EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – With more than 6 million residents in Texas who are considered elderly or disabled, the Texas Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) continues to work to educate the community on crimes against vulnerable populations.
October is Elder Financial Exploitation Awareness Month. Adult Protective Services (APS), a program within DPFS, reports financial exploitation as the act of when a relative or caretaker improperly or illegally uses the money or property of someone who is elderly or has a disability for personal benefit or profit.
“It’s very common, but unfortunately, it’s not reported. I think that there’s a shame factor or there’s a fear factor there. One is I don’t want anybody to know that somebody that I knew took advantage of me. Or two, if somebody gets involved, such as Adult Protective Services, they’re going to put me in a nursing home,” Grace Ortiz, a community engagement specialist with APS, said.
On Tuesday, Oct. 7, APS hosted its 16th annual Crimes Against the Elderly Conference to debunk these fears and spread awareness on the resources available and warning signs to look out for when it comes to financial exploitation.
“If all of a sudden you see that the individual doesn’t have enough money to pay their bills, despite there being that income, all of a sudden, family members are appearing out of nowhere, wanting to be more involved in their financial affairs. Abuse of a power of attorney, accompanying an older adult to the bank and forcing them to take money out, or forcing them to be placed on their accounts,” Ortiz said.
The U.S. Department of Justice also warns people to look for:
- Sudden appearance of previously uninvolved relatives claiming their rights to an elder’s property or possessions
- Unexplained sudden transfer of assets to a family member or someone outside the family
- The provision of services that are not necessary
- An elder’s report of financial exploitation.
In Fiscal Year 2024, APS validated that 1,041 people living at home were victims of financial exploitation in Texas, with 20 of those in the El Paso area.
Ortiz said that despite the trend of underreporting, their agency urges people to file reports if they suspect they or someone they know could be a victim.
“Once we get that report, anything that constitutes a crime will be referred to the El Paso Police Department so that they can investigate it. Our goal is to prosecute. We really want to prosecute those individuals. And it’s important that we start with our report so that we can refer it out. We do have detectives that work with us, and our goal is to make their lives better and stop this abuse from happening,” Ortiz said.
If you see signs of financial exploitation, you can call the Texas Abuse Hotline (1-800-252-5400) or you can report online at TxAbuseHotline.org.
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