Elder Abuse Awareness Day Presentation Aims To Educate Seniors And Their Families

SAN DIEGO, CA — In honor of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation, in collaboration with the FBI San Diego Citizens Academy, will host an Elder Abuse Awareness Day Presentation Monday, June 16, at Park Avenue Community Center in Escondido.

Supported by the Wells Fargo Foundation, the event aims to educate seniors and their families about preventing fraud and scams.

In 2023, the Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 880,000 complaints, with potential losses exceeding $12.5 billion. In the same year, total losses reported to the IC3 by individuals over the age of 60 topped $3.4 billion, an 11% increase in reported losses from 2022. There was also a 14% increase in complaints filed with IC3 by elderly victims.

Nationwide, tech support fraud was the number one crime type impacting seniors over the age 60, with nearly 18,000 complaints and almost $600 million in reported losses, while investment scams continued to be the costliest to the elderly with losses exceeding $1.2 billion.

"Educating our seniors about fraud prevention is critical in today's digital age where scammers are more sophisticated than ever," said Kristoffer Kelly, director of partnerships at SDSCF, a nonprofit that works to improve the vitality and quality of life for seniors in San Diego County.

"These sessions empower seniors and their families with the tools to recognize and avoid scams, helping protect their financial security and peace of mind," Kelly said. "Scams today don't discriminate based on education level or background, and they're getting more convincing every day. Everyone needs to be vigilant."

The presentation will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Monday at Park Avenue Community Center at 10 E Park Ave. in Escondido.