Financial Exploitation of the Elderly in a Consumer Context

This 2-year study includes a telephone survey of 1,000 Arizonians and 1,000 Floridians over the age of 60. The research project will examine (1) indicators of the nature and prevalence of financial exploitation, including identification of the victim-offender relationship and dollar amount lost; (2) risk and protective factors (e.g., financial risk-taking, trust propensity, lifestyle characteristics, routine consumer activities, and personal characteristics); and (3) respondents' awareness and use of state Attorney General services, including assessment of potential barriers to and facilitators of program use, as well as reporting behavior to law enforcement and perceptions of law enforcement responsiveness.

The research team will conduct descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. Particular emphasis will be given to identifying theoretically-informed variables that predict fraud victimization and reporting behavior. Regression analyses will allow us to identify risk and protective factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of fraud victimization and reporting. Data obtained from semi-structured interviews with service provider staff will help identify barriers to and facilitators of program success. ca/ncf