Reports Of Suspected Elder Financial Abuse On The Rise

A state law mandating that bank and credit union employees report suspected financial abuse of elders has resulted in a rising number of reports, including one that led investigators to a Sacramento-area attorney accused of squandering a 94-year-old man’s wealth while gambling, golfing and dining out.

The 2005 law, which is scheduled to fall off the books in 2013, requires bank employees to report suspicious financial activity to a local Adult Protective Services office.

Such reports filed with the county offices are on the rise, with 1,730 filed in the first four months of 2008 compared with 2,132 filed during the first four months of this year, according to data compiled by the state Department of Social Services. Since 2005, the number of confirmed cases of elder financial abuse went from 1,375 to 1,654, records for the first four months of each year show.

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