Rep. Foncello Joins Attorney General Tong for Elder Justice Forum in Bethel

Bethel, Conn.— An Elder Justice Forum was hosted at Cascades Senior Living in Bethel on Tuesday by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and State Representative Marty Foncello (R-107). Residents attended a presentation about the new Elder Justice Hotline and other issues. The hotline, 1-860-808-5555, was established to help aging adults in Connecticut seek information, assistance, and justice.

Tong and Foncello were joined by State Senator Tony Hwang and First Selectman Dan Carter.

“Scammers are getting better at not only producing pictures, but voices. If someone calls who sounds like your child or grandchild, but something is off, have a question and answer set up with them that only they know,” suggested Rep. Foncello. “It could be as simple as ‘How’s your cat doing?’ and if they answer it’s fine, but they don’t have a cat – you know that’s not your child or grandchild,” added Foncello.

Tong advised residents about the ‘Grandparent Scam’ and other frauds currently circulating.

“Unfortunately, cases of abuse and scams targeting older Americans are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated, and sometimes it’s difficult to know who to call for help. The Elder Justice Hotline is here to help Connecticut seniors access the aid, support, and justice they deserve,” said Attorney General Tong.

Seniors are often the targets of family emergency scams, nicknamed “the grandparent scam,” and seniors were reminded to act with their heads and not just their hearts. Scammers may know names, relationships, or other details that they can easily find on social media. To avoid falling victim, Tong suggested hanging up and calling the family member directly to verify if there’s an actual emergency, or to come up with a password to ask for that only family members would know.

Connecticut is the 7th oldest state in terms of median age with the 3rd longest lived constituency. National estimated annual cost of financial abuse is $36.5 billion, and costs include 1,061 victims, with $15,630,551 in losses (up from $10,645,305 in 2020) in Connecticut alone. The number of elder abuse cases in the state doubled between 2011 and 2017, rising from 3,529 to 7,196 cases. In Connecticut the top three categories of scam reported are imposter scams, ID theft, and online shopping.

“I used to work for Homeland Security and the key to protection is to limit your footprint on the internet and elsewhere. One piece of advice I’d like you to remember is about obituaries. What financial institutions ask for when approving a credit card or access to a bank account is mother’s maiden name, so only put first names in obituaries. Don’t give scammers information to mine about you that can be used to get your hard-earned money,” said Foncello.

The biggest financial losses for seniors though, Tong says, come from romance scams.

The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. The criminals will seem genuine, caring, and believable. They’ll make plans to meet in person, but that will never happen. Eventually, they will ask for money. The biggest tip to prevent fraud is to never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone.

Foncello and Hwang also touted steps taken last session to better protect Connecticut’s seniors.

“Protecting our seniors from financial exploitation is not just a duty, but a moral imperative. Elder fraud thrives in the shadows of ignorance, making awareness our strongest shield. Let’s shine a light on this injustice, empowering our communities to safeguard our beloved elders from deceit and exploitation.” said Sen. Hwang.

One of the bills signed into law last year that Foncello co-sponsored, Public Act 23-161, expands on Connecticut’s records and financial reports law to address financial exploitation against eligible adults. Under the new law, qualified designated persons may disclose to the Social Services and Banking commissioners when there’s reasonable cause to suspect financial exploitation or attempted exploitation of a senior citizen. A temporary hold would also be allowed on a disbursement of funds in these cases, with notice to all account holders. The law includes a process to petition such a hold.