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The Whistleblower blog was started in 2008. Look for posts by these contributors: James Eli Shiffer, Jane Friedmann, Brandon Stahl, Eric Roper and Alejandra Matos. | Check out the Whistleblower archive.

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Posts about Seniors

State ID is wrongly rejected at airport

Posted by: Jane Friedmann Updated: March 5, 2012 - 5:49 PM

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An 81-year-old Columbia Heights woman flying home recently got snagged in the Transportation Security Administration’s dragnet at the Fort Myers airport.
Her son, Michael Jaruch, told Whistleblower that when his mother showed her state-issued non-driver ID card at the security checkpoint, the TSA agent rejected it because it had no expiration date. Her passport was accepted, however.
A TSA spokesperson said the state-issued ID should have been accepted. “We have reiterated to our officers ... that this particular ID is permitted,” she said.
Minnesota began issuing non-expiring ID cards in the mid-’80s as a courtesy to seniors 65 and older. The latest version reads: “Expiration date: Lifetime,” a Department of Public Safety spokesperson said.

Guilty plea from former guardian-conservator

Posted by: James Eli Shiffer Updated: February 7, 2012 - 3:00 PM

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Last year I wrote about a former professional guardian and conservator named Terri Ann Hauge, who had lost her license as a lawyer but found a new courthouse career overseeing the lives and finances of vulnerable adults, only to find herself in trouble again. Hauge pleaded guilty last week in Hennepin District Court to felony theft by swindle in connection with the theft of $53,000 from the estate of Foster A. Greene, an Edina man who died in 2003. She is scheduled to be sentenced May 21. Her co-defendant, Terrance Larpenteur, is scheduled to appear in court for a plea hearing March 30.

Hauge and Larpenteur ran Estate Resources, Inc., which at one time handled one of the state's largest portfolios of work as guardians and conservators. Hauge still faces numerous charges of theft by swindle, financial exploitation of an elderly adult and perjury in Rice County.

Commerce department warns of fraudulent investments

Posted by: Kelly Smith Updated: February 2, 2012 - 2:50 PM

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The Minnesota Department of Commerce is warning consumers to be cautious of fraudulent investments in light of the Federal Reserve's announcement that interest rates will likely remain low until late 2014. Those low interest rates could spur more scammers promising higher returns and lower risk to people on fixed incomes -- particularly seniors.
 
“Anyone promising high yield or high returns with little or no risk should be approached with a high degree of skepticism," Commissioner Mike Rothman said in a statement.
 
From the news release, the department gave these tips to investors: 
•       Does this investment sound too good to be true? Use common sense and get a professional, third-party opinion when presented with investment opportunities that seem to offer unusually high returns in comparison to other investment options.
 
•       Did you have enough time to make the decision?  Ask for written information that fully explains the investment. The documentation should contain enough clear and accurate information to allow you or your investment adviser to evaluate and verify the particulars of the investment.
 
•       Were you given confidential, “inside information”, or a limited offer?  These phrases are often used in fraudulent investments to encourage a quick investment decision.
 
•       Are the seller and investment licensed and registered in Minnesota? The Commerce Department can tell you if they are. If they are not, they may be operating illegally.
 
Reach the department either by the consumer help line at (651) 296-2488 or (800) 657-3602, by e-mail at consumer.protecion@state.mn.us or by mail at 85, 7th Place East, Suite 500, St. Paul, MN 55101.

Senator suggests tighter rules for guardians

Posted by: James Eli Shiffer Updated: September 29, 2011 - 4:09 PM

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My colleague Brad Schrade has been following the fact-finding mission of Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) as she moves toward legislation "to address shortcomings in the guardian system nationwide." Last week, Schrade reported on a hearing in Washington that featured testimony from Minnesotans about problems with these court-appointed decision-makers and the 2009 reforms that improved state oversight. This week, Klobuchar convened a discussion group that included Deanna Van de North of St. Paul, who became a voice of reform after seeing her mother's health and assets disappear while under guardianship. 

Minnesota courts have improved their oversight by requiring electronic reports by conservators, which will be subject to regular audits, and for the first time, some training for guardians and conservators in Hennepin, the largest judicial district, Schrade reports.

Previous Whistleblower coverage of misconduct and lapses of oversight involving guardians and conservators is available here.

Tax-refund scam is targeting seniors

Posted by: Jane Friedmann Updated: August 2, 2011 - 8:00 PM

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Another scam is up and running, this time involving fraudulent tax returns, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
With promises of “free money,” scammers are charging a fee to help Social Security recipients file for refunds or rebates based on government withholdings from benefits checks. The scam targets people who normally don’t need to file a return.
“The problem is that this kind of withholding never took place,” IRS spokeswoman Carrie Resch said. “The victim is out the fee the scammer charged for the return preparation, and they’ve also signed a false tax return claiming a refund that is not legitimate.”
Fliers promoting the scam have shown up in churches and senior centers across the country.

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