One recent rainy morning, I
attended a free-for-seniors, Senior Citizen Law Day program
sponsored by CT.4a, the Connecticut Bar Association and
CT. Appleseed at the Quinnipiac University School of Law.
We were all greeted cordially, offered coffee and given
a large, very informative, spiral-bound Connecticut Elder
Law Resources notebook. After selecting from several choices
of break-out sessions available, we gathered in the main
auditorium to hear Attorney General Richard Blumenthal’s
welcoming address.
I have heard our attorney general speak on several occasions,
and I am always impressed by his thoughtfulness and thoroughness,
and especially by his determination to fight injustice wherever
it is uncovered. We are indeed fortunate to have him serving
our state.
Attorney General Blumenthal, in addressing the present
financial crisis, said that our regulators had been asleep
at the switch, and that we need to be revamping our financial
institutions and also have stronger consumer protection.
As a matter of fact, Blumenthal, on behalf on the state
of Connecticut, sued the federal government because the
Environmental Protection Agency was not doing its job. He
also spoke about the injustice of drug companies giving
special benefits and payments to doctors and blocking generics
(which are less expensive) from the market.
He added that the Food and Drug Administration does not
always scrutinize the side effects of new drugs. Blumenthal
has teamed with AARP and on Nov. 23 hosted a Consumer University
to teach seniors how to resist scams and rip-offs.
He remarked that the Internet is a double-edged sword,
giving us access to information and to our government, but
also giving scam artists access to us. Some of the most
common scams:
ÇCyber Fraud: Unscrupulous scam artists hawk health
cures, phony credit repair scams and get-rich-quick deals
on the Internet or through telemarketing.
ÇDriving Accident Scams: Scammers falsely accuse
elderly drivers of hitting their car and then intimidate
them into paying cash for the “damages.”
ÇCommon Telephone Scams: Prize offers for which
you have to do something to get your “free”
prize — attend a presentation or give out your credit
card number. Travel packages and “low-cost”
vacations can end up costing a lot or may never happen.
Get-rich-quick investments that promise high returns with
little or no risk. These may include gemstones, rare coins,
oil and gas leases, art, etc.
The attorney general’s office also began a Senior
Volunteer Assistance Program this summer, and already the
senior advocates who volunteer their time have helped senior
consumers get restitution ranging from $1 to $3,425.
Complaints regarding unfair practices should be sent to
the office of the attorney general at 55 Elm St., Hartford,
06106, or e-mail attorney.general@po.state.ct.us.
All three of the break-out sessions I attended were extremely
stimulating and informative.
The audience often peppered the lecturer with complex questions.
What follows is just a sampling of some helpful ideas.
Attorney Sarah Poriss of West Hartford, a credit counseling
specialist, cautions that we do not need to pay for our
credit report. You are permitted one free credit report
in a 12-month period from each of the three national agencies.
Go to www.annualcreditreport.com or call (877) 322-8228.
Poriss suggests getting a copy of an excellent paperback,
“Scam Proof Your Life,” available through Amazon.com.
To avoid unwanted sales calls from marketers, place your
name on the National Do Not Call Registry (www.donotcall.gov)
or call (888) 382-1222.
At this time of year, we receive requests from many charities.
I always answer phone requests, even from those charities
with which I am familiar, by saying, “I never answer
telephone solicitations, but if you send information in
the mail, I will consider it.”
Legitimate charities won’t pressure you to make a
decision and you can check out any charity with this group:
BB Wise Giving Alliance (www.give.org) or (703) 276-0100.
Other sessions I attended that day covered Housing Options,
Long-Term Care, Medicaid Eligibility and Prescription Drugs.
To my mind, it was, indeed, time well spent.
Jean Cherni
is founder of Senior Living Solutions, a retirement advisory
service. Contact her at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or
15 The Ponds, Branford 06405.
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is a full-service real estate company with more than 100
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