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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for financial exploitation
10 results foundAuthor: U.S. Government Accountability Office Title: Elder Justice: Stronger Federal Leadership Could Enhance National Response to Elder Abuse Summary: Each day, news reports cite instances of older adults across the United States being abused, denied needed care, or financially exploited, often by those they depend on. This report contains information on (1) existing estimates of the extent of elder abuse and their quality, (2) factors associated with elder abuse and its impact on victims, (3) characteristics and challenges of state Adult Protective Services (APS) responsible for addressing elder abuse, and (4) federal support and leadership in this area. To obtain this information, GAO reviewed relevant research; visited six states and surveyed state APS programs; analyzed budgetary and other federal documents; reviewed federal laws and regulations; and interviewed federal officials, researchers, and elder abuse experts. The most recent study of the extent of elder abuse estimated that 14.1 percent of noninstitutionalized older adults had experienced physical, psychological, or sexual abuse; neglect; or financial exploitation in the past year. This study and three other key studies GAO identified likely underestimate the full extent of elder abuse, however. Most did not ask about all types of abuse or include all types of older adults living in the community, such as those with cognitive impairments. In addition, studies in this area cannot be used to track changes in extent over time because they have not measured elder abuse consistently. Based on existing research, various factors appear to place older adults at greater risk of abuse. Physical and cognitive impairments, mental problems, and low social support among victims have been associated with an increased likelihood of elder abuse. Elder abuse has also been associated with negative effects on victims' health and longevity. Although state APS programs vary in their organization and eligibility criteria, they face many of the same challenges. According to program officials, elder abuse caseloads are growing nationwide and cases are increasingly complex and difficult to resolve. However, according to GAO's survey, APS program resources are not keeping pace with these changes. As a result, program officials noted that it is difficult to maintain adequate staffing levels and training. In addition, states indicated they have limited access to information on interventions and practices on how to resolve elder abuse cases, and may struggle to respond to abuse cases appropriately. Many APS programs also face challenges in collecting, maintaining, and reporting statewide case-level administrative data, thereby hampering their ability to track outcomes and assess the effectiveness of services provided. Federal elder justice activities have addressed some APS challenges, but leadership in this area is lacking. Seven agencies within the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Justice devoted a total of $11.9 million in grants for elder justice activities in fiscal year 2009. These activities have promoted collaboration among APS and its partners, such as law enforcement, but have not offered APS the support it says it needs for resolving elder abuse cases and standardizing the information it reports. Although the Older Americans Act of 1965 has called attention to the importance of federal leadership in the elder justice area, no national policy priorities currently exist. The Administration on Aging in HHS is charged with providing such leadership, but its efforts to do so have been limited. The Elder Justice Act of 2009 authorizes grants to states for their APS programs and provides a vehicle for establishing and implementing national priorities in this area, but does not address national elder abuse incidence studies. The Secretary of HHS should determine the feasibility of providing APS-dedicated guidance, and, in coordination with the Attorney General, facilitate the development and implementation of a nationwide APS data system. Also, Congress should consider requiring HHS to conduct a periodic study to estimate elder abuse's extent. HHS indicated that it will review options for implementing GAO's recommendations. Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2011. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: GAO-11-208: Accessed March 8, 2011 at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11208.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11208.pdf Shelf Number: 120903 Keywords: Crimes Against the ElderlyElder AbuseElderly VictimsFinancial CrimesFinancial Exploitation |
Author: Social Care Institute for Excellence: City of London Police Title: Assessment: Financial Crime Against Vulnerable Adults Summary: The report highlights the current and potential future threats to vulnerable adults in relation to economic crime. It covers the wide spectrum of financial abuse and exploitation against vulnerable people by family members, care workers and unscrupulous individuals within our society. Economic crime can have a significant impact on the victim and this assessment articulates the devastation it can cause for individuals. The work of the professionals who work to protect vulnerable people must not be overlooked. This assessment seeks to highlight the true scale of this issue, to identify the existing gaps in financial safeguarding and to ascertain the work required to improve safeguarding practice. The assessment aims to raise awareness of the threat to vulnerable adults and to consider ways to improve safeguarding arrangements. Details: London: Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2011. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: SCIE Report No. 49; Accessed January 17, 2012 at: http://www.met.police.uk/fraudalert/docs/financial_crime_against_vulnerable_adults.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.met.police.uk/fraudalert/docs/financial_crime_against_vulnerable_adults.pdf Shelf Number: 123631 Keywords: Elderly VictimsFinancial Crimes (U.K.)Financial Crimes Against the ElderlyFinancial Exploitation |
