ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Financial Elder Abuse Losses Soared in 2024
FBI Urges Caution
Protecting Seniors
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported $4.8 billion in financial elder abuse losses from 147,127 complaints in 2024, marking significant increases from the previous year. In just the State of California alone, losses from elder fraud totaled over $832 million.
“I urge every senior and their families to have open conversations about these scams and to scrutinize unsolicited mail, calls, emails, and text messages,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “If you or someone you care about is a victim, report the crime to law enforcement. There is no shame in seeking help when you have been harmed and your information may prevent someone else from becoming a victim.”
Individuals who live with dementia, a mental health diagnosis, issues related to substance abuse, or are socially isolated are also more likely than others to be at risk for elder abuse. Evans Law Firm, Inc. fights for elder abuse victims in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California against those responsible for abuse. If you or someone you know is the victim of elder abuse here in the San Francisco Bay Area or elsewhere in California, call us today at 415-441-8669. Our toll-free number is 1-888-50EVANS (888-503-8267).
Warning Signs Of Elder Abuse
The warning signs that someone may be experiencing elder abuse can vary depending on the type of abuse. However, here are a few things to be on the lookout for:
Bruises or other signs of physical trauma, such as burns or blisters
Pressure wounds/bedsores which indicate that a bedridden or wheelchair bound senior is being neglected
Difficulty sitting or moving due to injury to the pelvic area
Withdrawal from normal activities, unexplained anxiety or unusual behavior
Unattended medical needs, unusual weight loss, poor hygiene, or bedsores
Sudden changes in bank accounts, altered wills, or unusual bank withdrawals or checks written as loans or gifts
Protecting Seniors From Financial Elder Abuse
Engage as frequently as you can with older loved ones if they are alone and check-in on them in their home. If they mention a new “friend” or “helper” who has entered their life, find out what is going on and watch the relationship closely; isolated seniors are vulnerable to persons posing as friends. Review your older loved one’s bank account statements monthly to make sure there is no suspicious activity in their account. If they have any kind of business, investment or banking meeting, go with them. Do not let older persons go to business meetings with bankers, insurance agents, retirement planners or investment advisors alone.
If your loved one needs in-home care, always do a background check on any caregiver before he or she is hired. Ask for references and check them. Once the caregiver is on the job have the timecards sent to you so you can verify their accuracy. There are other important steps to follow as well to prevent more elaborate schemes of financial abuse. Careful monitoring of a senior’s checking account – and close review of cancelled checks – may have caught the reported fraud in this case sooner than eight or nine months. Always monitor a senior loved one’s checking account; take a look at it online every day if you can. Never, ever give a caregiver a Power of Attorney, credit card, or a blank check. Stay involved in any senior loved one’s life so a stranger does not have the opportunity for this kind of theft and exploitation.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one been the victim of any form of elder abuse in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California, contact Evans Law Firm, Inc. and Ingrid M. Evans at (415) 441-8669, or toll-free at 1-888-50EVANS (888-503-8267)or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. Our attorneys have experience with all types of elder abuse, including physical and financial elder abuse, investment and securities fraud and annuity fraud. We can help guide your case through a jury trial, or toward an equitable settlement. We handle cases involving physical and financial elder abuse, qui tam and whistleblower law, nursing home abuse, whole life insurance and universal life insurance, and indexed, variable, and fixed annuities.
