Jane Walsh: The rise of predatory scams -- and how to prevent them | TED

Transcriber:

翻译人员: psjmz mz 校对人员: Yan Li Xiao

When we're seven, getting older and turning eight sounds great.

当我们 7 岁时， 成长到 8 岁听起来很好。

Then once we're in our teens,

然后一旦我们进入 10 岁左右，

the very idea of getting older and being 16 is amazing.

长大成为 16 岁的想法非常棒。

But show me one single person

但你找个在他 50 岁生日时

who wakes up on their 50th birthday and says, "Wow, I can't wait till I'm 70."

醒来说，“喔，我迫不及待进入 70 岁了” 的人给我看看。

"Getting old is not for sissies."

“变老不是为了受气的。”

That's what my 90-year-old mother-in-law says when she's cross

这是几年前我的婆婆生气时说的，

because something, physically or mentally, just isn't working the way it should,

因为有些东西，身体的或者精神的，

and did, years ago.

不再像以前那样好使了。

But there are other surprises ahead of us.

但还有其他意外在前头等着我们。

There is something else that goes along with aging,

这是其他和老龄化相伴的，

and it's not something we ever think about.

这是我们从未想过的。

One in 10 adults over 60 will be abused during their lifetime.

每 10 个年龄在 60 以上的人中 就有 1 个会被伤害。

That is five million people every year.

相当于每年 500 万人。

Even worse,

更糟的是，

half of those who develop dementia will experience some kind of abuse.

一半患上痴呆的人会遭受某种虐待。

And more often than not, the abuser will be a family member.

通常情况下，施暴者是家人。

We never think that this is going to happen

我们从来没有想过这会发生在

to us or to our loved ones.

我们或我们所爱的人身上。

But it's happening, right now,

但这正在发生，就在当下，

to our parents, our grandparents and our neighbors.

发生在我们的父母， 祖父母或邻居上。

I first learned elder abuse was a thing

我第一次知道老年虐待是在

when my dad fell victim to a classic elder scam.

我父亲成为一个典型的 老年骗局受害者时。

He was retired and he was living alone,

他退休了并且独立生活，

and although he was hiding it really well,

尽管他隐藏着很好，

he was starting to struggle with tasks that had once been simple for him.

他开始为曾经对他来说 简单的任务而挣扎。

The medical term would probably be "mild cognitive impairment."

医疗术语是“轻度认知障碍”。

Then, one day, I found a detective's business card

然后，有天，我在厨房桌子上

sitting on his kitchen table.

发现了一张侦探名片。

He'd been ripped off by a phony roofing contractor.

他被一个冒牌的屋顶承包商骗了。

He'd given this guy a lot of money up front,

他预先给了这个人一大笔钱，

and the guy took his money and then took off.

而这个人拿走钱后跑路了。

Despite my dad's police report, no one was ever charged or prosecuted.

尽管我父亲报了案， 但没人被指控或起诉。

I was a criminal defense attorney at the time, but even still,

我当时是一名刑事辩护律师， 但即便如此，

I was shocked that it had happened.

我还是被发生的事情震惊了。

And as his daughter, I was horrified that I hadn't seen it coming.

作为他的女儿，我害怕的是 我都没有看到这个的到来。

Years later, I moved to Colorado,

几年后，我搬到科罗拉多州，

and I started working as a deputy district attorney,

开始了地方副检察官的工作，

prosecuting crimes against older adults and folks with disabilities.

起诉针对老年人和残疾人的犯罪。

I soon learned that there were a ton of these crimes out there,

我很快意识到有一大堆此类案件，

but not so many of them were getting reported.

但并不是很多案件都有报案。

The statistics said maybe one in 14.

统计数据说可能是 1/14。

And when those crimes did get reported,

并且当这些犯罪真的被报案时，

as I'd already seen, very few of them got charged or prosecuted,

就如我所看到的， 很少的案件会被指控或起诉，

and only the tiniest proportion resulted in a conviction.

并且只有很少的一部分罪名成立。

So let's just think about domestic violence

让我们考虑下家庭暴力

and child abuse, for a second.

