Keeping Our Loved Ones S.A.F.E. (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation )

1. Keeping Our Loved OnesS.A.F.E.(Stop Adult Financial Exploitation)

2. Objectives: • Define FinancialExploitation • List Key Terms and Facts • Describe Warning Signs of Financial Exploitation • Explain How You Can Report It

3. Financial Exploitation • Vulnerable Adult’s or Elder Adult’s property or funds are misused • May happen without the victim’s consent or the victim is tricked, intimidated, or forced to give consent • May happen if the victimis not competent to giveconsent

4. Types of Financial Exploitation • Type I: Personal Relationships • Type II: Scam Artists

5. Personal Relationships

6. Scam Artists

7. Latest Scam: “Jamaican Lottery”

8. Key Terms to Remember • Vulnerable Adult: • An adult (over 18) who lacks the physical or mental capacity to provide for his or her daily needs • Elder Adult: • Individual who is 65 years old or older • Financial Exploitation: • Any action which involves the misuse of a vulnerable adult’s funds or property

9. Key Terms to Remember (continued) • Adult Protection Services: • Local Department of Social Services that receives and investigates reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults • Competent: • Able to understand the situation, the implications, and consequences of any choice • Suspect: • Any individual who reasonably appears to be engaged in some form of exploitation

10. Facts • Reality Check: Growingold is a fact of Life! • The number of older Marylanders is increasing. • More than 10,000 baby boomers will reach age 65 each day for the next 18 years or so

11. Facts (continued) • The Office of Older Americans of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimates that seniors are losing $2.9 billion a year to financial abuse • One out of every five citizens older than 65 -- or 7.3 million older Americans -- have been victimized in some way by a financial fraud. according to a 2010 Investor Protection Trust survey conducted by Infogroup/ORC.

12. Facts (continued) • Marylanders aged 60and over with functional disabilities related to mobility or personal care, totaled 237,004 in the 2000 U.S. Census. • Financial Exploitation robs victims of their hard earned savings. Retirement plans can often be ruined.

13. Facts (continued) • Elderly victims are too often ashamed or worry about losing their independence and will not talk about it or call the police. • As of October 1, 2012, reporting of suspectedFinancial Exploitationof elder adults is now mandatory by Financial Institutions in Maryland.

14. Warning Signs of Exploitation • Becomes suddenly distant or isolated from neighbors, family, or friends. • Not allowed to speak for themselves or make decisions • With an acquaintance who appears to be overly interested in their financial status • A sudden change in the member’s normal banking behavior

15. Warning Signs of Exploitation (continued) • Person can not remember financial transactions or signing legal documents • Receives frequent calls or mail from outside the U.S. • Appears nervous or afraid of the person accompanying them • Automobile is frequently missing from their drive-away or is gone at night.

16. Warning Signs of Exploitation (continued) • Frequent withdrawals by ATM • Substandard care being provided or bills unpaid despite availability of adequate financial resources • Suspicious signatures on checks, credit card applications, or auto loan documents • The provision of services that are not necessary

17. Warning Signs of Exploitation (continued) • Bruises, pressure marks, broken bones, abrasions and burns may be a sign of physical abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. • Behavior such as belittling, threats, or other uses of power and control by a caregiver or family member • Unexplained withdrawal from normal activities, change in alertness, or unusual depression exhibited

18. Okay, now what do I do? • Talk to the person. • Ask friendly questions. • Try to learn the background details • Try to separate the person from the suspect. • Report it.

19. How to Report It • Gather as much facts about the incident as you can. • Call the Adult Protective Service Office for the City or County that the victim lives in. • Remember to provide: • Who, What, Where • The contact phone numbers- you and the victim.

20. Note on Reporting: • Persons who report the need for Adult Protective Services are protected under the law. Section 14-309 of the Family Law Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, states “any person who in good faith makes or participates in making a report under this subtitle or participates in an investigation or a judicial proceeding resulting from a report under this subtitle is immune from any civil liability that would otherwise result.”

21. Resources for Help Maryland Department of Aging aging.maryland.gov 410-767-1100 Maryland Department of Human Resources dhr.state.md.us/blog/?page_id=4531 1-800-917-7383 DC Department of Human Services dhs.dc.gov/service/adult-protective-services APS Hotline: 202-541-3950 Virginia APS Hotline: 1-888-832-3858 dss.virginia.gov/abuse/index2.cgi

22. Questions?S.A.F.E.(Stop Adult Financial Exploitation)