San Francisco Sun

San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed joined city, state, federal, and community leaders to highlight fraud prevention programs for seniors in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Over 1,200 seniors across San Francisco have been reached through the City’s annual campaign aimed at raising awareness about elder abuse and scams targeting older adults.

The event was organized by the San Francisco Human Services Agency’s Department of Disability and Aging Services (DAS) in partnership with Self Help for the Elderly. Attendees included State Attorney General Rob Bonta, City Administrator Carmen Chu, Police Chief Bill Scott, Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres, and representatives from DAS, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Mayor Breed emphasized the importance of protecting seniors from scams: “Our seniors have done so much for our City, and the last thing they should be worrying about is getting scammed,” she said. “We will continue to work together to keep them safe and provide them with the resources they need to look out for one another.”

As part of this year’s campaign, coalition leaders provided information on identifying red flags of scams, using crime reporting tools and resources, and understanding scam practices such as impersonation scams using artificial intelligence (AI), grandparent scams, and fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes.

The coalition conducted presentations at 37 locations across the city in multiple languages including Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog, Russian, and English.

“All elder Californians deserve respect...and financially secure lives,” stated California Attorney General Rob Bonta. He affirmed that his department remains committed to providing elders with tools to protect themselves against fraud.

According to an FBI report released in April 2023 titled "Elder Fraud in Focus," scams targeting individuals over 60 resulted in over $3.4 billion in losses in 2023—an increase of approximately 11% from the previous year.

“Seniors are attractive targets for scammers because they have spent their entire lives saving money," said FBI Special Agent Robert Tripp. "The impact of losing their hard-earned savings can be absolutely devastating."

Chief Bill Scott reiterated support from law enforcement: “The SFPD will hold anyone accountable who seeks to take advantage of our seniors.”

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins pledged continued efforts: “My office will do everything we can to protect our seniors from unscrupulous scammers.”

Kelly Dearman from DAS highlighted that financial abuse often leads to severe consequences beyond financial loss: "Financial abuse...is all too common...with often harmful and devastating impacts."

Anni Chung of Self Help for the Elderly stressed the need for multilingual workshops due to language barriers faced by Asian seniors: “Preventing our seniors from being victimized must be our top priority.”

The public is urged to report crimes targeting older adults immediately by calling emergency services or local police stations. Non-emergencies can be reported through Adult Protective Services or other designated hotlines.