和虐待儿童一会。

Think about all the resources of public-service campaigns

相信有如此多社会服务资源

poured into those issues --

倾泻到这些问题中——

and yet, still, those crimes remain way too high.

然而，这些犯罪仍然保持高位。

Efforts to address elder abuse

解决老年虐待的努力

are said to be 20 years behind both of those issues.

比这些问题要落后 20 年之久。

But we need to get better, and we need to get better fast,

但我们需要做的更好， 我们需要行动更快，

because this problem is exploding.

因为这个问题正在爆发。

Elder abuse is growing,

老年虐待正在增长，

but it still remains hidden because of shame,

但它仍然被掩盖了，因为羞耻，

because of embarrassment,

因为难堪，

because of affection between perpetrator and victim.

因为施暴者和受害者之间的感情。

And most of all, because everyone has a deep, instinctive fear

更重要的，因为每个人对于缺陷有种

of admitting to impairment.

深深的、本能的恐惧。

So we see lots of different types of elder crime.

于是我们看到各种各样的老年犯罪。

We see physical abuse, we see emotional abuse.

有身体施虐，有感情虐待。

Sometimes, we'll see neglect or sexual abuse.

有时候，我们会看到忽视或性虐待。

But every single day, we see fraud and exploitation.

但每一天，我们都看到欺诈和剥削。

Financial crimes against seniors in the US cost an astonishing amount.

在美国针对老年人的 经济犯罪金额吓人。

The estimates put it up to 36.5 billion dollars every year.

估计每年高达 365 亿美元。

We know that seniors get bombarded by phone scams and internet scams

我们知道老年人 被电话和互联网诈骗轰炸

even more than the rest of us.

远高于我们其他人。

And this is lazy-boy crime.

这是懒汉犯罪。

Why would anyone go out and rob a bank?

为什么还有人会出去抢银行呢？

They can sit at home,

他们能坐在家中，

they call seniors and they terrify them that they're about to get arrested

他们拨打老年人电话， 恐吓要逮捕他们

or that their grandsons are in jail.

或者他们的孙子入狱了。

Then, they pressure them to buy multiple gift cards and Bitcoin.

然后，他们压迫他们 购买多张礼品卡和比特币。

So many seniors have saved for decades,

很多老年人存了几十年，

and those nest eggs, or sometimes, their whole life savings,

这些储蓄存款，有时候， 他们一生的存款，

just get wiped out in hours, or sometimes days.

在数小时或者数天内就被一扫而光。

It's low-risk crime, and it's very lucrative.

这是低风险的犯罪， 并且非常有利可图。

But what's the reason

那么是什么原因

that seniors are falling for these scams so often?

让老年人经常掉入这些欺诈呢？

And why do criminals target them?

为什么犯罪分子会瞄准他们呢？

One possible answer lies in what happens to our brain as we age.

一个可能的答案在于随着我们变老， 大脑中发生的事情。

By the time we're 60,

但我们 60 岁时，

neuroscience says that every single one of us

神经科学家说我们每个人

is going to have some kind of cognitive change or deficit.

会有某种认知变化或损害。

Of course, our brains compensate, and no two individuals are the same.

当然，我们的大脑进行补偿， 没有两个人的大脑是一样的。

But as our executive functioning for complex tasks starts to decline,

但随着我们对复杂任务的 执行能力开始降低，

we might find it more difficult

我们可能会发现很难

to figure out if someone is trying to manipulate or exploit us.

搞清楚某个人是不是 在操纵或剥削我们。

And at the same time,

同时，

we'll very likely have less insight into the fact that these deficits exist.

我们可能对这些损伤存在 的事实了解更少。

And this combination creates perfect victims.

这个结合创造了完美的犯罪。

It also goes to explain another type of crime

这也解释了另一种

that we see seniors falling for, again and again,

我们看到老年人 一再陷入的犯罪类型，

and this is financial exploitation.

这就是金融剥削。

In this type of crime, a third party homes in on the senior.

