Older adults being bilked in purported romances

SANDUSKY — Older adults in Erie County are being taken advantage in romance scams, online relationships that result in local residents losing large amounts of money. "Once they start asking for money, this is where they should be aware," said Sue Daugherty, executive director of Serving Our Seniors. "They should check out this person." "We have victims who have been bilked out of hundreds of thousands of dollars," Sheriff Paul Sigsworth said. Usually by the time the victim realizes something might be wrong and finally talks to a relative or friend, "it's too late. That's when we get the call," Sigsworth said. The frauds are often perpetrated on older people who meet others through a dating site, Daugherty said. It appears to be common not to discuss the relationship with anybody, Daugherty said. The situation sometimes does not become known until a banker notices large amounts of money are leaving an account, Daugherty said. "They never actually meet the individual person," Sigsworth said. "In a lot of these cases, the victim has never met the individual in person, and they probably never will." "I would suggest any time you do this, you need to talk to them and meet them in person," Sigsworth said. And when you meet them, meet in a public place and have someone with you, he said. "It's so heartbreaking because a lot of these persons are widows and widowers," said Dan McLaughlin, elder abuse investigator for the Erie County prosecutor. Somebody will build an online relationship with the victim, and then ask for money, using a good story. It might be a family member who supposedly needs surgery or a car that has broken down and needs repairs. A lot of times, where the money is being sent is a clue something is wrong. It should not be sent to a company or an agency if it's supposed to be sent to a person. If somebody asks for money, even if it is apparently for a good reason, take a day or two to decide. Talk to a trusted friend or a family member and get a second opinion, McLaughlin said. Or call Serving Our Seniors, or McLaughlin at the county prosecutor's office, he suggested. "Somebody's calling and asking for $5,000 and you don't feel right, give me a call," he said. McLaughlin became a special investigator for elder financial abuse cases in 2018. During 2020, he received 41 calls on possible financial exploitation in Erie County, 27 for elderly women and 14 for elderly men. Four cases became the focus of a criminal investigation, although ultimately it was determined there was not enough evidence for a prosecution.