Financial Exploitation of Older Persons

Please note, senior abuse awareness and prevention materials in this Archive were produced 2007 or earlier. Visit Understanding Senior Abuse for more current information.

Financial abuse and economic crime are both forms of financial exploitation and can have significant and serious consequences for older people. Because seniors form the largest proportion of people who report being victims of economic crime, we talk about both financial abuse and economic crime in this web site.

There are many people and organizations working to prevent financial exploitation of older adults and to help you if it does happen—government departments and agencies, the justice and legal systems, the financial industry, community-based organizations and concerned citizens.

This section provides answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about financial abuse and economic crime—what it is, how to recognize it, where to get help, how to prevent it, and how to protect yourself from both financial abuse and economic crime.

It is important to know that financial exploitation can happen to anyone - you are not to blame. Knowing how to protect yourself is your most valuable asset.