Author: Jackson, Shelly L. Title: Understanding Elder Abuse: New Directions for Developing Theories of Elder Abuse Occurring in Domestic Settings Summary: As of 2010, 13% of the population was age 65 and older, with this group expected to comprise 19.3% of the population by 2030. Elder abuse among this population is both a pervasive problem and a growing concern. Given that the vast majority (96.9%) of older Americans are residing in domestic settings, it is not surprising that most (89.3%) elder abuse reported to Adult Protective Services (APS) occurs in domestic settings. And yet, although greater recognition of the occurrence of elder abuse is beginning to emerge, the field has generated few theory-based explanations of what causes elder abuse and how best to respond to it. This article reports the findings of two studies funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in an effort to begin to fill this void, and attempts to spur the critique of existing theories and facilitate the development of new theories that will enhance our understanding of elder abuse. In doing so, it addresses a subset of the various types of elder abuse, namely, physical abuse, neglect, "pure" financial exploitation, and "hybrid" financial exploitation. This article concludes that the response to elder maltreatment needs to change from a relatively fragmented approach unguided by theory to one that embraces a systematic approach drawn from a greater understanding of the underlying phenomenon. Further, these theories should take into account the characteristics of both the elderly victims and the abusive individuals, including their cognitive statuses, the nature of their relationships, the settings in which the abuse occurs, the type of abuse involved, and protective factors; in general, the theories should employ a more dynamic approach. Researchers should then test the resulting constructs, including the tenets presented in this article, and help build a foundation that will both deepen our understanding of elder maltreatment and form a basis for crafting more effective interventions to increase the safety and well-being of elderly people. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice, 2013. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Research in Brief, National Institute of Justice: Accessed June 28, 2013 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/241731.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/241731.pdf Shelf Number: 129193 Keywords: Elder Abuse and Neglect (U.S.)Elderly VictimsFinancial Exploitation |
Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office Title: Elder Justice: More Federal Coordination and Public Awareness Needed Summary: As the percentage of older adults in the population increases, the number of older adults at risk of abuse also is growing. At the same time, constraints on public funds may limit assistance to the growing population of older adults in need. GAO was asked to review elder justice program issues. This report addresses: (1) the extent to which there is fragmentation, overlap, or duplication across the federal grant programs that support elder justice; (2) the extent to which federal programs coordinate their efforts and monitor elder justice outcomes; and (3) how state aging agencies, area agencies on aging, and service providers deliver federal elder justice services and what challenges, if any, they face in doing so. GAO reviewed relevant federal laws and regulations, identified federal elder justice programs, surveyed federal officials about program elements, reviewed program documentation, and visited agencies responsible for elder justice in Illinois, Virginia and Arizona. GAO selected states based on the percentage of the elderly in the state population, geographic dispersion, and percentage of the state's Older American Act funds devoted to elder care. GAO recommends that HHS take the lead in identifying common objectives and outcomes for the federal elder justice effort and that HHS and Justice develop a national elder justice public awareness campaign. HHS concurred and Justice did not comment. Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2013. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: GAO-13-498: Accessed July 13, 2013 at: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-498 Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-13-498 Shelf Number: 129394 Keywords: Crimes Against the ElderlyElder Abuse (U.S.)Elderly VictimsFinancial CrimesFinancial Exploitation |
Author: Holtfreter, Kristy Title: Final Report: Financial Exploitation of the Elderly in a Consumer Context Summary: National studies document that financial exploitation (e.g., fraud victimization) of elderly consumers has become an increasingly prominent problem, one likely to assume greater urgency as larger proportions of Americans enter the ranks of the elderly. Indeed, all 50 states have enacted elder abuse statutes, many of which focus on addressing financial exploitation of the elderly. Yet, remarkably little is known about the (1) true prevalence of elderly fraud victimization, save that it appears to be greatly underreported, (2) the risk and protective factors, other than physical limitations, associated with such victimization, or (3) what is effective in reducing it. These significant gaps make it difficult to develop effective policies. Which types of frauds are most common, and what are risk factors should be targeted in reducing them? Compared