Attorney General Ashley Moody News Release
Attorney General Moody Highlights Senior Protection Resources for National Elder Law Month and National Older Americans Month
Attorney General Ashley Moody
said, “Our seniors deserve peace of mind and the ability to enjoy their
retirement, free of worry that deceitful scammers will exploit them.
Our office is dedicated to strengthening laws and bolstering efforts to
protect seniors. As your Attorney General, I will always work to protect
those who call Florida home.”
One resource
the Attorney General’s Office provides to seniors is the Senior
Protection Team, an intra-agency group of experts working to fight
fraud. The team is comprised of leading members from the Attorney
General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, Consumer Protection Division,
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Office of Citizen Services. Seniors vs.
Crime and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement also actively
assist the team with investigations and outreach efforts. The goal is to
bring attorneys and investigators specialized in fighting civil,
criminal and health care fraud together to develop strategies to protect
Floridians 60 and older.
The Seniors
vs. Crime project is another great resource available to assist seniors.
Seniors vs. Crime was founded in 1989 with the mission to help prevent
crime and fraud, aid consumers in resolving disputes and assist the
Attorney General’s Office with its mission through the work of Florida
senior volunteers—referred to as Senior Sleuths. Since Attorney General
Moody took office, Seniors vs. Crime has helped recover, refund and save
more than $3.4 million for older Floridians.
Recently,
Attorney General Moody announced the passage of historic senior
protection legislation. Attorney General Moody worked closely with the
Elder Law Section of the Florida Bar, Sen. Danny Burgess and Rep.
Colleen Burton in crafting HB 1041 to provide greater protection to
seniors statewide. This law will strengthen senior protection by
preventing the intentional isolation of vulnerable adults, allow for
earlier intervention by law enforcement and prosecutors to prevent
irreversible physical harm or financial loss to vulnerable Florida
seniors, and strengthen accountability of guardians and agents under
powers of attorney. The Office of Statewide Prosecution will also have
additional authority to go after those who commit crimes against elderly
and disabled adults.
Savvy Consumers Can Stop Fraud: A Guide for Seniors,
is a resource published by the Attorney General’s Office with tips on
safeguarding finances, avoiding identity theft and information on other
scams that target seniors. To access the guide, click here.
Attorney
General Moody also serves as Co-Chair of the National Association of
Attorneys General’s Elder Justice Committee. For more on the committee,
click here.
To report instances of scams against senior citizens or non-emergency instances of senior exploitation, call 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or click here to file a complaint online.
In the case of an emergency, please call 911.
In cases of exploitation involving a vulnerable adult, please follow the mandatory reporting requirements found in section 415.1034, Fla. Stat., by reporting to the central abuse hotline at 1 (800) 962-2873.Full Article & Source:
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