As the economy continues to decline and more people struggle financially, scams are on the rise again – including the resurfacing of the “Grandma Scam.” The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) wants older adults across the state to be aware, as many scam artists often target seniors. Scam artists will either rely on an old scam with a new twist or create a new scam in order to steal money from those who have worked and saved over the years. Older adults may fall victim to scams because they are home during the day to answer the phone or the door – two primary means of entry for scam artists.
States such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Virginia have witnessed firsthand the re-emergence of the Grandma Scam. A scam artist usually telephones and begins the conversation by saying, “Hi, Grandma, it’s me, your favorite grandchild.” The unsuspecting grandparent will usually respond with a grandchild’s name (i.e., “Johnny…?”). With this information, the caller pretends to be “Johnny” and makes a pitch about being in trouble and in need of money. These scam stories include being in an automobile accident in a rental car, in the hospital or being under arrest and in need of bail money. The imposter grandchild often pleas for the grandparent not to call their parents and promises to pay them back in a few days. Anyone receiving a call like this or with any similarities should hang up.
DHR advises older adults to take steps to verify that the person is who they say they are. Individuals should ask them for information only the grandchild would know or call other family members and confirm the whereabouts of your grandchild.
Another phone scam was recently attempted in Bibb County. A person calls identifying themselves as part of your credit card company fraud department. The caller usually states that they are verifying your account or they have noted some unusual charges on your account and need to verify that you have your card. Then they ask you to read off your credit card number and expiration date. The caller is NOT from the credit card company; they are trying to gain access to your accounts so they can make fraudulent purchases. Never give out account information over the phone unless you initiated the call and you know you are talking to the credit card company directly.
To protect your loved ones, educate your family and friends about these scams. Be wary anytime a request is made by someone who calls you and asks for you to wire them money; it’s a red flag. Wire transfers are hard to trace, so most scams involve money that is wire transferred. If you encounter this scam and want to report the incident, call your local law enforcement agency or contact the Division of Aging Services (DAS) at 1-800-669-8387.
DAS is also offering presentations around the state on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud and scams. To schedule a free presentation in your area, call 404-657-9589.
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Georgia Front Page
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
DHR Warns Georgia's Seniors to Watch Out for Two Scams
Thursday, January 1, 2009
New Effort Begins to Find Permanent Homes for More Foster Kids
As part of an effort to help Georgia’s foster children make a “lifelong connection,” the Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Family and Children Services (DHR DFCS) is partnering with a nationally-renowned private foundation that specializes in helping child welfare agencies find permanent homes for more children.
Seattle, Washington-based Casey Family Programs is investing several million dollars over the next few years to strengthen DFCS’ ability to find permanent homes for some of its most difficult child welfare cases. Children who are older, have developmental disabilities or behavioral illnesses, or who belong to large sibling groups often face serious obstacles when trying to find permanent homes. Casey has a track record for helping states develop best practices that overcome these barriers.
“Permanency is something we’ve always done,” said Mark A. Washington, DHR assistant commissioner who oversees DFCS. “Since 2004, we’ve helped more children find a permanent, loving home. But the reason some of these youth are still not home is that there are major road blocks for them. Now we’re building new bridges. Working with Casey, we’ve developed an attack plan that targets each case and finds a solution for permanency.”
DHR began its partnership with Casey in spring 2008 to identify strategies for placing more foster children in permanent homes. Later, DHR and Casey escalated their work to help DHR settle a legal dispute on December 11 with Children’s Rights Inc. While that agreement begins with foster children in Fulton and DeKalb counties, DHR expects to apply the “permanency” strategies it was already developing with Casey throughout Georgia. Those strategies emphasize several options for foster children, including reunifying them with their existing families, placing them with relatives or legal guardians, or finding them adoptive homes.
“Different solutions work for different children,” Washington said. “But our goal is a lifelong connection for every child. We look forward to working with private providers to help make that connection.”
DHR is working with Casey Family Programs to conduct case reviews, called “Permanency Roundtables,” to determine the specific barriers a particular child faces to a permanent home solution. The Permanency Roundtable is a Casey best practice that unites child welfare case workers with other stakeholders to create a comprehensive strategy on a case-by-case basis. In addition, Casey is helping DFCS hire “master practitioners” – highly skilled workers whose sole focus is examining permanency strategies for youth – and create reporting measures to track efforts. DHR is also establishing a Permanency Unit that coordinates efforts to find more permanent solutions for more children.
DHR’s latest efforts build on years of work to transform Georgia’s child welfare system. Since 2004, DHR has added new case workers and reduced the number of Georgia children in foster care by 21 percent. Each year, more children leave foster care than enter it. And children are spending less time in foster care than before (in 2003, the average stay in foster care was 22 months before permanency. Today, the average stay is 19.9 months). Five years ago, a child seeking adoption waited 44 months on average to find a new home. Today, the average wait is about 38 months.
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