to the national average, the population of citizens age 60 and older is significantly higher in the states of Arizona and Florida. These population characteristics, coupled with current crime prevention efforts by both states' Attorneys General, point to a unique opportunity to shed light on financial exploitation and, more pointedly, to provide guidance to these and other states on how they might best focus their efforts to reduce such victimization. To this end, we propose a timely and cost-effective, multi-method study to address these important research and policy gaps. The study's goals are to provide policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with a greater, empirically-based understanding of the distribution and causes of, as well as solutions to financial exploitation of the elderly in a consumer context. The objectives are: (1) To determine the nature, incidence, and prevalence of fraud victimization among elderly consumers in Arizona and Florida; (2) To identify risk and protective factors associated with fraud victimization in this population; and (3) To evaluate the effectiveness of service providers, including assessment of the elderly population's awareness of state based programs, barriers to and facilitators of program use, and impacts on victimization. This 2-year study includes a telephone survey of 1,000 Arizonians and 1,000 Floridians over the age of 60, as well as interviews with elder service providers. We will examine (1) indicators of the nature and prevalence of financial exploitation, including identification of the victim offender relationship and dollar amount lost; (2) risk and protective factors (e.g., financial risk-taking, trust propensity, lifestyle characteristics, routine consumer activities, and personal characteristics); and (3) respondents’ awareness and use of state Attorney General services, including assessment of potential barriers to and facilitators of program use, as well as reporting behavior to law enforcement and perceptions of law enforcement responsiveness. The research team will conduct descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. Particular emphasis will be given to identifying theoretically-informed variables that predict fraud victimization and reporting behavior. Regression analyses will allow us to identify risk and protective factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of fraud victimization and reporting. Data obtained from semi-structured interviews with service provider staff will help identify barriers to and facilitators of program success. Details: Final Report to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2014. 186p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2014 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/245388.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/245388.pdf Shelf Number: 132217 Keywords: Consumer FraudElderly VictimsFinancial CrimesFinancial Exploitation |
Author: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Title: Report and Recommendations: Fighting Elder Financial Exploitation through Community Networks Summary: Elder financial exploitation destroys the financial security of millions of older Americans annually. In response to this crisis, hundreds of communities across the United States have created collaborative networks to protect their older residents. To increase our understanding of how elder financial protection networks can grow and endure, the CFPB conducted research nationwide. This report highlights what elder financial exploitation prevention and response networks do, how they work, how they can work better, and how they can be established. The report presents CFPB's recommendations to existing networks and key stakeholders to develop and enhance their community's collaborative efforts to fight financial exploitation. Accompanying this report is a Resource Guide with promising practices, sample documents, and resource materials. Details: Washington, DC: CFPB, 2016. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 30, 2016 at: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/report-and-recommendations-fighting-elder-financial-exploitation-through-community-networks/ Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/research-reports/report-and-recommendations-fighting-elder-financial-exploitation-through-community-networks/ Shelf Number: 140079 Keywords: Consumer FraudConsumer ProtectionElder AbuseFinancial AbuseFinancial Exploitation |
Author: Jorna, Penny Title: The relationship between age and consumer fraud victimisation Summary: he Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates consumer fraud costs Australians $1.4b per year. Advances in technology allow fraudsters to reach an increasing number of potential victims. Age has long been considered a potential factor in the risk of victimisation; however, it remains unclear which age groups are most vulnerable. This paper examines the relationship between age and the risk of consumer fraud, using the results of online surveys conducted by the AIC on behalf of the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce in 2011 and 2012. The surveys found statistically significant relationships between age and how invitations were received; age and frauds resulting in victimisation; and age and those who sent money in response to invitations. Targeted, age-specific awareness-raising campaigns may be an effective means of reducing the risk of consumer fraud. Initiatives that address the risks associated with lifestyle factors such as social networking, online dating and the use of both new and existing technologies may be of particular benefit. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2016. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice, no. 519: Accessed December 6, 2016 at: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi519.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi519.pdf Shelf Number: 147923 Keywords: Consumer FraudConsumer ProtectionFinancial Abuse Financial Exploitation |
