By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or
[email protected] to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
*If I am consenting on behalf of someone else, I have the proper authorization to do so. By clicking Get My Results, you agree to our
Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities. Your consent is not a condition to using our service. Please visit our
Terms of Use. for information about our privacy practices.
And it would come from someone other than you, so Mom might listen more carefully.
We almost never answer the phone unless we know the number, but Mom is old school and thinks you need to answer every call "in case".. so sometimes I get the scam call,,, you know,, the IRS, FBI.. you name it. I admit I sometimes play along,, then send the convo into the twilight zone.. Hee hee! LIke obviously foriegn person named John Smith ... I have been sooo cussed out, yelled out.. I kind of think it;s funny. But I can see where they intimidate people. But the funniest one I heard to handle this is.. either give the phone to your toddler, or very confused elder...and leave it on speaker...
Then create a poster with this guy's name, and add some 'WANTED" charges for scams, financial extortion, maybe even violence, repeated misrepresentations to women that he'll meet them and they'll live happily ever after. Create all the nasty criminal charges you can thing of without scaring her so much that she becomes paranoid, but just wants to dump him.
Sometimes I think our widowed mothers need men in their lives, if only to protect them from folly. I know my mother looks forward to seeing her "boyfriend" on Sundays even though he has never shown romantic interest in her. It does her good, though, to have a male presence in her life. I was thinking about a male presence for your mother. Are there any possibilities out there if her interest in the scammer is romantic? Maybe a male friend can distract her mind.
This has been such a common scam for years that I wonder if there are task forces created either at the national or international level to address this.
If local law enforcement could help you find out how to get background information on this man (although he probably uses a fake name), perhaps you could show that to your mother. But I know it's hard to convince someone who WANTS to believe in having found a potential friend.
As I understand, the Nigerian scam typically escalates to the point that the victim is requested to actually go abroad to meet the scammer and deliver money. Watch out for that step.
The underlying issue though is why people (not just seniors) actually believe these scammers. I know that elders often feel they want to help people, perhaps financially since they're not able any more to offer physical help to those in need. This can make them susceptible to charities as well as criminals.
I think sometimes if a local need can be identified for a senior to donate to, such as food pantries, etc., that might at least rechannel the financial contributions.
I'm wondering also if you could find outlets for social activities, if this might help what could be loneliness. Do you think she'd get involved in charitable work, if she's physically able to get around to, say, help sort food for distribution by charities....something along that line?