Vault: Her Grieving Grandmother Was Exploited by Her Own Neighbors

Summary

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The Bert Show Episode Summary

Episode Title: Vault: Her Grieving Grandmother Was Exploited by Her Own Neighbors
Air Date: April 6, 2026

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Overview

This episode of The Bert Show revolves around a deeply personal and alarming story: Wendy's family elder was exploited by opportunistic neighbors in the wake of her grandfather’s death. The conversation shines a spotlight on the vulnerability of elderly individuals, especially during periods of grief, and the growing trend of elder exploitation. The hosts, Wendy’s family member, and several callers discuss the emotional toll, the shocking nature of these scams, and steps families can take to protect their loved ones.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wendy’s Family Explains the Situation (00:58–05:27)

• Host recounts Wendy’s recent loss and introduces the topic: Wendy’s grandmother, newly widowed, had neighbors who behaved suspiciously after the funeral.
• Wendy’s family member describes suspicious neighbor behavior:
  • The neighbors, previously unfamiliar, lingered during the family’s mourning and were unusually present.
  • During the funeral, rather than watching the house themselves, the neighbors’ daughter was left at the home.
• Incident with life insurance call:
  • Upon returning, the family found the neighbor inside the house claiming to have answered a phone call from the "union" (regarding the life insurance policy).
  • “She answered the phone and I guess just took a message or whatever is what her story was.” (Wendy's Family Member, 03:07)
  • Suspicion arose when they learned the neighbor posed as Wendy's grandmother during a sensitive financial call.

2. The Pattern of Elderly Scam Tactics (05:27–06:25)

• Hosts and guests contextualize the event as part of a broader issue:
  • Increasing number of scams targeting the elderly, especially during economic hardship.
  • “There’s been more and more news about how these crimes against senior citizens are going up right now, because in this economy, they’re scared. And so people are playing on that fear and scamming them even more than usual.” (Jeff, 04:51)
  • Older generations’ tendency toward trust—and how it makes them targets.

3. Family’s Immediate Response (04:18–05:27; 07:05–07:46)

• Protecting the grandmother:
  • Changed how sensitive mail and calls are handled.
  • “My uncle’s just trying to get every call forwarded to his phone instead of my grandma’s phone... They actually had a cop come over just to see if there’s anything they could do. The neighbors were really suspicious, like, why is there a cop there?” (Wendy’s Family Member, 05:29, 04:18)
  • Grandmother is informed and warned; neighbors’ actions are broadcast to the wider community.

4. Callers Share Similar Stories of Elder Exploitation (08:19–10:20)

• Caller 1: Shares how after a grandparent’s death, neighbors stole valuables, vehicles, and even changed titles, all under the guise of being helpful (08:21–09:22).
  • “Within a day or two of his death, their next door neighbors came in and took the washer and dryer, riding lawnmower, the truck, anything, basically that was worth any value they took.” (Caller 1, 08:21)
• Caller 2 (Kim): Describes a case where trusted neighbors committed identity theft by opening credit cards in her grandmother’s name while feigning concern and support (09:36–10:20).
  • “Come to find out that when they were taking her to the grocery store and taking her to a doctor’s appointments, they're actually checking her mail and open up credit card accounts in her name. Oh, they just put it to the tune of thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars...” (Caller 2 - Kim, 09:43)

5. Emotional and Social Impact (05:05–06:05; 10:20–end)

• Melissa: Laments the generational divide in trust versus cynicism.
  • “Instead of trying to better ourselves and be more like them, we’re trying to take advantage of them.” (Melissa, 05:10)
  • “It is foreign to them. It is a foreign concept that people would purposely do this.” (Melissa, 10:27)
• Host Reflects: On the aftermath for the elderly and the necessity of family protection.
  • “You always hear stories about stuff like that, but… you’d never think that there’s someone so cold or calculated.” (Host, 04:39)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On posing as the grandmother:
  “She was posing as your grandmother to the life insurance people?”
  — Jeff (03:30)

• On the generation gap in trust:
  “That generation was a generation of trust... And everybody was a person of their word, you know, and the sad thing is people are taking advantage of that.”
  — Melissa (05:02)

