In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day today, The Indiana Secretary of State’s Office reminds Hoosiers to be on the lookout for signs of elder financial abuse, including potential exploitation and scams.

“Unfortunately, bad actors tend to target our older, more vulnerable Hoosiers. The best protection is information. My office provides resources to help senior citizens and their families avoid these scammers who are out with the sole intention to do harm,” said Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales. 

The Securities Division of the Secretary of State’s Office is providing tips on protecting senior citizens:

• Establish a trusted contact on all accounts. A trusted contact may be a family member, attorney, accountant or another third-party that can confirm an investor’s current contact information, respects their privacy, and knows how to handle the responsibility.
• Shred all paperwork containing any documents containing personal information.
• If someone calls you or threatens you with arrest or harm unless you pay them via wire transfer or gift card, hang up immediately.

“Older adults have reported feeling targeted for fraudulent activity through mailings, robocalls, telephone scams, and identity theft. By training individuals who come in contact with seniors such as pastors, bank tellers, attorneys and others, they can then recognize signs of exploitation and potentially prevent the victim from being defrauded,” said Marie Castetter, Securities Commissioner.

The Secretary of State’s Office is a proud partner of IN-CASE (Indiana Council Against Senior Exploitation) and is committed to providing information and resources to better inform older adults and the professionals who serve them about exploitation and abuse in our state.

For more resources or if you suspect possible senior financial exploitation, please contact The Indiana Secretary of State’s Securities Division at https://securities.sos.in.gov or call 317-232-6681.