Council Consideration to Better Protect Seniors From Financial Scams
Published on June 17, 2024
District 8 Files Council Consideration Request to Better Protect Seniors From Financial Scams
SAN ANTONIO (June 17, 2024) — In response to the alarming increase of elder fraud crimes nationwide, Councilman Manny Pelaez is urging the City of San Antonio to crack down on these crimes by establishing an elder fraud prevention plan through a Council Consideration Request (CCR). The CCR aims to achieve three main goals:
- Create a city-wide education campaign to help our senior community recognize common scams, seek assistance, and report fraud.
- Create an Elder Fraud Taskforce that works jointly with law enforcement and other agencies to investigate, prosecute, and better understand financial scams targeting older adults.
- Require the City Manager to include elder fraud prevention as a priority in the City of San Antonio’s state and federal legislative agendas.
San Antonio’s older residents are being targeted by criminals from across the globe. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s annual fraud report from 2023, reported theft via fraud in the United States exceeded $10 billion for the first time ever. This figure represents a 14 percent increase compared to the previous year’s report and is five times greater than the losses reported in 2019.
Local data further demonstrates the dramatic rise of fraud in our city. In 2023, the San Antonio Police Department received over 8,000 fraud reports, which outnumbered reported burglary cases.
“San Antonio seniors are in dire need of our support,” Councilman Manny Pelaez said. “Criminals continue to become more emboldened in their strategies through new tactics designed to prey upon the vulnerabilities of our older population. Furthermore, shame and embarrassment can lead to underreporting these crimes. We must empower and equip our elders with the tools needed to protect themselves. At the same time, we must also bring together our law enforcement partners and stakeholders to recommend new strategies designed to stamp out these crimes.”
The Governance Committee will review the CCR at a future date before determining next steps.