My Dad Is Hooked On
Scam Sweepstakes

My 87 year old father is hooked on scam sweepstakes and it will soon bankrupt him. I can't get him to stop. He gets a dozen envelopes a day from these people and he's spending all his money on magazines. The last straw was when I saw a new copy of a knitting magazine at his house today. He won't listen to me that he's never going to win. How can I make him stop before he's in the poorhouse? He gets really angry if I try to throw them away before he sees them.

Many older people become ensnared by these scammy offers. While they aren't truly "scams" because the fine print does reveal how small the chances of winning really are, and that you don't have to buy anything to "win," these disclaimers are often intentionally hard to find and difficult to read. Once a senior responds to the first sweepstakes offer his name is sold and re-sold to others in the same business. It's not unusual for some folks to receive 30 or 40 sweepstakes offers a day.

Unfortunately in your case, it's against the law to intercept the U.S. Mail. If your father were managing everything else in his life competently and the amount he was spending would not place him at financial risk, then there would be little you could do. As this is apparently not the case, and the amount he is spending is far more than he can afford, you are right to want to take steps to protect him.

I recommend that you consult with an elder law attorney about seeking financial guardianship ("conservatorship" in some states). An experienced attorney will advise you about the process and what evidence you'll need before you petition the court. The cost of a consultation will be far less than what your father is apparently spending on entering these sweepstakes every month.

If you don't know a good elder law attorney you can locate one at the website of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).

Once you have the necessary information and are ready to proceed, some people find that simply presenting the "either-or" to their parent is enough to persuade the parent to relinquish the checkbook or consent to other kinds of financial supervision. If not, you must be prepared for a legal battle which will undoubtedly be unpleasant for both you and your father.