‘Elder Fraud, An Explosion in Hawaii’ seeks to educate Hawaii’s seniors on prevention

KAHALA—With the continuing growth of information technology comes a wealth of new opportunities for communication ... and fraud. Unfortunately, when it comes to fraud, the elderly suffer most. One in five people older than 65 reported being taken advantage of financially through inappropriate investments, unreasonably high fees for financial services, or outright fraud, according to a survey on elder investment fraud by the Investor Protection Trust.

In continuing to offer opportunities to educate Hawaii’s kupuna, Kahala Nui will host an event, titled “Elder Fraud, an Explosion in Hawaii,” on Saturday, November 13 at 10:00 a.m. at the Catholic Charities Hawaii Clarence T. C. Ching Campus. The event will feature speakers Scott Spallina from the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Barbie Faagau from Adult Protective Services, and Lt. Bart Canada from the Honolulu Police Department.

Located in Waialae-Kahala, Kahala Nui is a non-profit senior living retirement community featuring private apartment homes for independent living as well as its Hiolani Care Center at Kahala Nui for assisted living, nursing, and memory support.

“We are always looking for opportunities to educate seniors and provide them with information that empowers them,” says Linda Adamson, director of Lifestyles at Kahala Nui. “We are really looking forward to this event and the lineup of high-caliber speakers. Our goal is to provide attendees with information that helps protect them from becoming victims of elder fraud.”

Financial fraud of seniors has reached alarming proportions in Hawaii and the nation. Scammers often see this segment of the population as being among the most vulnerable, targeting them through the Internet, mail, phone, or even in person. They pose as representatives of charities, real estate companies, or brokers to deceive seniors out of millions of dollars each year. Attendees of this event will learn how to protect themselves and family members against different types of fraud and how to report it should fraud occur. 

The City and County of Honolulu Prosecuting Office reminds kupuna that it is far easier to prevent computer crime than it is to prosecute it and secure restitution, as most victims will never fully recover all that they have lost. For this reason, the City’s White Collar Crime Unit has a strong focus on crime prevention, providing computer safety information and extensive community outreach. The City Prosecuting Office website has a number of tips to avoid being the victim of high-tech fraud:

* When in doubt, delete the email. Sophisticated “spoof” emails trick unwary and unsuspecting Internet users into giving personal information that can be used to drain bank accounts, fraudulently get credit cards, and commit other crimes.

* Never give out personal information by email.

* Don’t automatically trust email headers. They can be faked.

* Never fill out a form in an email message. You never know who will get it.

* Never trust the link in an email message. Scam artists are getting sophisticated and are able to have their website mirror a legitimate business website.

* Don’t trust email messages on the status of your account. Always go directly to a company’s website to access your account information by means of your personal identification and log-in.

The City’s Elder Abuse Unit is also specifically aimed at increasing awareness of crimes against persons age 60 and over. The Unit notes that elder abuse crosses all social, economic, and ethnic lines. Hawaii’s elders are targeted because they are a higher rate of homeowners, own older homes which may need repairs that they themselves cannot do, often live alone or with other elders, have predictable habits, and have more access to greater assets.

For more information and for a list of helpful hotlines for Hawaii seniors, visit http://www.honolulu.gov/prosecuting/elderabuse-main.htm. For more information about Kahala Nui, call (808) 218-7200 or visit www.kahalanui.com.

“Elder Fraud, an Explosion in Hawaii”
Saturday, November 13 at 10:00 a.m.
Catholic Charities Hawaii Clarence T.C. Ching Campus
1822 Keeaumoku Street
Free and open to the public