URL: (No longer valid.)
Source Organization: National Center on Elder Abuse Capture Date: 2015-05-26