“Financial Abuse is Catching Up.”

Barstow, California.- “financial abuse is catching up.” Hackleman estimated that about half of the elder abuse cases the DA’s office deals with involve financial abuse. An example of a scam that targets the elderly is one in which someone offers a free “roof check” and then claims he or she found the need for repairs. The scammer then skips out with several hundred dollars.

However, he said, it’s usually someone the person knows who rips him or her off. For example, a scammer might befriend an older person and then gain access to the victim’s bank account.

Hackleman gave California credit for being ahead of most states as far as “paying attention to the problem.” In San Bernardino County, three specially trained prosecutors focus on elder abuse cases. Hackleman, who was involved in pitching the idea of specialized elder abuse prosecutors to the Board of Supervisors, said it was “one of the saddest realizations” when the DA’s staff realized the extent of the case load these prosecutors would tap.

“We had a full case load rather quickly,” he said.

To report Elder Abuse in San Bernardino County call 1(877)565-2020

taken from article by By STEVIE ST. JOHN published in the Desert Dispatch