Watching out for you: Prosecutor's office creates new program to protect elderly

In response to an increase number of scams and crimes against the elderly, new team formed in Middlesex County

An 87-year-old Linden woman was scammed out of $14,000 by a caller who claimed her son was in jail.

An 77-year-old South Brunswick man paid $5,000 to a man who called claiming to be an IRS agent and allegedly threatened arrest for failure to pay back taxes.

Last week a Brooklyn woman was arrested and charged in connection with allegedly stealing $200,000 from an 86-year-old Monroe relative.

And on April 2 the FBI posted a story about the latest version of the "grandparent scam" in which scam artists are now using personal information from grandchildren's social networking site to scam grandparents into wiring money to rescue a grandchild.

These disturbing stories reflect an uncomfortable trend: The elderly are easy targets for criminal activity.

Now Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey hopes a brand-new initiative will fight back against those who commit crimes against senior citizens.

Carey has formed a new Elder Abuse and Exploitation Team, an in-house unit of detectives, assistant prosecutors, support staff and Agent Andrea Boulton, who formerly served as planner for the Middlesex County Department of Aging and Disabled Services, and has many contacts with senior organizations, senior center directors and grantees in the county.

And Middlesex County isn't alone in looking to ward off those who prey on the elderly.

New acting Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson has plans to create an Elder Abuse Task Force in the Special Investigations Unit.

As part of the task force, a detective and assistant prosecutor would work with the Somerset County Office on Aging and the New Jersey Department of Children and Families would work on elder abuse cases. The task force also would be involved with outreach by educating seniors about the signs of abuse, including internet and telephone scams, distraction burglaries. The task force also will be training officers throughout the county about the signs of elder abuse. (Continue Reading)

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Watching out for you: Prosecutor's office creates new program to protect elderly