Elder Consumer Protection Project for Professionals

The Elder Consumer Protection Project for Professionals is a project of the Center for Excellence in Elder Law at Stetson University College of Law.

The Elder Consumer Protection Project educates law enforcement, protective investigators, assistant state attorneys and assistant attorney generals about consumer scams targeting the elderly. This one year project is funded in part by a grant from the Administration on Aging.

Important News >>


Home Equity Fraud and Home Renovation Repair Scams
While more than $100 billion will be spent on home remodeling and repair this year, you should be aware that home remodeling contractors ranked just behind car salespeople and auto mechanics in generating the most consumer complaints, according to the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

Be especially cautious about using your home as security for a home improvement loan. If you fail to repay the loan as agreed, you could lose your home.
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Identity Theft, How It Happens
Identity theft can occur in a number of different ways. If you know what to look for and how it happens, you can self-detect identity theft before it happens, minimizing losses. Here are some common scenarios to watch out for:
    On this page
    What identity thieves can do
    How identity thieves do it
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FTC released annual report as a PDF detailing consumer complaints about fraud and identity theft in 2007 - January 2008
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Elderly are targeted in investment scams -  WASHINGTON (AP)
Often living on fixed incomes and sometimes desperate about money, older investors are being targeted with complex investment scams promising huge returns as the stock market churns and health care costs climb, state securities regulators said Thursday.

Kenneth Reusser of Beaverton, Ore., an 82-year-old former Marine aviator and decorated veteran of more than 200 combat missions in three wars, says he lost $262,500 in a high-yield investment scheme he learned about from friends he met through a club called "Life After 50.". Read More >>