Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office launches Elder Exploitation Section, expanding services for seniors
It's an issue that Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday says impacts every community throughout the commonwealth: senior citizens being taken advantage of and becoming victims of financial theft.
Now the attorney general's office is taking its efforts a step further and launching a new way to protect seniors.
Sunday announced at the state capitol building on Tuesday that his office is expanding its efforts to protect older Pennsylvanians by launching its Elder Exploitation Section.
"At the Attorney General's Office, we constantly field calls and complaints, dozens of them every month about seniors being harmed or possibly harmed in acts of fraud, theft and abuse. Now more than ever, seniors need strong advocates," Sunday said.
The section will focus on cases involving financial exploitation, deception and theft.
Sunday said most cases are caused by someone the victim knows.
"Oftentimes the bad actors are family members. Nearly two-thirds are relatives. In other cases, they may be caregivers. We're talking about guardians, conservators, or those designated as a power of attorney, most commonly an adult child of the senior," Sunday said. "In other words, we will know who is causing the harm and we will prosecute those bad actors under criminal statutes, while trying to recover what we can for the victims to help them heal."
Lawmakers along with community partners and advocates who will be critical to the new unit's mission joined the attorney general for the announcement.
"Elder abuse isn't always about the bruises that you can see. Sometimes it's a bank account drained behind closed doors, or intentionally isolating an individual from family and friends," said Bill Johnston-Walsh, AARP Pennsylvania's state director.
Sunday said his office's Elder Exploitation Section is already up and running with a caseload of over 30 cases.
"We will continue to do all we can to make victims whole while working to spread awareness so that we ultimately see fewer of these heartbreaking cases," Sunday said.
It will even be a resource for police departments and other agencies.
"Municipal police departments may not have the resources required to take on these complex investigations and that's understandable. The Elder Exploitation Section will have those resources and we expect referrals to come in from police departments, county, state and federal agencies and other resources," he said.
Sunday said there are many seniors who are victims, but many of them are silent. And they want to give them a voice.
"I want them to know that there are people out here that care, are willing to help and I promise you if you're watching this, you're not the only one that this has happened to," said Sunday.