In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, Secretary of State Connie Lawson urges citizens to value and protect Indiana’s seniors by reporting possible abuse.
She says elder abuse can take many forms, including physical, financial, emotional, neglect or abandonment and often, several types will be inflicted at the same time. Lawson says financial abuse is considered to be the most common form of abuse to elders, costing its victims an estimated $2.9 billion a year.
To help fight this problem, the Secretary of State’s office is joining the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) and the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) who are partnering to offer tools to identify and report financial abuse or exploitation.
Securities fraud can come in many forms. The investment might be fraudulent, or it could be a legitimate product that is unsuitable for the investor’s circumstances. Other investment problems include unregistered products, theft of funds or products sold by an unlicensed adviser or broker. Investors and caregivers are urged to “investigate before investing” by calling the Secretary of State’s office at 317-232-6682 to verify if the product and person selling it are registered/licensed and to see if there have been any complaints.
Securities or investment fraud should be reported to the Secretary of State’s office at 317-232-6682. Other types of elder abuse should be reported to the Family and Social Services Administration’s Adult Protective Services at 1-800-992-6978 or to local authorities. You may also report abuse through the national Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116.
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