Book Review: Scammed by Art Maines

Scammed: 3 Steps to Help Your Elder Parents and Yourself
by Art Maines
Love Your Life Publishing,  October  12, 2012
210 pages available in print and ebook

Art Maines combines the intimacy of personal testimony with the lucidity of a how-to manual in this book that begins by sharing what it was like to shepherd his stepfather through the aftermath of a despicable scam that bilked him of tens of thousands of dollars and proceeds to describe the precise steps that must be taken to minimize the damage and protect against future defrauding.  And that's just the first section.

The next section covers the emotional fallout for both the elder parent and the adult child--the shame and guilt, the strain on the relationship, the stress and anxiety--and advice for mitigating it.  Further sections go into greater detail about each specific type of scam--'helping' someone move funds from overseas, home repair, identity theft, telemarketers and more--and how to protect against them, the psychology behind the 'grooming' methods the scammers use to worm their way in, and many resources for more information or specific help for both proactive protection and after the fact assistance.

Maines has prepared a helpful guide for anyone finding themselves or a loved one victimized by a scam or who wants to defend against them.  The best defense is information. There is more information here than you could shake a stick at as my Grandpa liked to say.


From the Publishers:

One in Five US Seniors are Scam Victims, Learn How to Prevent and Recover from this Crime:
When author Art Maines' beloved stepfather Bill was cheated out of thousands of dollars, Art went on a mission to ensure no other family experiences this tragic crime.

In Scammed, Art provides a three step scam prevention and recovery program, based on his training as a social worker, therapist, and his extensive research.  Suitable for seniors or children of elderly parents, Scammed will help you:

• Understand the most common types of scams
• Learn the psychological ploys used by scammers so that you can spot a scammer immediately
• Create a scam prevention plan
• Recover from a scam with your dignity intact
• Use the resources in your community if you suspect a scam

What they are saying: 

"just finished reading this book. this would be a great resource for people finding themselves in the unenviable position of being scammed or finding that they have a parent who has been scammed. it is packed full of practical, clear advice on what steps to take when you don't know where to turn or how to get started on recovering from being scammed. this book also gives valuable direction on how to be proactive and to get started on protecting yourself or your parent from becoming a scam victim." Peggy I. Montgomery, Amazon.com Reviewer

"An excellent guide to helping your parent avoid predators."~ N. Kortner Nygard, Ph.D., Geriatric Psychologist

"A wealth of advice to help heal the emotional and physical aftermath of scams."~Jennifer L. Abel, Ph.D., author of Active Relaxation

"A simple breakdown of scams that target the elderly with a battle plan to protect and prevent" ~Detective Joe Roubicek, Author of Financial Abuse of the Elderly; A Detective's Case Files of Exploitation Crimes

"This is an important book for anyone with elderly parents.".~Gregory W. Lester, Ph.D.

Art Maines, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice, speaker, and expert in elderly fraud recovery and prevention. He earned his Master's Degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Art and his stepfather Bill live in St. Louis.


Websites:
http://scammedbook.com/
www.elderlyfraudrecoveryhelp.com






Follow the blog tour for more reviews, giveaways, author interviews and guest posts: 

http://www.virtualauthorbooktours.com/