For Hometown News
TREASURE COAST -
Local senior care experts are urging Treasure Coast families to be alert for scammers who may be targeting their senior loved ones with a variety of clever cons that could jeopardize not only their life savings but their independence.
"Scam artists are specifically targeting seniors because they are the fastest-growing segment of the population, which has led to increased demands on law enforcement agencies," said Patricia Strickland, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving St. Lucie and Martin counties.
"This scenario has the potential to put more local seniors than ever at risk of losing their life savings, their homes and their trust in others."
As a result, the nonprofit National Association of Triads and the local Home Instead Senior Care office have launched a public information program to educate families and seniors about how to protect themselves.
The Protect Seniors from FraudSM program provides family caregivers with a number of important tools at ProtectSeniorsFromFraud.com.
Included in the website's various resources is a criminal target scale, which can help family caregivers assess how likely their senior is to be the potential target of a scam. A senior fraud protection kit also is available from the local franchise office.
For more information or to obtain a free kit, call (772) 205-3900.