Consumer Fraud and Abuse Protection for Seniors
People of all ages constantly purchase goods and services --- houses, cars, clothing, personal services, medical care, food, and so on. Being a knowledgeable consumer has a positive impact on one=s economic well-being. While most companies and businesses are legitimate, some are unscrupulous. It=s estimated that telemarketing fraud costs Americans $40 billion a year and Georgians about $500 million a year. In addition to telemarketing fraud, there are scams and swindles connected to home repairs, contests and sweepstakes, charity drives, investment offers, insurance, and health care. Many of these scams are targeted to older adults. In Georgia the Secretary of State=s office, the Governor=s Office of Consumer Affairs, and the Attorney General are coordinating resources to provide protection for Georgia consumers to stamp out telemarketing and other types of consumer fraud.
By: Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services
The Georgia Statutory Financial Power of Attorney The information in this document includes an explanation of the Financial Power of Attorney, cautionary language to those considering giving someone power over their financial affairs, instructions for completing the statutory form, and a copy of the form substantially the same as the one which appears in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.
By: Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services
The High Cost of Payday Loans
(Separate Website)
Payday loans go by a variety of names, including "deferred presentments", "cash advances", deferred deposits", or "check loans", but they all work in the same way. The difference between the amount of the check and the amount of cash the customer gets in return is interest or a loan fee that the lender is charging. These types of short-term loans are always very expensive.
By: National Consumer Law Center
What is Elder Abuse?
Provides information and resources for victims of elder abuse.
By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
What To Do If You've Become The Victim Of Telemarketing Fraud
(Separate Website)
Americans lose an estimated $40 billion each year due to the fraudulent sales of goods and services over the telephone. The elderly are frequently targeted. Studies have shown that fraudulent telemarketers direct anywhere from 56% to nearly 80% of their calls at older consumers. It is often difficult to recover money lost to a telemarketing scam. Even so, there are several practical actions that you can take to minimize losses and avoid future scams.
By: National Consumer Law Center
What You Should Know About Refinancing
(Separate Website)
Refinancing is a process in which you pay off one or more existing debts with a new home loan. If you have perfect credit, refinancing is sometimes a good way to obtain a lower interest rate or to convert a variable rate loan to a fixed rate. However, if you are in the midst of financial difficulties, if you have too much debt, or if you have bad credit, refinancing is loaded with pitfalls. We recommend that you be very careful when refinancing debts. Many refinancing loans hurt consumer. Here are twelve things to consider before refinancing.
By: National Consumer Law Center
Adobe Acrobat Reader required. (If you are using a screen reader that does not support PDF format, copy the PDF link, and use the Access Adobe online form to convert this file to HMTL text.)
This material is copyrighted by the authoring organization or individual. Legal information can change rapidly. Provided links are kept updated, permission is given to link to this material from a nonprofit, court or government website. Website material may be printed, copied and distributed only in its original format for non-commercial, informational purposes. The material may not be altered from its original format. Reproducing the material to promote a commercial purpose is expressly prohibited. Commercial enterprises are expressly forbidden from linking to our material or using our material in other ways. Legal Aid and GLSP are not liable for the distribution of out-of-date material or links. To inquire about appropriate use of this material, please contact 404-524-5811.
Information Not Legal Advice
LegalAid-GA.org provides general information only. This is not legal advice and cannot replace legal advice. You can get legal advice only from a lawyer. Deadlines are extremely important in most legal matters. You may lose important legal rights if you do not hire an attorney immediately to advise you. Viewing this web site or sending an e-mail message through this web site does NOT create an attorney-client relationship.
LegalAid-GA is a project of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, the Georgia Legal Services Program and the Pro Bono Project of the State Bar of Georgia. This website was produced with funding from the Legal Services Corporation.
Home Page
Intake Workers
Choose Another Location 
Arabic / العربية
