EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – With more than 6 million residents in Texas who are considered elderly or disabled, the Texas Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) continues to work to educate the community on crimes against vulnerable populations.
October is Elder Financial Exploitation Awareness Month. Adult Protective Services (APS), a program within DPFS, reports financial exploitation as the act of when a relative or caretaker improperly or illegally uses the money or property of someone who is elderly or has a disability for personal benefit or profit.
“It’s very common, but unfortunately, it’s not reported. I think that there’s a shame factor or there’s a fear factor there. One is I don’t want anybody to know that somebody that I knew took advantage of me. Or two, if somebody gets involved, such as Adult Protective Services, they’re going to put me in a nursing home,” Grace Ortiz, a community engagement specialist with APS, said…