在这种类型的犯罪中， 第三方瞄准这些老年人。

They start to use persuasion and influence,

他们施加说服和影响，

and really almost grooming,

几乎是诱骗的方式，

to get them to give them money or assets.

让老年人给他们钱或资产。

This can be a new person in the senior's life,

他可能是进入老年人生活 的一个新面孔，

and sometimes, it'll seem like someone who's really great.

有时候，这个人看起来还很棒。

It'll be the new best friend or the fabulous new caregiver.

可能是新交的最好朋友 或者神奇的新看护人。

Maybe a romantic interest,

可能包含着浪漫的利益，

or even a financial or legal professional.

或者甚至是位金融或法律专业人士。

And what we see is that the bond

我们看到

that the perpetrator creates with the senior is so strong

犯罪者与老年人建立 的关系是如此强劲，

that even if they're cleaned out and penniless,

以致即便他们一贫如洗和身无分文，

they're often incurring credit card debt,

他们也常常背负信用债务，

and even taking out reverse mortgages

甚至申请反向抵押贷款，

so they can give more to the person scamming them.

以便能够给欺诈他们的人更多钱。

But right now, on some level,

但现在，某种程度上，

we're still thinking that this is not something that's going to happen to us.

我们仍然认为这不会发生在我们身上。

We couldn't get scammed, not us,

我们不会被欺诈，我们不会，

not our smart friends and family.

也不会是我们那聪明的朋友和家人。

Are we so sure about that?

我们如此确信吗？

Howard and Charlotte were 89 and 83 when they came forward.

霍华德和夏洛特站出来的时候 已经 89 和 83 了。

They'd both had careers as successful psychotherapists,

他们都是成功的心理治疗师，

and they had six college degrees between them.

他们有 6 个大学学位。

Years before, a receptionist from their eye doctor’s office

几年前，来自他们 眼科办公室的接待员

had showed up unexpectedly at their home

毫无征兆地出现在他们家中

and asked if she could borrow 300 dollars.

问能否借她 300 美元。

She came back again and again,

她一再回来，

and often, she brought her small child with her.

通常，她带着她的小孩。

And every time she showed up,

每次她出现，

she had something new to tell them about why she needed money urgently:

她总有新理由为什么急需用钱：

eviction costs, a lawsuit, medical bills or surgery.

驱逐费、诉讼费、医疗费或手术费。

She rarely left without a check in hand.

她很少不带支票就走。

And after this had gone on for some time,

在这样一段时间后，

she had got almost 600,000 dollars from this couple.

她从这对夫妇上 获取了将近 60 万美元。

And all the time, they told no one.

整个期间，他们没有告诉任何人。

It wasn't until their accountant asked them questions

直到他们的会计师询问

that they couldn't avoid,

他们无法回避的问题，

and then told them this was a crime,

并且然后告诉他们这是犯罪，

and that they had to call it in.

他们必须得报案。

Even then, they waited another couple of weeks,

即便那时，他们也等了几个星期，

until, mortified, they finally took his advice.

直到他们羞愧地接受了他的建议。

This case is also a great example

这是个很好的例子，

of how delays inherent in the criminal justice system

说明司法系统固有的拖延

make achieving justice for seniors a really difficult task.

为老年人赢得公正 是多么困难的一件事。

Howard was already dying of heart failure at the time that this case was charged.

当案子被起诉的时候， 霍华德因为心脏衰竭已经岌岌可危。

His cardiologist said that he only had a few months to live.

他的心脏医生说他只能活几个月。

So trial might be a year or more out.

所以审判可能需要一年或更长的时间。

And Howard was an essential witness,

霍华德是个重要的证人，

but he wasn't going to be around.

但他不会出现了。

We litigated, to take his testimony ahead of time, by a deposition.

我们进行了诉讼，提前以取证的方式 取得了他的证词。

That's something that's really fairly rare in criminal cases.

这在刑事案件中是非常罕见的。

Finally, Howard testified from his home.

最终，霍华德在家中做了证。

And he spent the entire next day in bed, exhausted.

他第二天整天卧床不起，精疲力尽。

He passed away only six weeks later.

他只在六周后就去世了。

And we were so lucky.

我们如此幸运。

If Howard had cognitive issues,

如果霍华德有认知问题，

important details might already have been lost.

重要的细节可能已经丢失了。

And this is what happens in these cases.

这是在这些案件中发生的。

The clock's running against us,

我们在与时间赛跑，

and that clock runs out, and cases get dismissed.

时间停止了，案子就丢失了。

The victims and their voices simply fade away.

受害者和他们的声音就消失了。

Let's talk about another problem that we face,

让我们谈下另一个面临的问题，

which is based on fundamental legal principle.

这个问题基于基本的法律原则。

It's the confrontation clause of the Constitution.

这是宪法中的对抗条款。

This means that when someone is accused of a crime,

意思是当某人被指控犯罪时，

they have the right to bring in their accuser,

他们有权利把控告他的人叫来，

confront them face-to-face in court, and cross-examine them.

在法庭上当面对质，质证告发者。

The person who's accused of abuse

被起诉虐待的人可以

can insist on bringing in the senior to have their lawyer question them.

坚持叫来老年人 接受他们律师的质问。

As you can imagine,

你可以想象，

this is very tough in cases with older victims.

这对老龄受害者中非常难。

I think of one case I prosecuted,

我想起我起诉过的一个案子，

where the elderly woman sat in her wheelchair

那个案子老年妇女坐在她的轮椅里

outside the courtroom for hours,

在法庭外呆了几个小时，

waiting to testify.

等待作证。

Other cases overran.

其他案子超时了。

Eventually, cold and tired and in pain, she just started crying.

最终，寒冷、疲劳和疼痛之下， 她开始哭泣了。

We really need to figure out better solutions.

我们真的需要想出好的解决方案。

Sometimes, we can carve out small exceptions

有时候，我们可以根据公共政策

to the confrontation clause,

和案件的必要性，

based on public policy and the necessities of the case.

为对抗条款划出一些小小的例外。

Sometimes, remote testimony can be a substitute

有时候，远程作证可以

for in-person presence,

作为个人到庭的替代，

particularly if we build in due process safeguards,

特别是如果我们建立正当程序保障，

like having a person from each side present,

比如每一边派一个代表，

to make sure there isn't any prompting or interference.

确保没有任何偏袒和干扰。

During the pandemic,

在疫情期间，

judges have sometimes permitted remote testimony

考虑到公共健康危机

based on the public health crisis

和会增加老年人风险，

and the elevated risks that that presents to seniors.

法官有时候会允许远程作证。

There's one other thing that's really worth mentioning,

还有另一件值得提的事情，

which is that in other legal systems,

那就是在其他法律系统中，

where confrontation isn't quite so fundamental,

当庭对抗不是那么根本，

they're really headed in an entirely different direction.

它们发展的方向完全不同。

Special measures to protect vulnerable victims

保护脆弱的受害者的特殊举措

are becoming more common,

变得愈来愈平常，

and what's driving these changes

驱动这些改变的是

is the focus on really getting the best and most reliable testimony

专注在确实获得证人

from the witness,

完美和可靠的证词，

which kind of makes sense.

这多少更说得通。

Also, in California, initiatives around specialty courts have been set up

同样，在加利福尼亚， 已经设立了专门的法庭

to address some of these specific barriers to elder justice that we're talking about.

去解决我们谈到的老年人司法 的一切特殊障碍。

So we can make this system better.

所以我们能够让这个系统变得更好。

We can also take action ourselves

我们也可以亲自采取行动

to prevent those we love being affected by predatory behavior.

来预防我们所爱的人 被欺诈行为伤害。

It is time that we had the talk.

是时候该谈谈这个话题了。

No, it's not that talk.

不是，这不是那样的谈话。

This is the talk that we need to have with our parents

这是我们需要和父母

or other elder adults that we talk to.

或者其他我要谈话的老年人的谈话。

And it is every bit as awkward,

这多少有点尴尬，

because it goes against the grain of the relationship.

