Yad Sarah's Legal Service Protecting the Elderly from Scams

Yaakov, an 83-year-old retiree, has always been afraid of the dentist. One day, he saw a newspaper ad for a dental clinic that promised pain-free treatments. Drawn in by the offer, Yaakov scheduled an appointment.

After the initial dental exam and cleaning, the clinic requested advanced payment for the full treatment plan. Yaakov paid with post-dated checks, but after his first treatment—a tooth extraction and a root canal—left him in severe pain he requested the termination of all future treatments and payments. Despite multiple attempts to stop the clinic from depositing the remaining checks, they refused and offered a series of excuses.

Feeling helpless, Yaakov turned to Yad Riva – Yad Sarah's legal service.

Yaakov was connected with Yad Riva volunteer Attorney Peretz, who quickly called the clinic. When the clinic continuously refused to cooperate, Peretz sent an official warning and threatened legal action. The clinic promptly backed down and called Yaakov to assure him they would not cash the checks.

Yaakov was grateful for the support from Yad Riva in this physically and emotionally painful dental visit.