Issue Position: Protecting Seniors

Issue Position

As Attorney General, one of my top priorities is protecting our seniors from fraud and abuse. Our seniors make up the backbone of our communities, our families, and our Commonwealth. Their generation's hard work helped drive the progress and innovation that has made Kentucky what it is today, and they deserve security and safety in retirement. Seniors represent a rapidly growing portion of Kentuckians -- from 2000 to 2010, the number of Kentucky residents age 65 or older grew by nearly 15% or almost twice the growth rate of our Commonwealth's population as a whole. [1]

The AARP has found that individuals age 50 or over are far more likely to be susceptible to fraudulent schemes than younger Americans. [2] The insurance company Metlife estimated that annual financial loss by victims of elder abuse stood at a minimum of $2.9 billion dollars in 2010, up 12% from two years prior, [3] and that over half of instances of fraud were carried out by criminals who were complete strangers to their victims. [4] This is not a reality I can live with.

It is our duty to put a stop to senior fraud and abuse in Kentucky, and helping our seniors become more resistant to scams and illegal activity will be a top priority for me in office.

As Attorney General, I'll establish a dedicated office to support and protect our seniors. This will include a stand-alone unit with dedicated investigators and other personnel that can not only pursue and prosecute crimes against seniors to keep them safe, but will also provide educational programs and scam prevention initiatives to increase awareness and make seniors less of a target.

I will also implement a dedicated senior protection hotline designed for both reporting and preventing scams, abuse, or other crimes against seniors. If a senior has fallen victim to a scam, or even just received a suspicious phone call or email seeking money or personal information, this hotline will provide resources on how best to respond and take next steps. It will also serve as an early warning system for new illegal schemes so seniors can be notified before they are targeted.

We need to do everything we can to protect those most vulnerable among us and as Attorney General, I will use the latest and most innovative approaches to prevent fraud and protect our seniors from abuse.

[1] "The Older Population: 2010." 2010 US Census Briefs, US Census Bureau
[2] "AARP Foundation National Fraud Victim Study." Karla Pak and Doug Shadel, AARP, May 2011
[3] "Crimes of occasion, desperation, and predation against America's elders." Metlife, June 2011
[4] "Crimes of occasion, desperation, and predation against America's elders." Metlife, June 2011

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