Free · Certificate included
Preventing Elder Financial Exploitation
Recognize how older adults are financially exploited — by scammers and by trusted insiders — and respond with dignity and the right report.
What you’ll learn
- Understand what elder financial exploitation is and how widespread and costly it has become
- Recognize that exploitation comes from strangers and scammers AND from family and trusted caregivers
- Spot the behavioral, financial, and situational red flags of exploitation
- Identify the most common scams targeting older adults — grandparent, romance, tech-support, and government-impostor
- Respond appropriately as a volunteer — document concerns, avoid confrontation, and protect the person
- Know where and how to report — Adult Protective Services, the Eldercare Locator, the Elder Fraud Hotline, and 911
- Practice respectful, dignity-preserving prevention that honors an older adult’s autonomy
- Apply your training through realistic, real-world scenarios
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Create a free account →Course outline
- 1
What elder financial exploitation is — and how big it is
A working definition of elder financial exploitation and just how widespread, costly, and underreported it is.
6 min Quiz Interactive - 2
Who does it: strangers, scammers — and trusted insiders
Exploitation comes from two directions — outside fraudsters and the people closest to an older adult.
6 min Quiz Interactive - 3
Recognizing the red flags
The behavioral, financial, and situational warning signs — and why you watch for patterns, not proof.
7 min Quiz Written + interactive - 4
The most common scams targeting older adults
Grandparent, romance, tech-support, and government-impostor scams — how each one works and how to recognize it.
8 min Video Quiz Interactive - 5
How a volunteer should respond
What to do — and what not to do — the moment you suspect an older adult is being exploited.
6 min Quiz Interactive - 6
Where and how to report
The right channels — Adult Protective Services, the Eldercare Locator, the Elder Fraud Hotline, and 911.
6 min Quiz Interactive - 7
Dignity-preserving prevention
Protecting older adults without taking over — honoring autonomy, avoiding paternalism, and building safe habits.
6 min Quiz Written + interactive - 8
Putting it together: prevention in action
Walk through real-world moments and make the right call from first suspicion to report.
5 min Quiz Interactive
Sources & further reading
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Office for Older Americans) — Data Spotlight: Suspicious Activity Reports on Elder Financial Exploitation
- National Center on Elder Abuse (USC / ACL) — Research, Statistics & Data — including red flags of elder mistreatment
- U.S. Department of Justice — Elder Justice Initiative — Senior Scam Alert & the National Elder Fraud Hotline (1-833-372-8311)
- Federal Trade Commission — Protecting Older Consumers: FTC annual report to Congress (2024–2025)
- Federal Trade Commission — Consumer Advice — Government Impersonators & How To Avoid Imposter Scams
- Eldercare Locator (Administration for Community Living) — How to report elder abuse & find local help — 1-800-677-1116
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