It’s hard to think of placid, pleasant Gainesville and Alachua County as a place where seniors are targets of fraud, economic exploitation and abuse. But the con artists have their eyes on the prize, and the “prize” is our aging population.
Seniors lost $3.4 billion to fraud in 2023 nationwide, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, up 14% from the previous year. That number reflects scam reports from 88,000 elderly victims. Florida ranks second among all states for elder fraud, with more than 9,000 cases and losses totaling more than $335 million.
“Elder fraud and abuse is a significant issue nationwide, including our service area. Our agency has worked with a number of individuals, community partners, and law enforcement right here in our area to assist victims of fraud or abuse,” said Katina Mustipher, CEO of Elder Options.
Mustipher’s organization sponsored a panel discussion on June 16, “Scams, Schemes and Fraud: What to Do,” at the Senior Recreation Center, featuring financial crime law enforcement officials, state government legal teams, and other representatives of Elder Options. June is Elder Abuse and Fraud Awareness Month in Florida.
“Locally, it’s a huge problem,” said Leslie Andrews, Elder Abuse Project Coordinator. “It’s estimated one in 10 or one in 14 older adults are affected by elder abuse. And those with dementia or any type of Alzheimer’s are affected 50% more.
Often, what makes things tougher is when it is a family member who commits the fraud or abuse against an older person.
Justin Torres, a financial crimes detective with the Gainesville Police Department, says this causes not only the pain of possible financial loss, but also a loss of familial confidence.
“They put the responsibilities of their assets in someone that they thought they could trust and care for, when that person is manipulating them and isolating them away from everybody else to take advantage of their assets,” said Torres.
One of the initiatives discussed was the Senior vs. Crimes Project, a program of the state attorney general’s office. Region 4 Director Judy Harden emphasized the need to stay aware and connected with others in your community for a better chance of living a life that is scam-free.
New on the horizon are the crypto crimes that urge an intended victim to make payments with cryptocurrencies that include Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash and IOTA. Most older people are unfamiliar with these ways to conduct financial transactions, and it’s easy to get confused and victimized, she said.
“I don’t want to say to be paranoid about everyone around you; no one wants to live life like that. But at this point in life, we know how easy fraud is to commit, and we have to be aware of this,” she said. “Keep in contact with your friends, with your family. Don’t isolate yourself. Tell everyone everything.”
Medicare scams are also a problem, and that’s one reason it’s so important to go over your statements to make sure you aren’t billed for a service you didn’t seek.
“If it’s not medically necessary and it wasn’t ordered by your physician, that’s where you come into play,” said Kristina Young, SHINE Outreach & Education Specialist at Elder Options.
In other words, you have to alert Medicare about the possibly fraudulent charges, so you don’t get stuck with the bill.
Elder Options intends to keep up the fight against fraud and scams.
“Our goal is to educate people on some of the scams and activities that criminals use so that elders are more aware and less likely to fall prey to them,” Young said. “Secondly, we want individuals to know how to report if they think they are in a situation they believe may be some type of abuse. Knowing who to call is critical to prosecute the perpetrators and to stop and even prevent its continuation. Finally, we want elders to know they are not alone.”
Useful Phone Numbers
Elder Options Helpline 800-262-2243
Seniors vs. Crime Project 352-367-4023
Gainesville Police Department Communications Center 352-955-1818
National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11
Florida Attorney General’s Office 1-866-9-NO-SCAM
Federal Trade Commission 1-877-382-4357
Senior Medicare Patrol 1-800-963-5337