因为和我们的关系背道而驰。

Roles have changed forever,

角色永远改变了，

and the person who used to be our protector

习惯于成为我们保护者的人

might now need some protection themselves.

现在可能也需要保护。

So before we even start this process,

所以在我们开始这个流程前，

we can reach out to family friends,

我们可以求助于家人朋友，

because they often have a great idea of what's going on.

因为他们对发生了什么很有见地。

They may be able to tell us

他们可能能够告诉我们

if they've seen signs and symptoms that concern them.

是否有看到 让他们担心的征兆或迹象。

Physicians or other professionals can help too.

医生和其他专业人士也能提供帮助。

Then let's talk about tone,

然后我们来谈谈语气，

because this is not an easy conversation,

因为这并非是个容易的谈话，

and it really needs a careful approach.

它真的需要细致的方法。

What we can't do is go in there ready to judge,

我们不能做的事情是准备做评判，

because who wants to be judged,

因为谁想要被评判，

who wants to be made to feel less than?

谁想让自己被感觉无足轻重呢？

In my cases, I try to get a photograph of the senior

在我的案子中，我尝试拿到老年人

when they were a different age, in a different context.

不同年纪的照片，在不同的情景中。

It helps me see more of that person.

这帮助我对这个人了解更多。

We didn't know our parents when they were our age.

我们对我们的父母 在我们这个年纪时所知甚少。

There is a lifetime of history between us,

在我们之间有一辈子的历史，

but there are still new ways to connect.

但仍然有新的方法可以连接。

And there are so many practical and unobtrusive fixes

有很多实用而不起眼的

that we can put in place.

解决方法。

Maybe it's doorbell cameras

这可以是门铃摄像头

or text alerts from the bank that come to our phone,

或者是来自银行的手机短信警告，

or maybe we're just going to help out

或者也许我们只是去帮助

with that huge mountain of paperwork that keeps regrowing.

那些不断增长的 堆积如山的文书工作。

There is a whole industry out there,

外面有一整个产业，

and we need to find the solutions together.

我们需要一起找到解决方案。

Also, this is a process,

同样，这也是个过程，

so we need to keep it under review.

所以我们需要继续审查。

And if right now, we're feeling overwhelmed,

如果现在，我们感到不知所措，

then nobody said it would be easy,

那么没人说过这很容易，

and neither is getting old.

并且没人不会变老。

But we can't wait,

但我们不能等待，

because if we wait,

因为如果我们等待，

we'll find out after something has happened.

我们就会事后才发现。

Like my family did,

就像我家人那样，

or like Howard and Charlotte's family did.

或者像霍华德和夏洛特家那样。

When I first meet with victims of elder crime,

当我第一次见到老年受害者时，

it can feel really heavy.

这真让人感觉沉重。

They've taken a big blow to their dignity and their self-respect.

他们的尊严和自尊都受到了重击。

They tell me that they feel tired and foolish,

他们告诉我他感到疲劳和愚蠢，

and sometimes, they even say that they feel like they're done.

有时候，他们甚至说感到自己完了。

We try not to make this process any harder for them.

我们试图不让这个流程变得更难。

As in, "Wow, you've really been through a lot ...

像是，“喔，你真是经历了很多…

But wait, there's more."

但等等，还有更多。”

And we get to share in their amazing resiliency

当我们一起在

and their humor,

这个混乱的系统中前行时，

as we navigate our way through this messy system together.

我们需要开始分享他们惊人的弹性 和他们的幽默。

We can improve how the system responds to their mistreatment.

我们可以提升整个系统 响应他们的虐待的方法。

We can ramp up prevention,

我们可以加强预防，

we can raise awareness,

我们可以提升认知，

and we can do a better job protecting our own friends and family.

我们可以做更好的工作 保护我们的朋友和家人。

And who knows what lies ahead for our future selves, either?

谁知道前方等待我们的是啥呢？

But now that we absolutely know that elder abuse can happen to anyone,

但现在我们绝对知道老年虐待 可以发生在每个人身上，

it's time that we change that,

我们是时候改变了，

to make sure that it can't, and it doesn't.

去确保它不能和不会发生。