Sweetheart Estate Scam takes wealthy farming heir for $12M.
A mother-daughter estate scamming duo from Oregon swindled elderly tree-farm heir Ralph Raines, Jr. for almost a decade, extracting in total over $12 million.
According to media reports:
- Rachel Lee, 41, masterminded a plot to liquidate the fortune of Oregon timber heir Ralph Raines Jr., 67.
- She spent 10 years infiltrating the wealthy family and pilfered money from their estate once having their trust
- Used daughter Porsha Lee, 25, who persuaded Raines to fall in love with her
- Lee and her boyfriend used the money to buy luxury cars, property and go on gambling trips to Las Vegas
- It is estimated that the dup stole a minimum of $12 million and a maximum of $20 million
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Do you have suspicions of Estate Scams in Florida? How can you find out if your parents inWest Palm Beach or Boca Raton are victims of financial exploitation?
Watch for these warning signs of Financial Exploitation in Florida:
- The elderly person has a new “best friend,” becomes socially isolated, never seems to be available or able to come to the phone, or is hesitant to have contact with others unless his or her caregiver is present.
- Unpaid bills when someone else has been designated to make payments.
- Missing property, large or unexplained withdrawals from bank accounts, or transfers between accounts.
- Excessively large reimbursements or “gifts” to caregivers or friends.
- New authorized signers on a person’s bank account.
- Changes in banks or attorneys.
- Unfamiliar signatures on checks and other documents.
- Changes in spending patterns, such as purchases of items the senior doesn’t need.
- Lack of personal amenities such as clean clothes and grooming items.
- Changes in documents such as a will or power of attorney, or a change in beneficiaries that the senior can’t completely explain or comprehend.
- Excessive interest in the senior’s finances by a caregiver, friend, or even a relative.
For more on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from financial scams in Floridaclick here: http://www.stopfraud.gov/protect-yourself.html
Find out more on Elder Fraud in Florida. See http://www.pankauskilawfirm.com/ for videos and information on Guardianship Law, Estate Planning, and Power of Attorney in Florida.