• Callers' chilling confirmations:
  “Within a day or two of his death, their next-door neighbors came in and took the washer and dryer, riding lawnmower, the truck, anything, basically that was worth any value they took.”
  — Caller 1 (08:21)

  “They’re actually checking her mail and open up credit card accounts in her name... thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars of credit card debt into my grandmother’s name.”
  — Caller 2 (Kim, 09:43)

• On the internal impact to elders:
  “She internalizes it. It’s so disturbing to her because it is foreign to them... And it’s just—yeah, I think it’s sad because on top of it, it internally disturbs these people, it stresses them out.”
  — Melissa (10:27)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:58–03:34: Wendy’s family member describes the suspected exploitation.
• 03:34–05:27: Neighbors’ suspicious actions and the family’s response.
• 05:27–06:25: Broader discussion on elder scams and generational trust.
• 08:19–10:20: Listeners call in with their own family experiences of exploitation.
• 10:20–11:38: Emotional aftermath and generational reflection.

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Takeaways

• Elderly individuals, particularly during times of vulnerability, are at increased risk of exploitation—even by those closest to them, such as neighbors.
• Generational differences in trust and caution highlight why scams disproportionately affect seniors.
• Family vigilance, open communication, and proactive security measures are vital.
• The episode closes with a call for greater awareness and empathy—balancing healthy skepticism with the compassion elders deserve.

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This episode delivers a sobering, empathetic look at elder exploitation, urging listeners to protect their loved ones and change societal attitudes toward caregiving and trust.

Transcript

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[Host]

Visit borherst.com to get the first show Wendy's got. You know, we were sad last week because Wendy had to go back to be with her family to deal with the loss of her grandfather. And you know, it's tough enough and obviously her mom has to deal with it too, as her mother's dad. And how's your mom, by the way?

[Wendy's Family Member]

She's, she's holding up pretty well. I said. I've been with her a couple of nights this week. So yeah, she's doing very well. So dealt with that.

[Host]

But Wendy told us something the other day that sucks pretty bad is you think your newly widowed grandmother's neighbors are trying to take advantage of the situation.

[Caller 1]

Oh, yeah.

[Wendy's Family Member]

Well, these are neighbors that I haven't even really seen before. And I mean, I went up to Minnesota a lot. That's where my family on that side lives is up in Minneapolis. So I haven't even seen them that often when I came up there anyways to visit my grandpa. So when I was up there for the funeral and the services and all that kind of stuff, they were kind of just hanging around and which I thought was fine. I mean, obviously they're gonna be there to support My grandma had dinner with us or whatever, just at the house, hanging out, having a couple of drinks or whatever. And then the day of the funeral and the services, my grandma needed someone to watch the house. I mean, that's just what they do. They have the neighbors watch the house. So instead of the two neighbors ended up going to the funeral but had their daughter watch the house. So that's not uncommon or whatever. So we get back and.

[Host]

What does that. You mean watch the house? Just stay there in case anyone stay there. Just in case that. Let him in.

[Wendy's Family Member]

Let him in. There's a lot of food.

[Melissa]

Yeah, people bring food.

[Jeff]

Flowers.

[Wendy's Family Member]

Flowers and everything. And then she has a dog. So maybe to watch the dog, but just someone to look after the house just in case, because she's not ever been home alone before, so it's just a little different change for her. So we get back and the neighbor is in the house. We're just like. We didn't find that odd at first, but then they said she. The neighbor told my grandma that she had gotten a call from the union. No, no big deal. But the union is apparently the one for the life insurance policy and how you get your money and how you. I don't. I don't really.

[Melissa]

She answered the phone?

[Wendy's Family Member]

Yes, she answered the phone and I guess just took a message or whatever is what her story was. Well, my uncle ended up calling because she was being really, really fishy, just hanging around the house. And it was just odd that she was in the house when we got back and. And called the union back and had said that she talked to my grandma. She used my grandma's first and last name.

[Melissa]

Oh, my God.

[Jeff]

She was posing as your grandmother to the life insurance people?

[Wendy's Family Member]

Yes. And apparently had given all this information about where to send it. But she gave my grandma's address, which I don't know why, but I mean. And this is an older house, too.