Author: Burnett, Jason Title: Exploring Elder Financial Exploitation Victimization: Identifying Unique Risk Profiles and Factors To Enhance Detection, Prevention and Intervention Summary: Statement of Purpose: Explore risk factors across the socioecological framework (i.e. individual, perpetrator and community-levels) to identify the most important factors that differentiate elder financial exploitation (FE) from other forms of abuse as well as pure FE from hybrid FE. Description of Research Subjects: Older adults 65 years and older with a confirmed case of abuse (i.e. financial exploitation, caregiver neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse) by Texas Adult Protective Services between the years 2009 - 2014. Methods: Secondary data analysis of a 5- year statewide aggregated cohort of Texas Adult Protective Services confirmed cases of abuse between the years 2009 - 2014. Case investigation data such as demographics, reported and confirmed abuse types, victim and perpetrator mental and physical health, substance use, social and financial factors along with community-level data (Geographic Information Systems) were analyzed. Supervised Learning, which provides a step-by-step statistical decision-making process was used to identify the most reliable, interpretive and predictive risk factor models. Training and test sampling was included for replication purposes. Results: Financially-based variables are the best predictors of FE versus other forms of abuse, but apparent injury appears to be the most important indicator of other forms of abuse even in the presence of FE. Hybrid FE may be strongly related to poorer outcomes compared to pure FE however, the most predictive model found negative effects of others, alcohol and substance use by others as well as foreclosure and inadequate medical supplies to be the most important predictors of hybrid FE. Models that accounted for less linearity between the variables resulted in greater accuracy in group classification indicating the need to account for complex interactions across the socio-ecological context. Conclusion: Different factors across the socio-ecological context are needed to reliably differentiate between elder FE and other forms of abuse as well as pure versus hybrid FE. These factors will also vary depending on the perspective one takes regarding the linearity of the interactions between the different factors. The findings provide support for the need to differentiate between types of abuse and subtypes of elder FE and the need for frontline workers and social service agencies and researchers to account for variables across the socio-ecological context when developing surveillance, intervention and prevention programs. Details: Houston: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 2017. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 14, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250756.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250756.pdf Shelf Number: 146140 Keywords: Elder AbuseElderly VictimsFinancial CrimesFinancial Exploitation |
Author: Crocker, Ruth Title: The impact of organised crime in local communities Summary: Organised crime is changing. Traditional forms of organised crime centred around drug dealing and serious acquisitive crime are being supplemented with 'new' or 'emerging' crimes, such as modern slavery, child sexual exploitation and cyber fraud. It is now one of the government's main national priorities and new organisations at the national and regional level have been specifically set up to tackle it. However, the public view of organised crime is that while it is seen as a serious problem, it is not seen as a problem locally where they live. Since Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are required to reflect local concerns when deciding how to allocate their force's resources, organised crime therefore tends not to attract the resources it requires. This study looks at the nature, scale and impact of organised crime on local communities. It focuses on the more hidden aspects of organised crime and how it impacts on vulnerable individuals and communities. It also looks at the modi operandi of organised crime groups (OCGs) and the local response to their offending. The research was undertaken in three cities located in two police force areas, the West Midlands and Avon and Somerset. The fieldwork was based in three neighbourhoods in Wolverhampton and Coventry, and in one city; Bristol. The first strand looked at the local impact of organised crime as a whole, and the second focused on two 'new' crime types: organised sexual exploitation and organised fraud. Both quantitative and qualitative data were explored. Organised crime in local neighbourhoods A snapshot of police recorded crime across all three research sites shows that up to 17 per cent is linked to organised crime. Given the low reporting rates associated with organised crime and other factors, this is almost certainly an underestimate. The most common recorded offences linked to organised crime are drug dealing, fraud and vehicle crime, but police intelligence focuses heavily on drug-related offending while virtually ignoring fraud. This leads to drug-related organised crime being recognised and recorded by the police at the expense of other types of organised crime, particularly fraud, which not only comprises a high proportion of recorded offences (in spite of its relative lack of police attention) but also, alongside drugs and violence, accounts for much of the harm caused by organised crime. Foreign nationals, often from Eastern Europe, appear to have a substantial involvement in organised acquisitive crime (shoplifting and theft from the person), with