Mike Lee is a social worker with the Center for Elder Law and Justice, who, together with an enhanced multidisciplinary team, helps older adults who fall victim to scams.

"It can really be incredibly devastating to find out that you have been exploited by somebody that you depend on or even by a stranger," said Lee.

What You Need To Know

  • The Center for Elder Law and Justice helps older adults who fall victim to scams

  • Scams against older adults have been on the rise

  • An upstate couple sent a contractor to state prison after he stole their money

Betty and Phil Runkle have been working with the center after the contractor they hired, Jeffrey Wackwitz, to work on their new home didn't do any of it, but kept taking money for materials and pocketing the cash.

The couple found themselves in severe debt, their home in foreclosure, their vehicle repossessed and their house stripped for parts.

"We bought this house with the idea that it was going to comfortable and nothing was getting done. I did go through a very big stage of depression watching the house sit here unfinished, feeling like we were never going to get anywhere," said Betty.

The center not only reviews each case, but offers free legal and counseling services, helping older adults regain control of their lives.

"It takes a lot of courage to reach out," said Lee. "We can only help if we know. We'll help manage the expectations of that client throughout the entire process."

The Runkles pursued a civil case against Wackwitz, but then filed criminal charges.

"I want to protect other people from him," said Betty.

Wackwitz was arrested and originally charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person and fraud, reached a guilty plea on the endangerment charge, sentenced up to three years in state prison, ordered to pay $60,000 to the Runkles and slapped with an eight-year stay away order of protection.

He did repay $8,000 before reporting to Collins Correctional facility this past January.

"It feels good, because I feel I'm going to help other people not be scammed by this man," said Betty.

"You see a lot of pain. You see a lot of exploitation, so when you get to work on cases where you get to see a positive outcome, because all of the members of the team come together, it's incredibly satisfying," said Lee.

The Runkles are equally satisfied they eventually found a contractor and are doing better financially and emotionally.

"We were ignorant and naive," said Betty. "We got the man off the street. I recommend people do their homework first. We never checked any of his credentials. We took his word for it. And that was a big mistake."

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