Today is World Elder Abuse Day. The Better Business Bureau along with other organizations have come together to provide resources, raise awareness and prevent elder abuse.
“When it comes to financial abuse, that is one of the major things, is the targeting of seniors. So, we want to make sure we get the word out there, the best thing we can do is educate seniors and their families.”
Troy Baker, Educational Foundation Director with the Better Bureau serving Western Michigan. With today being World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the BBB as well as other groups like the World Health Organization are encouraging communities to become aware.
Baker says the BBB is zeroing in on financial abuse.
“When we talk about seniors it often times calls they get, items in the mail, and if tech saavy, social media offers. But often times, it’s things that can be prevented.”
Baker says sometimes it helps if the senior just has someone to talk to, even just to express their concerns.
“So, having that person you can talk to is key. So, for families its being in touch with mom and dad and grandma and grandpa. And letting them know, if they come across something they’re not sure of, they can come talk to you and bounce it off of you.”
The BBB is contacted daily about scams specifically targeting seniors which could end up costing them more than money. Employees in banking, real estate, home health care, home repair and beauty salons can help also, by watching for certain signs.
The BBB notes these common scams tend to target seniors: the grandparent scam, someone calls in need of money claiming to be their grandchild, the bogus sweepstakes and lottery scam and the tech support scam.
Baker says contact them at the BBB or make a report to their scam tracker if you suspect suspicious activity.
You can also find more information about other forms of abuse, such as physical, emotional and verbal on their website at BBB.org