[Host]

So did you find out if the union called her or did she call the insurance company?

[Wendy's Family Member]

I think when the phone call was received, she posed as my grandma when the phone call was received.

[Host]

So they were making.

[Melissa]

She answered the phone is weird enough. Yes.

[Wendy's Family Member]

You don't answer anybody. Anybody's phone. Yeah, absolutely not. And so what's concerning is that it's an older house, she's never lived anywhere else. And the mailbox stuff is like, right on the house. So anybody can go in there, flip it. It's a mail slot, so anybody can go over there and just flip it up. So we're nervous that the neighbor Will

[Jeff]

come back over and check the mail.

[Melissa]

And check the mail.

[Wendy's Family Member]

So they had to change all the routing numbers. They're not getting anything mailed to the house now. And they actually had a cop come over just to see if there's anything they could do. The neighbors were really suspicious, like, why is there a cop there? Why is there a cop there? Just very nervous. Went. Ended up going back over to their place because they were nervous about this copying in the front.

[Jeff]

Whoa.

[Melissa]

That is so injuring.

[Host]

You always hear stories about stuff like that, but I never. I don't know. Every now and again, you read things in paper, in the paper. But you would never think that there's someone so cold or calculated on the

[Jeff]

news about how these crimes against senior citizens are going up right now, because in this economy, they're scared. And so people are playing on that fear and scamming them even more than usual.

[Melissa]

Well, it's so sad because that generation was a generation of trust.

[Wendy's Family Member]

She's very trustworthy.

[Melissa]

And everybody was a person of their word, you know, and the sad thing is people are taking advantage of that instead of our generation realizing that we're not as. In my. In. In my opinion, as good as that generation when it comes to stuff like that. Instead of being. Trying to better ourselves and be more like them, we're trying to take advantage of them. I think it's so sad.

[Jeff]

It is so sad. So what is your family gonna do?

[Wendy's Family Member]

Well, right now, my uncle's just trying to get every call forwarded to his phone instead of my grandma's phone, so he can handle it for her. He's gonna take her up to the things to get, like, the death certificates now. Because apparently she asked for death certificates to be sent.

[Caller 1]

Yes.

[Wendy's Family Member]

And after I left, my mom was still up there. The neighbor tried to get into the house. Like, tried to force herself into the house. My grandma was like, I just need some time alone. Tried to push herself in the house. My grandma had to close the door on her.

[Melissa]

Is there. Is she close to other neighbors in that neighborhood?

[Wendy's Family Member]

Her other neighbor.

[Melissa]

I'd be telling. The whole neighborhood knows. Yeah.

[Jeff]

Oh, that's true.

[Wendy's Family Member]

The whole rest of the neighborhood, like, pretty much knows because we went across the street to make sure if they knew anything about these people, because this is the first time I've really.

[Host]

Because they just kind of appear. Hey, they're never a good neighbor until

[Wendy's Family Member]

there's, you know, they didn't start coming around.

[Host]

Life policy.

[Wendy's Family Member]

Grandpa was really sick. Like, really sick. Like, on the. On the verge. You're Right, Jeff?

[Jeff]

How can people be that cold hearted?

[Host]

But you read about the scams in the paper sometimes where they actually go through like obituaries. You know, this was. Obviously, if your grandfather was sick for a long time, they would know that, you know, everything would see the progression of the illness or whatever. But there are people who make a living off of this, going through like obituaries and stuff, and then calling up and saying, so sad. Hey, Tony, welcome to the show.

[Caller 2]

I've been trying to follow the story. Did she say whether she actually spoke to her grandmother and asked her about her relationship with this person?

[Wendy's Family Member]

I mean, they've lived there for a while, but they haven't really come over that often until this has happened.

[Caller 2]

Well, I just. From my experience and knowing my grandmother and that generation, it's more believable to me that you have a nosy, busy body who is all up in your grandma's business because that's just what she does. Then you have a little old lady trying to extort money because it would be so easy to find out. The money wouldn't arrive. I mean, the woman would. Would be caught and put in jail.

