Vulnerable older adults who live alone without the assistance of a strong social support network may be at greater risk of being exploited. They often look forward to a friendly voice on the telephone or visitor at the door — someone who will spend time listening to them.
Unfortunately, that friendly voice may not have good intentions and can lead to having the elder become the next victim of financial exploitation.
All of us can help prevent fraud and exploitation by reminding elders to be wary of scams and encouraging them to ask for help before a situation escalates.
The good news is that our community has a strong network of professionals and human service providers focusing on offering services and programs to assist older persons and their caregivers. These partners joined together last year to form Lee Elder Abuse Prevention Partnership, which is an elder abuse coalition serving Lee County.
LEAPP will host an informative event at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Fort Myers on Sept. 14. All of us can take action by participating in this upcoming program.
This program entitled “The Truth: Exploitation Laws Protecting Seniors” will be presented by Joe Roubicek, economic crimes detective with Broward County State Attorney’s Office. Detective Roubicek is the author of the book “Financial Abuse of the Elderly: A Detective’s Case Files of Exploitation Crimes,” which serves as a criminal justice educational tool throughout the country.
According to Detective Roubicek, “Florida’s exploitation law (FSS 825.103) states that when someone maliciously takes the property of an “elderly person,” they are committing exploitation.” While that seems like a simple definition, he will further explain that the law requires that the “elderly person” be someone 60 years of age or older who is suffering from the infirmities of aging to the extent that their ability to adequately care for and protect themselves is impaired.
In other words, “It requires that the victims suffer disabilities that make them more vulnerable. And when the victim is more vulnerable, the victim impact is far worse.”
Full Article and Source:
Aging Gracefully – Friendly Voices Frequently Exploit
See Also:
FinancicalExploitationOfTheElderly.com
Read proposed legislation submitted by Marked for Destruction’s author, John Caravella, to the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security at their request for a Model Law” to combat abusive guardianships: The Adele Chris Act
What Adele Fraulen might have thought to be nothing more than a meaningless bad dream one night in 1935 would actually come true. At age 79 she would find herself living a nightmare — a struggle for her life, simply because she innocently trusted the wrong professionals to help with her portion of a Million Dollar inheritance; they would steal her very existence. Her neighbors, Chris and Patricia Zurillo, would realize that Adele’s life was going terribly wrong and dedicate themselves to freeing her from captivity. “Marked For Destruction” is a rare book that exposes an ever-expanding crime against our elderly.
National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse 