Between 2015 and 2030, all countries are expected to experience an increase in the number of elderly people, especially in developing regions. With this growth, it is also expected that the abuses of which they are victims will increase, which are far from being isolated acts to become patterns of behavior.

Although it remains one of the least treated types of violence, elder abuse has begun to gain visibility around the world.

The exploitation suffered by this group is widespread, but mostly invisible. Family members are the main perpetrators of financial abuse and it is difficult to determine to what extent the transactions they carry out are legitimate or not. Many take advantage of the ignorance of the elderly to transfer their assets and others use the attention and affection to obtain financial compensation.

Although the situation is predicted to worsen, the lack of information in this regard does not allow us to offer definitive forecasts, since the victims, because of loyalty or shame, prefer not to denounce those who abuse from them.

Financial violence against the elderly is not adequately recognized. Most commonly, the abusers are the people who are in charge of the elderly, or who in some way are close and/or live with them. Over 50% of abuse cases are committed by children or spouses.

Older women are twice as likely to be victims than men. In the USA, more than 3,000 million dollars a year are lost each year in this type of scam. Statistics show that for every 20 people, an older adult is victim of financial abuse, the average amount stolen is $41,000 and the types of scams are increasingly complex.

Among the most common scam modalities, we can find the love scam. In these cases, people approach older adults to steal their money. Here it is very important to be careful with very young couples.

Then, the prize scam implies getting a call where the criminal tells you that you won a prize but due to administrative issues you must deposit an amount to receive it.

Another common one is when they call the senior adult and tell him that a relative is in danger. They may call you and tell you that your son or grandson is in the clinic or prisoner, and you must pay the lawyer to get him out, which is not true.
Another usual one is that a person posing as a tax or health official calls you and asks for your bank details, supposedly to confirm them.

There are many organizations and businesses that protect seniors from financial fraud. RBC Wealth Management is one of them. At the organization, they really know that wealth means way more than just finances. It also includes a true sense of well-being, prosperity and belonging in the communities where we all work and live.

They are aware that everything they do has an impact—from partnering with specific charitable organizations and sponsoring some causes, to the brilliant volunteering efforts of their employees. They look for opportunities to invest their time, resources and talent to drive positive change and empower communities.

Another important organization is Relationships Australia, which is formed by more than four hundred highly qualified staff, who provide services from several centers all over the country, who can help older adults face-to-face, online, by telephone, or elsewhere.

At the organization, they provide special services to people who happen to be somehow disadvantaged. Because of that, it helps older adults, as well as those suffering from poor mental health, family violence, addictions, social exclusion and those isolated living in remote areas.

They recognize that its country is culturally and linguistically diverse. Because of that, they continuously work towards developing a high-quality service that considers and includes all Australians regardless of their age, cultural, ethnic, language or religious background. In other words, they work with older adults to build a better future for them, their children, their families and their communities.

Another significant organization is Carefull, which is an American company that offers a wide array of services that were explicitly created to help older adults avoid all sort of financial trouble. It has numerous services that help seniors be aware of any kind of unusual activity in their own bank accounts, protect their important documents and passwords, and maintain a safe digital identity.