[Jeff]

The next door neighbor at the same age as your grandmother or younger, she's

[Melissa]

the daughter of the neighbors.

[Wendy's Family Member]

Well, well, the daughter was watching the house, but let her mom in when. Because they left the funeral services early. They didn't go to the gravesite. I guess they went straight to my grandma's house.

[Caller 2]

Some people are over helpful, if you know what I mean. They think they're doing the right thing and they're like, oh, you know, let me. If. If I don't do this for her, then it's going to hold up her money. And it sounds like it's just someone needs to have your grandmother talk to her and ask her, hey, what's going on? And see if she denies it or says no. I was just trying to help you. Yeah.

[Jeff]

Be ultra protective, though.

[Host]

Totally. Especially with your mom and family living so far away.

[Melissa]

And I'd protect the grant. Yeah. And she's going through enough. So I'm glad that your uncle called the insurance company and everything.

[Host]

Hey, Adrian.

[Caller 1]

Yeah, I'm here.

[Host]

Go ahead. Welcome to the show.

[Caller 1]

Hi, I was just calling. I had recently. My grandmother passed away about two years ago and her husband died about a month ago. And within a day or two of his death, their next door neighbors came in and took the washer and dryer, riding lawnmower, the truck, anything, basically that was worth any value they took. They find their name to the title to his truck, my grandmother's car. We can't find it all. I mean, like, just cleaned out the house. And how did they do? Well, we called the police and the police said. Because they said that they were being helpful, you know, and he said that they could have all this stuff once he passed. And none of our family was contacted after he died.

[Jeff]

That's just wrong.

[Host]

So they just took advantage of his messed up emotions.

[Caller 1]

I mean, they just went through. Even the stuff that belonged to my grandmother. Her whole jewelry box was cleaned out.

[Melissa]

I mean, it's all. It's. I mean, yeah. Instead of it being like, respect your elders and us being afraid to do anything to them. It's like people think that they're dumb and old and people are vultures.

[Caller 1]

Yeah.

[Melissa]

Horrible.

[Host]

Hey, Kim. Welcome to the bird show.

[Caller 1]

Good morning, guys. How are you guys doing?

[Melissa]

Disturbed.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Caller 1]

Well, I've got something that's gonna disturb you even farther.

[Host]

Okay.

[Caller 1]

A few years ago, my grandfather died and he had lung cancer. And my grandmother has been living by herself for the last three, four years. And the neighbors across the street always were very nice, but come to find out that when they were taking her to the grocery store and taking her to a doctor's appointments, they're actually checking her mail and open up credit card accounts in her name. Oh, they just put it to the tune of thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars of credit card debt into my grandmother's name, who is now in a nursing home. So, yeah, it happens. And these people were actually elderly too, so it happened.

[Melissa]

And the sad thing is, like, I mean, because my mother is older and so.

[Wendy's Family Member]

Oh, yeah.

[Host]

This has gotta be a real comforting call for you, Melissa.

[Melissa]

Well, I mean, but she's. I mean, she's aware that she's a target now. And I think the thing that is so sad is it. But she internalizes it. It's so disturbing to her because it is foreign to them. It is foreign concept that people would purposely do this. But I think us, we're used to people being shady, you know, like, we are cynics. You know, we're a generation of cynics. And I don't know. And it's just. Yeah, I think it's sad because on top of it, it internally disturbs these people, you know, it stresses them out.

[Jeff]

Do you think that's why older people always send those warning forward emails? Well, like, they're overly paranoid about those.

[Host]

Somebody's got a few from their grandma that they're a little annoyed at, haven't they?

[Jeff]

No. I mean, it just usually seems like the older generation that forwards a lot of those, like, warnings about scams and this kind of thing because they buy into it. Because, like you said,

[Melissa]

and that's how some, like, religious programs in the past have gotten all the money, because it's usually from seniors who. Seniors trust people. And now it's a sad thing that that is a bad thing rather than something we aspire to.

[Host]

And the polar opposite of that are my parents who are convinced that even if they enter their credit card on Amazon.com, their house will be taken away from them. We usually within hours.

[Jeff]

They're probably the smart ones.

[Host]

The Bird Show.