Residential School Survivors are Attractive Targets
The Residential School Survivors who are receiving payouts are at high risk of being abused, scammed and re-victimized by the slime of greed. A number of aboriginal communities, organizations and RCMP are trying to prepare for the wave of problems that rise with the large amounts of cash that are going to flood one of our most vulnerable groups, the elderly.
With the average Residential Schools Settlement payout at $28,000 this is no small task. When speaking with residential school survivors many are excited by the opportunities that this money will provide such as fixing poor housing conditions, buying a better vehicle, and traveling to spiritual gatherings. One couple has decided to attend treatment as they have struggled with addiction and desire a better quality of life; they have hope for a new beginning. But sadly, creating a financial plan or personal goals has become the least of the survivor’s worries.The problem in itself is not the survivors receiving money but the fact that everybody and their dog knows about it. There are salespeople, and perhaps worse family members, circling their prey just waiting for the opportunity to feed. According to media reports and the moccasin telegraph the abuse and scams have already begun.
So what can be done? The first step is prevention. In order for prevention to succeed education is the first step. Concerned families, workers and the survivors must know the risks involved in getting large sums of money, the rights of someone who is being abused and what options are available.
First and foremost, we must understand what constitutes abuse. What defines elder abuse is any action, or deliberate inaction, by a person in a position of trust which causes harm to an older person. According to an, “Aboriginal Elder Abuse in Canada” report by Claudette Dumont-Smith (2002), elder abuse can be categorized in a number of ways. For the purpose of this article, we will examine 3 areas of concern for possible elder abuse.
1. Physical abuse: The use of physical force that can result in injury, pain and/or impairment. Some examples are assault (slapping, kicking, pulling hair, punching), rough handling, and sexual abuse. In addition, withholding of physical necessities such as food, personal care, hygienic care or medical care are indicative of physical abuse.
Signs and symptoms of physical abuse could include: bruises, black eyes, welts, lacerations, rope marks; bone fractures, broken bones, skull fractures, open wounds, cuts, burns, untreated injuries in various stages of healing; sprains, dislocations and internal injuries/bleeding, broken eyeglasses, signs of being restrained, and medication overdoses.
You will also want to be aware of an older person’s sudden change in behavior or a care giver’s refusal to allow visitors to see an older person.
2. Emotional abuse: These are actions that cause anguish, pain or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts. These could include: verbal assault (swearing at, calling down, yelling at), social isolation (not letting the elder see anyone), threats, humiliation, treating an elder like a child, lack of affection or denying elders the chance to participate in decisions with respect to their own lives.
The signs and symptoms of emotional abuse could include: the elder being emotionally upset or agitated, being scared of their caregiver or family member, being extremely withdrawn, non-communicative and non-responsive.
3. Financial abuse: Any improper conduct, done with or without the informed consent of the elder, that results in a monetary or personal gain to the abuser and/or monetary or personal loss for the elder.
The signs and symptoms of financial abuse include: sudden changes in bank account or banking practices, the inclusion of additional names on older person’s bank signature card, unauthorized withdrawal of the older person’s funds using their bank machine card, abrupt change in will or other financial documents, unexplained disappearance of funds or valuable possessions, unpaid bills despite adequate funds, discovery of forgery of older person’s signature, unexplained sudden transfer of assets to someone in or outside the family, forcing or tricking an elder to pay for unnecessary services and abusing power of attorney, guardianship or trusteeship responsibilities.
Also significant to residential school survivors is that Aboriginal elders are more likely to be living with extended family members compared to the mainstream population. This fact increases the likelihood of elders being pressured to provide services for free, such as babysitting, sharing their residence or paying all the bills. There are also those who decide to move in with the elder under the pretense that they are there to “help” them. Family members may also persuade their elders to buy large financial items such as a vehicle or convince the elder to give them large sums of money.
In addition to understanding the overall types of abuse that may occur it is also of benefit to be aware of the common scams to watch out for. An elder may be more susceptible to intimidation, phone or internet frauds, complicated contracts with hidden fee’s and interest, and over inflated prices. The RCMP Aboriginal Policing Department in Regina (2007) offers a few common scams to be aware of:
“Home repairs” – A salesperson calling your house or coming to your door offering home repairs or renovations. Often these services are offered at an inflated price or are offered on things you don’t really need.
“Free airfare or free trips” – You may be asked to purchase coupons that entitle you to free air tickets but you are required to use the hotels or other services at high prices. They may also try to charge you extra taxes or service fees.
“Prize tax” – Person receives some type of notification that they have won a prize. In order to collect the prize the victim is required to pay various taxes or fees in advance. REMEMBER: If you have won a prize in Canada, there are no fees or taxes!
“Prime debt financial instruments” – Person enters in to a contract guaranteeing a large return. This investment is generous and is guaranteed by the “the Government” THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A “PRIME FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT” AND YOU ALWAYS LOSE YOUR MONEY.
“Bogus charity canvassers” – There are numerous worthy causes to support. Canvassers solicit money door-to door for charities on a frequent basis. If you are unsure or the charity sounds suspicious, do not contribute.
