Community event aims to prevent elderly financial exploitation

October is Elderly Financial Exploitation Awareness Month, and there's "Crimes Against the Elderly Conference" in El Paso aiming to prevent that.

Elderly financial exploitation is when a relative, caretaker or partner uses the money or property of a senior citizen for their personal benefit or profit.

Adult Protective Services — a program of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services — investigated 473 cases in the El Paso area out of 13,612 cases of exploitation in Texas last fiscal year.

Specialist Grace Ortiz says there's denial in our community, it's happening but people don't report it.

"I don't know if it's the shame factor, fear of the unknown thinking that we're going to place them in a nursing home," says Ortiz. "We don't do that. Our goal is to stop it, protect you, and figure out how you can stay at home and live with dignity, respect and have that money to live at home with dignity and respect."

Signs of financial exploitation include:

• Sudden changes in bank accounts or financial documents.
• Unexpected withdrawal of large sums of money.
• Adding names to someone's bank card.
• Unfamiliar people accompanying bank customers to withdraw large sums.
• Unpaid bills despite having enough money.
• Abuse of power of attorney.

To report your situation you can go to txabusehotline.org.

The conference is free at the El Paso Community College Administrative Services Center, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at building A.