Sarah from Jacksonville, Florida, told “The Ramsey Show” in June that her widower father had been scammed out of $90,000 in retirement savings over five years, after covering medical expenses for his late wife.
The call centered on how families can respond when retirement savings vanish. The discussion highlighted financial boundaries, personal safety, and steps to prevent further losses.
Scams Drained Savings And Added Debt
Sarah said a romance scam cost her father $80,000 to $90,000, which forced him to use a home equity line of credit to cover the loss. She added that a separate cryptocurrency scam also took money, leaving him in debt while adjusting to retirement at age 65.
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“He is trying to take care of himself and he doesn’t want to be a burden,” Sarah said. She added that the warning signs were impossible to miss, pointing to two Powerball tickets on his table and his admission that he could not afford a two-hour trip to see his mother.
Why The Hosts Drew A Line
Co-host Rachel Cruze urged Sarah to separate her father’s financial struggles from her own household. “You can’t help people who aren’t asking for help,” she said, emphasizing that her dad must first accept assistance before progress is possible. She encouraged Sarah and her husband to make choices that safeguarded their financial stability above all else.
Meanwhile, co-host George Kamel suggested approaching the discussion with empathy to reduce tension. He explained that shame and guilt often prevent people from acknowledging financial mistakes, especially later in life.
A supportive, judgment-free conversation, he said, could help Sarah’s dad feel safer about opening up to the possibility of receiving help.
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Fresh Warnings On Elder Fraud
The dilemma extends far beyond one family. According to the FBI, Americans aged 60 and older reported $4.88 billion in losses to fraud in 2024, a 43% increase from 2023. That surge highlights the rising scale of elder fraud and its financial toll on retirees.
Early this month, the Federal Trade Commission said impersonation scams are increasingly targeting older adults’ life savings. The commission explained that scammers pose as government agencies or trusted businesses, pressuring victims into transferring large sums through fear or urgency.
The FTC also reported that combined losses among victims who lost more than $100,000 grew from $55 million in 2020 to $445 million in 2024.
Families are encouraged to watch for warning signs — such as sudden lottery purchases or too-good-to-be-true investment pitches — and report concerns promptly to the FTC or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
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