a significantly higher proportion of these offences connected to organised crime compared with UK nationals. They would appear however to also be disproportionately at risk of exploitation by pimps, rogue employers and landlords, loan sharks and traffickers, knowledge of which rarely reaches the police or other agencies. The criminal activities of known OCGs in the three research sites are primarily drug related and the local drug markets closely resemble those identified by other studies, which vary by the type of drugs supplied and the ethnicity/nationality of those supplying them. Large scale cannabis cultivation, in some cases run by Vietnamese OCGs, present new and potentially very harmful challenges. In contrast, the criminal activities of unknown (ie unmapped) OCGs tend to be focused on newer crimes, such as human trafficking, modern slavery and sexual exploitation, although some also engage in more traditional criminal activities such as vehicle crime, tobacco smuggling and the sale of counterfeit goods. Organised crime can scar neighbourhoods and the people who live in them. High levels of fear, intimidation and violence commonly accompany intimidation and violence commonly accompany fierce competition for the control of local drug markets. Certain groups - the young, the elderly, the poor and recently-arrived foreign nationals - are particularly at risk of exploitation and harm. Powerful OCGs subvert the rule of law by intimidating victims and witnesses or settling disputes 'informally,' and undermine the local economy by running protection rackets, providing cheap labour or undercutting legitimate businesses. Details: London: Police Foundation and Perpetuity Research, 2017. 138p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 30, 2017 at: https://perpetuityresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2017-05-Organised-Crime-in-Local-Communities-Final-Report-web.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://perpetuityresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2017-05-Organised-Crime-in-Local-Communities-Final-Report-web.pdf Shelf Number: 146478 Keywords: Child Sexual Exploitation Cybercrime Drug Trafficking Financial ExploitationFraud Human Trafficking Modern Slavery Organized Crime Shoplifting Theft Tobacco Smuggling |
Author: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. New Mexico Advisory Committee Title: Elder Abuse in New Mexico Summary: This report by the New Mexico Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights examines the issue of elder abuse in New Mexico. To produce this report, the Committee reviewed data from a variety of sources and heard testimony at a public meeting. The Committee defines elder abuse as a civil rights issue because elders are targeted for abuse or affected by the issues discussed herein specifically because of their age status. While there have been a number of legislative efforts that provide enhanced protections for elders, significant gaps exist in those protections. The Committee identified five dynamics that increase the risk of abuse for elders: - Widespread impacts of poverty and lack of affordable services available to elders and their caregivers; - Underreporting of abuse or suspicion of abuse by caretakers, providers, and elders themselves; - Structural weaknesses in the healthcare system that allow abuse to go undetected; - Lack of enforcement of existing laws and regulations designed to protect elders; and - A variety of forms of financial exploitation through which individuals prey upon elders and steal or appropriate valuable financial and property resources. The Committee provides the following recommendations to the Commission in order to improve protections for elders: - More attention needs to be paid to ensure that elders have sufficient resources to support wellbeing as they age. This will require conversations about and concrete action to address elder poverty and health disparities; - State and federal agencies need to bolster requirements for reporting and surveillance (data tracking) of cases of elder abuse; - Opportunities for mediation involving family members and other interested stakeholders should be created in cases where there is a concern about an elder's capacity to control their finances; - Additional mechanisms are needed to deter individuals from engaging in elder abuse; - Increased transparency is required concerning the process of determining the need for court-appointed individuals or agencies to control the decisions and assets of elders; - Existing legislation and regulations should be reviewed to determine if they are sufficient to protect the rights of elders; - Statutes that protect elders from financial exploitation should be bolstered or enacted; - In cases of alleged financial exploitation, a presumption of undue influence should be established, which would shift the burden of proof to alleged perpetrators of abuse once certain elements are met; - Better tracking systems are needed to document elder financial abuse; - Court costs, attorney's fees, and double or triple damages should be available in cases of willful coercion in relation to elder financial exploitation; - Judgments specifically related to elder financial abuse should be tracked and registered; - The maximum number of judgments related to elder financial abuse should be enforced and collected; and - States should be required to take the actions recommended herein in order to receive federal funding. Details: Washington, DC: The Author, 2018. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 28, 2019 at: https://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2018/09-27-NM-Elder-Abuse.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.usccr.gov/pubs/2018/09-27-NM-Elder-Abuse.pdf Shelf Number: 154456 Keywords: Elder Abuse Elderly Victims Family Violence Financial Exploitation |