“Loan referral schemes” – Companies claim to guarantee a loan if you have a bad credit history or no credit rating at all. Typically a fee of several hundred dollars is requested. Elderly with poor credit ratings are key targets. Once the ‘loan agents’ receive your money they tend to disappear
“Selling cars” – Similar to loan referral, some car dealerships may try to offer you an easy way to buy a car, but be careful of the small print in a contract. Some places are trying to charge as high as 40% interest rates. In addition, some salespeople will convince an elderly person to be a much more expensive vehicle than they actually need.
There are salespeople who will say and do anything to make a sale, some will pretend to be your friend or tell you they are giving you a special deal if you buy now. For some elders they agree to conditions or sign contracts before they realize what has happened. Advise them never to sign anything unless they have read and understood the whole document. If they really are interested in the product or need the item, let them know they can tell the person they are going to think about it and then talk to someone they trust.
The biggest factor in combating elder abuse is that elder abuse often goes unreported. There are a number of factors that may influence an elder’s decision to report:
– They don’t believe police or other agencies can help.
– They don’t want to lose their independence.
– Fear of being physically assaulted.
– Not aware of their rights.
– Feel ashamed of their mistreatment by family members.
– They don’t want to press charges.
Handling phone calls with a pushy salesperson can be a frustrating and overwhelming experience for an elder. Here are a few things an elder should know if they live alone or handle these calls themselves.
Keep your information private – If a salesperson contacts you be aware of them trying to get personal information from you such as your bank account number, credit card number, health care or and social insurance number. You also should not have to share your exact date of birth, the amount of money you are receiving or how much your pension is, as this confidential information and are major identifiers and could lead to identity theft.
Beware of too good to be true deals. If someone calls you requesting private information be suspicious as legitimate companies do not request this information. If someone is trying to get you to act immediately, pay a fee up-front, or buy something in order to win something — forget being nice! Demand that they never call you again and hang up.
You also have the right to have any offers or deals to be requested in writing. Charities, finance departments, sweepstakes companies, travel agencies, and investment firms — if they are legal, they will supply details in writing.
Above all, just say “no” to any deals or decisions that you do not want to make immediately. If the party is legitimate they will respect your choice. If all else fails, inform them that you need to consult with your attorney before you sign or decide upon anything.
If an elder is being phoned repeatedly or harassed in any way ask elders who have the literacy skills to document by taking notes on any incident. Important information to document is the name of the person who was involved, time, date, location, phone number if they were called, what was said or what happened. If the elder is not able to document on their own behalf support them to make a formal complaint with the police.
If a scam artist has contacted the elder or if they have been defrauded, they should contact the local police or call PhoneBusters at 1-888-495-8501. PhoneBusters is a national antifraud call centre, which works to educate the public about fraudulent telemarketing activities. Police can also re-direct complaints to other agencies such as in incidents of home repair schemes which can fall under the Direct Sellers Act or the Consumer’s Protection Act
If an elder is at risk of abuse they may need assistance creating a safe plan. The elder could have list of numbers in case of emergency, a list of people they trust, and someone who could check in on them. If they are in immediate danger call the police.
Many incidents of elder abuse can potentially fall under the Criminal Code and charges may be applicable. Some elders need reassurance and support to file charges as this can be very hard for some elders, especially when the abuser is in their family.
Police can refer victims of elder abuse to Victim Services who are a group of trained professionals and volunteers who can assist victims through the Court process as well as provide them with information regarding counseling and other forms of assistance.
Under the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program the elder may also be eligible to receive health support services, such as: counseling, emotional support and cultural support. In addition, a Crisis Line is available to provide immediate emotional assistance and can be reached 24-hours a day, seven days a week: 1-866-925-4419.
If the elder is not in immediate danger of abuse but has concerns about the money they are receiving the following are a few tips that they may want to consider;
– There are agencies that provide professional, independent financial advice.
– Keep your money safe and do not keep large amounts of money in your residence or on your person.
– Be careful when talking about money so as to not let unwanted people hear you.
– Consider locking your money in a term deposit account in the bank.
– Making out a Representative Agreement or Power of Attorney (call a lawyer for help).
If you are a frontline worker, a residential school survivor, or a concerned family member you may not be aware that the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO) offers an Indian Residential School Survivors program that provides financial management training for survivors of residential schools. The topics covered in the information sessions are; banking, personal finances, investing, new businesses, wills & estates, and frauds & scams.
With the support of Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada and Scotiabank, CESO offers two day workshops, information booklets, and a 1-(800) aftercare help line. The Information Sessions are offered across Canada, are free of charge and are organized based on the community requests.
For more information, please contact CESO at 416-961-2376, ext. 252 or toll-free 1-800-268-9052, ext. 252. You can also visit their website at: www.ceso-saco.com
References
1. Dumont-Smith, C. (2002). Aboriginal Elder Abuse in Canada, Retrieved October 3, 2007, from
http://www.ahf.ca/pages/download/28_37
2. Anderson, E., Wilson, R. & Reid, C. (2007). Elder Abuse: What to Watch Out For, PowerPoint Presentation by the RCMP Aboriginal Policing Department. Retrieved October 3, 2007, from http://www.afn.ca/residentialschools/conference/saskatoon/saskatoon_pp/
Day1pm_RCMP_Clayton_Lerat.pdf
This article comes from NationTalk:
https://nationtalk.ca
The permalink for this story is:
https://nationtalk.ca/story/residential-school-survivors-are-attractive-targets
Comments are closed.