Enfield
When law enforcement officials investigate reports of financial scams, victims may have already sent thousands of dollars to scam artists. Those funds can be hard to recover, especially if it involves money that was sent out of country.
There are also concerns about physical abuse of senior citizens, which are believed to be largely underreported.
The Enfield Police Department will address both of these topics during a class on Jan. 30 from 6-9 p.m. at the Department of Public Works building, 74 Lockhaven Road. The free program is open to residents from any town.
Taught by Detective Sergeant Ryan R. Porter, the class is a way to raise public awareness about elder abuse and teach community members about signs they can watch out for. It’s the second class the department has held in the last year.
“The major challenge is getting the individual to come forward and cooperate whether that’s in physical abuse cases or financial exploitation cases,” Porter said.
The police department usually receives a couple phone calls a week about financial scam calls, Porter said.
“All they’re hoping to do is hook that one person,” Porter said. “Unfortunately the elderly are the most vulnerable people when they take these calls.”
The scams range. Sometimes, it’s a person pretending to be a family member in distress. Others promise a return investment.
“More seniors, as they age, are using online banking and online accounts,” Porter said. That creates more opportunities for scams.
When a senior citizen discovers they’ve been scammed, it can be hard to get them to talk about it in order to hold the criminals accountable.
“It’s difficult for them to come forward,” Porter said. “They think ‘it’s my fault I should of known better. It’s no big deal I have enough money to live.’ ”
Once reported, it can be incredibly difficult for police to recover the money lost.
“There’s no way to track them,” Porter said. “Trying to get other countries to cooperate with our investigation is nearly impossible unfortunately. So once the deed is done it’s done.”
One of the goals of the class is to help “alleviate (the) stigma,” that people who are victims of financial scams may feel.
“It’s OK,” Porter said. “These things happen and we will help you.”
Physical elder abuse is an even more challenging problem.
“Most of these cases in my experience … they usually come about (when) the individual went to the hospital and they noticed signs of abuse or neglect on the elderly,” Porter said. Then, law enforcement agencies receive a referral that they can then go and investigate. “There’s the occasion we’ll get a phone call from a concerned relative… that’s kind of rare.”
Sometimes law enforcement officials don’t find out about physical elder abuse until it’s too late, after they go to a home to investigate an untimely death.
“And that’s how we discovered this person has been physically abused,” Porter said. “It’s more neglect than it is purposeful abuse.”
Law enforcement agencies regularly work with nonprofit organizations and government departments to investigate cases of elder abuse. By enlisting the help of the public, the Enfield Police Department hopes to raise awareness and address instances of elder abuse before it is too late.
“Everyone is a mandatory reporter, just like they are with child abuse,” Porter said. “It doesn’t hurt to make a phone call. They can do it anonymously also. They don’t have to put their names out there.”
Using a variety of resources, Porter compiled lists of signs of physical or financial elder abuse to look out for.
1. Unexplained bruising or injuries.
2. Repeated injuries in the same locations.
3. Individual may refuse medical treatment from a doctor.
4. May appear or become withdrawn.
5. Act fearful around their abuser.
6. Become depressed and uninterested in things that usually made them happy.
7. Interrupted or change in their sleep patterns.
8. Changes in hygiene.
9. Sudden weight loss or changes in eating habits.
10. Canceling medical appointments.
11. Less frequent or sudden stop in phone or personal contact from the individual being abused.
1. Unexplained or sudden bank account withdrawals.
2. Over abundance of credit card offers being received in the mail when it was not common before.
3. Missing checks, statements, and money.
4. Frequent phone calls from unknown phone numbers or individuals posing as reputable companies.
5. Frequent gift card purchases.
6. Missing personal property such as, antiques, purses, social security cards, etc.
Editor’s note: For more information, email Porter at rporter@enfield.nh.us. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
