The elderly are prime targets of con artists. Police say financial elder abuse is a growing problem and it's only getting worse.
Elder law Attorney Steven C. Peck says "it's a growing problem among the elderly,Elderly people, a lot of them are trusting and come from a generation of trust and they are very intimidated by the person. They really want to believe it is someone who is actually trying to help them."
Many con artists find the elderly attractive targets because they are usually the most financially stable.
"People with the most amount of wealth are those over the age of 65, that combination makes them vunerable and makes them prey for people looking to steal, con, rob our elderly," says Peck.
Besides being bad for their financial health, the effects these scams have on the elderly can be bad for their physical health as well.
"There is a high number of people who die after being a victim of financial exploitation," says Peck.
"When someone comes and takes that money, commits elder abuse, they feel vunerable, they are devastated," "Most of them are stressed out to the point it can have affects on their health and sometimes that is just as bad as physical abuse."
Experts say the money is often times never returned, and the difficult part in prosecuting is the elderly victims may longer be around when the case is brought to court.
If you are the victim of elder abuse or know someone who is contact Steven Peck's Premier Legal toll free at 1.866.999.9085 to talk to an experienced elder abuse attorney and visit us on-line at www.premierlegal.org.
