Protect Week
Protecting older Americans from financial exploitation

A devastating statistic is that the average victim of elder financial abuse loses upwards of $120,000. The good news is that there are ways to combat this type of disaster. Recognizing financial abuse as the most common type of elder abuse, and accepting responsibility as a first-line defense, Maryland nonprofit financial counseling agency, CCCSMD and AARP Maryland are leading a statewide awareness campaign in partnership with Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, the Maryland Department of Aging, the Maryland Department of Human Services and a Coalition of state agencies and community partners to “Protect Older Americans from Financial Exploitation” — declared Protect Week. Explore our site to learn how you can protect yourself and your loved ones.

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Protect Week Resources

What is Protect Week?

Help Identify Fraud

Protect Week helps identify financial scams that target the elderly and bring them into the spotlight.

Events to Learn

Protect Week is a series of events in the community to learn and engage on the topic of scams aimed at the elderly.

Resources for Safety

Protect Week provides resources to the community to identify and report scams that target our communities.

During Protect Week, Marylanders will have an opportunity to learn about the many forms of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of older adults via the resources of more than a dozen local and national partners including the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Maryland Office of the Comptroller, Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation, Maryland Department of Aging, CCCSMD, AARP Maryland and AARP Fraud Watch Network, Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, EverSafe and Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition.

Protect Week Articles

Interview with Valarie Colmore from Maryland DHS, Adult Protective Services Program

PROTECTWeek

1. Why is protecting older Americans from financial exploitation important to you and your organization? Protecting older Marylanders is a core mission of Maryland Department of Human Services’ Adult Protective Services Program (APS). Our…

Interview with Antonio P. Salazar, Commissioner of Financial Regulation

PROTECTWeek

1. Why is protecting older Americans from financial exploitation important to you and your organization? As the Commissioner of Financial Regulation for the State of Maryland, I am committed to ensuring that Maryland citizens can conduct…

Don’t Let Your Guard Down—Especially Now!

PROTECTWeek

Written by EverSafe Every day we see new evidence that criminals are updating scams to take advantage of Covid-19. But this episode has now lasted long enough that we are learning more of what to watch for. Among the lessons learned so…

Interview with Attorney General Brian Frosh

PROTECTWeek

1. Why is protecting older Americans from financial exploitation important to you and your organization? It’s sad to say, but many seniors and vulnerable adults (individuals who lack the physical or mental capacity to provide for…

How to Defend Against Future Abuse

PROTECTWeek, Scams

Abuse of older Americans comes in many forms and it can be overwhelming to think of all the tactics a fraudster may use to obtain your personal and financial information. It’s important to keep track of current strategies of abuse but it…

Abuse Prevention Strategies

PROTECTWeek, Scams

In an effort to protect older Americans from financial abuse, Protect Week helps you identify, avoid and report financial exploitation. Identifying key abuse strategies is essential so that you can protect yourself and those you love from…

Preventing Elder Abuse and Neglect

Did you know that every day 10,000 people turn 65 in the United States? Our demographics are shifting and we will soon have more older adults in the U.S. than ever before. Every year, an estimated 5 million older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation and that’s only part of the picture. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, an estimated 93% of elder abuse cases go unreported each year.

Elder Financial Exploitation

Each year, hundreds of cases of financial exploitation of older and vulnerable adults are reported in Maryland. The results can be devastating — emotionally and financially. This, however, is estimated to be only a fraction of the thousands of cases that go unreported in our state. Financial exploitation of seniors can be especially devastating because seniors have fewer, if any years, or employment to make up the funds they have lost to scammers and, in far too many cases, family and “friends.”

More Information

Register for Protect Week Events

Elder Abuse Prevention and Intervention through a Trauma-Informed Lens June 7, 2022 1 PM EST

Register

Eastern Shore Shred Event - June 11, 2022 10 AM - 1 PM EST

Worcester County Library- Ocean Pines Branch

11107 Cathell Rd, Berlin, MD

Howard County Shred Event - June 11, 2022 10 AM - PM EST

Office on Aging and Independence

9830 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia, MD

Baltimore County Shred Event - June 15, 2022 12 PM - 3 PM EST

Victory Villa Community Center

404 Compass Rd. E, Middle River, MD

Washington County Shred Event - June 16, 2022 9 AM - 12 PM EST

Washington County Commission on Aging

535 East Franklin Street, Hagerstown, MD

Prince George’s County Shred Event - June 17, 2022 10 AM - PM EST

Camp Springs Senior Activity Center

6420 Allentown Rd. Camp Springs, MD

Fredek County Shred Event - June 18, 2022 1 PM - 4 PM EST

Staley Park

11 W 10th St, Frederick, MD

Elder Justic: Keeping Seniors Safe Webinars

Elder Justice: An introduction to health care fraud
Webinar on 6/8 from noon to 1p (Eastern)

Elder Justice: A case study of abuse/neglect
Webinar on 6/15 from noon to 1p (Eastern)

Elder Justice: A case study in health care fraud
Webinar on 6/22 from noon to 1p (Eastern)

Elder Justice: Q&A about health care fraud, abuse, and neglect
Webinar on 6/29 from noon to 1p (Eastern)

More Information!

FBI Panel Discussion on World Elder Fraud Abuse Awareness

With the elderly population growing and seniors defrauded of more than $3 billion in losses annually, elder fraud is a growing problem. The latest IC3 Elder Fraud 2021 reports that victims over the age of 60 lost $1.7 Billion and the average dollar loss per victim was $18,246! Listen to the panel discussion on world elder fraud abuse awareness on June 15th.

To view the recording, use Access Passcode: 9#+yW#xr

Watch!

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Coming Soon!

Grandmother Scam

Mail Lottery Scam

Speak Up

More Scam News!

Mailbox Scam

Get Help Now!
Suspect You or Someone You Know Are a Victim of Fraud?

Emergency

In Immediate Danger? Call 9-1-1

Maryland Department of Human Services

Adult Protective Services Program

For victims who lack the physical or mental capacity to provide for themselves, call:
1-800-332-6347 or
1-800-91-PREVENT
(1-800-917-7383)

Department of Justice

To Report Suspected Abuse, Call the Department of Justice
(833) 372-8311 (or 833-FRAUD11)

Resources for Suspected Abuse

Media Resources

Additional Resources

Interview with the Comptroller of Maryland Peter Franchot

Comptroller of Maryland, Peter Franchot, answers four questions about PROTECT Week and what it means to him and his organization. Watch as he answers the following:

Why is protecting older Americans from financial exploitation important to you and your organization?
What is your office doing to support the mission of PROTECT Week?
Do you have any first or secondhand experience with financial exploitation that motivates you to participate in PROTECT Week?
Do you have tips you want to share to help older Americans protect themselves from financial abuse?