Scam artists target aging loved ones

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's a dilemma in many families. You suspect your aging parent might be making a serious financial mistake, but you're reluctant to intervene. That could be a serious and costly error.

Honora Precourt says she doesn't understand how her well-educated father got mixed up with scam artists.

"I kind of discovered it in the middle of the process when he was trying to charge a hotel bill and his credit card and his credit limit had been maxed out," said Precourt.

She asked him why and he said he was buying coins and stamps, and the man he was dealing with charged his card.

"I just thought that's kind of bizarre behavior, but I trusted my dad, and I didn't want to question him," said Precourt.

Now, she regrets that she let it go. Her father was not only involved in a coin scam, he also was spending his money on bogus lottery sweepstakes.

"To her shock and surprise going through his belongings, she noticed on his desk he had numerous solicitations from fraudulent offers in the mail. He literally had stacks and stacks on his desk," U.S. Postal Inspector Tom Ouellette said.

"I really want to prevent other people from experiencing what my family experienced," said Precourt.

Precourt's father has since passed away, but she believes he lost more than $100,000 in this scam.