• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Sexton, Bailey Attorneys, PA

SEXTON BAILEY ATTORNEYS, PA an Arkansas Estate Planning & Trust Information Center

Sexton, Bailey Attorneys, PA

Northwest Arkansas Estate Planning Attorneys (479) 443-0062

Client Vault
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • Our Firm
    • About the American Academy
    • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • News & Events
    • Our Reviews
    • Speaker Connection
  • Estate Planning
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Incapacity Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Webinars
  • Practice Areas
  • Resources
    • DocuBank
    • Elder Law Reports
    • Estate Planning Resources
      • Estate Planning Articles
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Estate Planning Reports
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Top 10 Estate and Legacy Planning Techniques
    • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
      • Estate Planning
      • Frequently Asked Questions for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • Medicaid Planning
      • Pet Planning
      • Trust Administration & Probate
    • Newsletters
    • Trust Administration & Probate Resources
      • Bereavement Resources
      • How to Know if You Need Extra Help With Your Grieving
      • Loss of a Loved One
      • The Mourner’s Bill of Rights
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
Home / Asset Protection / “Grey Charges” Can Rise to Level of Elder Abuse

“Grey Charges” Can Rise to Level of Elder Abuse

July 29, 2013 by Audra Bailey Wilcox Leave a Comment

We’ve all heard about scammers that target seniors.  But a new trend that affects everyone may especially harm seniors because many of them are not as technologically savvy as younger generations.  The trend is called “grey charges” and it seems to target many in the “grey” generation and can rise to the level of elder abuse.

When was the last time you examined a credit card statement line by line?  If there is a large charge, you will likely notice it.  But what about charges of $5 or $10 that creep into your statements every month?

These have been labeled “grey charges” because they are neither black nor white—you didn’t authorize the charge (or at least you thought you didn’t), but most of them don’t meet the criteria of fraud.  Here are some examples:

–have you ever been on the phone with a company you are placing an order with and they offer you a free magazine subscription? The first couple of issues may be free, but then a monthly charge kicks in. Would you notice it?

–have you ever had a subscription or a product that you receive on a monthly basis “auto-renew” itself whether you authorized it or not?

–have you ever ordered something that boasted a “free trial”?  Chances are if you didn’t cancel it or return it, the company started charging you for it, either in installments or all at one time.

These are all grey charges, and most of them are disclosed in the fine print that you never read, or added on at the end of a sales phone call (whether you or the caller initiated it) when you have tuned out from all the sales pitch gibberish.

The bottom line is that these charges can add up if you don’t find them for several months.  While it can’t be labeled as fraudulent because it was “disclosed” to you, it is certainly exploitation and even elder abuse.  If you can’t easily review your bank statements yourself, ask one of your children or someone you trust to help you.  You’ve worked your whole life to earn your retirement income.  Don’t let it dwindle away $5 at a time for no reason.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Audra Bailey Wilcox
Audra Bailey Wilcox
Attorney at Sexton, Bailey Attorneys, PA
Audra Bailey Wilcox
Latest posts by Audra Bailey Wilcox (see all)
  • Pandemic Relief for Employers - April 15, 2021
  • How to Dispose of “Stuff” - April 13, 2021
  • Will My IRA Transfer Through Probate? - March 8, 2021

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sexton, Bailey Attorneys, PA

Is Your Plan Outdated?

Subscribe to Our Blog

Office Address

Fayetteville
2766 Millenium Drive
Fayetteville, AR 72703
Phone: (479) 443-0062

Office Address

Prairie Grove
1100 Division Street, Suite 4
Prairie Grove, AR 72753
Phone: (479) 846-6026

Office Address

Farmington
6 West Main
Farmington, AR 72730
Phone: (479) 267-4441

Office Hours

Monday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Map

map for office
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

footer-logo

© 2021 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.