Be Vigilant of Scams During the Coronavirus Pandemic [Episode 143]

Attorney-CPA Joe Cordell and co-host Jill Enders are rejoined by the Better Business Bureau’s Don O’Brien to break down all of the potential scams that seniors could be vulnerable to during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Don highlights how scammers are utilizing the headlines of the news, in order to capitalize on the fear that the pandemic has inspired. He talks about how Facebook ads has become a primary medium for many of the scams (6:40), as well as the issues surrounding Missouri pastor Jim Baker, who made headlines for having guests on his show that were attempting to sell a false cure to the Coronavirus (8:26).

Don also dives into phone call scamming and how that has increased during these challenging times (13:00). He also reminds seniors of the grandparent scam (17:00), and the role that adult children play in taking care of elderly parents (21:35).

Afterward, Joe and Jill are joined by TuckerAllen attorney Teresa Yao to discuss some of the most important estate planning decisions that you can be making during this pandemic (31:00). She describes what a durable Power of Attorney is (35:25) and how important it is to be proactive in your decision-making both from a medical and financial perspective (42:50).