Elder Abuse & Scams

The elder abuse community education program is designed to increase public education and awareness of how to:

  • Identify abuse and identify individuals who are at high-risk
  • Report abuse
  • Access available community resources to prevent abuse and assist caregivers

To schedule a presentation on Elder Abuse Awareness for your community, contact us at 213-482-7252.

Reporting Abuse

Elder abuse can take on many forms. It may include: 

  • Lack of basic amenities
  • Cluttered, filthy living environment
  • Unexplained or uncharacteristic in behavior
  • Unexplained sexually transmitted diseases
  • Unpaid bills, new credit cards and/or increased cash withdrawals
  • Harassment coercion, intimidation, humiliation
  • Caregiver isolates elder

You do not need to confirm abuse is happening in order to report abuse. If you suspect someone is being abused, you can report the situation based on where it occurred:

Outside of licensed long-term care facility:

Adult Protective Services (APS): Provides a system of in-person response to reports of abuse and self-neglect about developmentally disabled adults, physically and mentally disabled adults, and the elderly who may be victims of abuse. 

Phone: 877-477-3646

Visit web page Workforce development aging & community services

Inside long-term care facilities:

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

Phone: 800-334-9473 (8:30 am - 5:00 pm) / 800-231-4024 (After Hours)

Email: ombudsman2@wiseandhealthyaging.org

If a crime is in progress, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Scams

Scams can happen in many ways -  in-person, through phone calls, online, emails, texts, and mail. According to research, Americans lose $40 Billion each year to fake and dishonest phone calls alone. 56-80% of these phone calls target older adults and scams are becoming more elaborate. Below are resources to learn about the warning signs and how to prevent yourself from being scammed: 

Scam information (some languages):

Additional Resources regarding Scams:

To report fraud, identity theft, or an unfair business practice, please call the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-382-4357

To report an online scam or fraud, contact the FBI online fraud complaint at https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx