My parents live together in their marital home. My father has Parkinson's Disease. My mother has a high school education, but it appears that she might have had a learning disability when it comes to language and math skills.

My parents have been the victims of financial exploitation twice. The first time my father clicked on something on the computer which allowed the scammers to take over his computer. He provided them with gift cards to "fix the problem with the computer".

The second time my mother was contacted by phone. The scammers told her that their IP address had been used to look at porn in other countries and that the FBI was investigating them. They told my parents not to tell anyone because if they did whoever they told might be in danger. They told my parents their financial information had been compromised and they would be sending them a check ledger. My mother bought over $12,000 in gift cards and provided those numbers to the scammers.
My mother has gone back to work at 73 as a school bus driver due to the financial damage this scam did to her and my father. My father is a retired federal employee. He is 81 years old. He took early retirement at the age of 55. This second round of financial exploitation has caused them significant financial harm.

Elder abuse, neglect and fraud are horrible actions. The perpetrators prey on vulnerable adults. All forms of elder abuse are horrific. Exploitation or fraud might only appear to affect a person financially, but it does affect them emotionally. There are feelings of embarrassment, shame, self doubt, and other negative thoughts.

My hope is that the Federal Government recognizes the importance of funding adult protective services programs across the US and its territories. This is to respond to adult abuse, neglect and exploitation, as well as educate the public about these horrific acts. Adults deserve to live a life of dignity and respect.