by Structured Settlement Watchdog ®
Grooming, in this context, comprises actions deliberately undertaken by cash now pushers, with the aim of befriending and establishing an emotional connection with a structured settlement annuitant, to lower the annuitant's inhibitions in order to financially "rape" the structured settlement annuitant.
Not a single one of the cases of systematic "financial rape" that have recently been reported to us have involved a hearing in front of a judge where the annuitant was present.
In the coming months you will be reading about stories of predatory "grooming", predatory upselling in contradiction to the mission stated in public facing websites, financial devastation and abuse at the hands of representatives of structured settlement factoring companies, a number of whom are members of the National Association of Settlement Purchasers (which has mysteriously removed its code of professional conduct from its website).
I hear stories about some of the people who come to cash now pushers in really bad financial shape, desperate, about to be evicted from their homes, who are paid bribes to commit fraud. These people are flown down all expenses paid to Florida, then wined and dined and taken to the fanciest restaurants in South Beach, or to casinos. The "grooming" involves the same type of materialistic BS you see in get rich schemes advertised on TV. Then the same corrupt cycle ensues: of going to the Florida DMV, establishing the appearance of a Florida address, maybe a phony lease and a bank account established with $50-$100 of the cash now pusher's money. At that point the annuitant is hooked and complicit in the fraud. Something must be done about this.
Grooming victims may be afraid to come forward, but they should. Make sure to preserve all documentation and keep a timeline.