Crimes against the elderly

Crimes can be committed against anyone, no matter how old they are. Unfortunately, this does not leave out the elderly. Just because they are not going out of the house as much, does not mean they will not be preyed on by criminals. Because of the fact that senior citizens are very easy to convince and generally want to help, criminals can have a field day with them. The list of crimes that affect the elderly the most is generally short, making it easier for an outsider to recognize. Remember that just because a person is 65 years old or older, does not mean they are not aware of what is going on around them. However, they should be made aware of the latest scams and fraud attempts on older folks, especially if they do not watch the news or navigate the internet very well.

Crimes like identity theft, fraud, property crimes and abuse are some of the most common. Identity theft can happen to anyone, but again, because the elderly generally want to help, they are easier targets for criminals. Make sure that you are telling an elderly loved one how to keep their personal information safe to not end up in the hands of the wrong person. Identity theft can happen as easy as a phone call that requires them to give information like full name, address, bank accounts or even social security numbers to claim a prize they “might have won”. These types of crimes are easy for criminals to pull off because they are sitting behind the telephone and are sometimes outside the reach of the law. This does not mean it will happen to your loved one, but they should be aware to ask many questions on the phone before giving any valuable personal information.

Fraud can happen in many different ways as well. Strangers can easily tell a story to an elderly person to make them believe they have won a prize, or that they can invest some of their money to get more. Because the elderly typically live on a fixed income, the idea that they can increase that seems very enticing. The fraudsters will also pose as investment brokers and once they have all of your personal information, they disappear with it. Even worse, they could be using it to drain your accounts and be running all over town with your money. Other types of fraud might come from fake charity donations, auto repairs, loans on your home, or even life insurance policies that you might not actually need.

Other types of fraud that seem to be committed against the elderly are health remedies and since most of them have some sort of ailment, it seems to be a good idea. The best way to think about anything that might be fraudulent is that if it seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Another reason that criminals prey on the elderly is the fact that they might feel alone, lost or might even be grieving a spouse, which makes them more vulnerable. Property crimes are often committed on the elderly. Home invasion usually leads to damaged or stolen property. The loss of something valuable like jewelry can make you feel bad, but if your home was entered without your knowledge, that can sometimes be more troubling to the elderly and their family.

Finally, elder abuse is another form of crime that the elderly face all the time. The crime is quite general in meaning, but for the most part it comes down to mistreatment. According to one study, many of the elder abuse crimes that are committed do not get reported like they should. Elder abuse can happen at home by a spouse or other family member, but can also happen in a nursing or retirement home by the staff that is supposed to take care of your loved one. There are more than 2.5 million cases of abuse are reported each year.