WASHINGTON COUNTY — It was his neighbors who went to bat for an elderly Boonsboro man, contacting authorities to report that he had no food or heat in his house and was living in less than sanitary conditions.

When authorities investigated, they learned the man’s estate had been drained of investment accounts worth more than $300,000 and he did not receive $325,000 in proceeds from the sale of his antique car collection, Washington County District Court records allege.

A Hagerstown man and woman to whom the victim had given power of attorney were charged with obtaining property of a vulnerable adult. Their cases are pending.

The predicament of this man, whose name is not being published to protect his privacy, is not an isolated one. Those who work with such cases involving senior citizens say they are concerned about unscrupulous people who offer a range of services to seniors, especially those with financial assets.

Targets for the unscrupulous

Unscrupulous people who know seniors can tend to be trusting have no qualms about taking advantage of them, said John Kenney, program manager of adult services for the Washington County Department of Social Services.

On top of that, seniors who spend a lot of time at home might be isolated and lonely. That could make them open to the attention of a caller or visitor, paving the way for exploitation, Kenney said.

Instances of financial exploitation of the elderly are on the rise locally, Kenney said.

During the 2007-08 fiscal year, Kenney’s office investigated 49 cases involving financial exploitation of the elderly, a number he said he believes was the highest ever for his office.

Kenney’s office investigated 33 cases of financial exploitation in fiscal year 2007, 26 cases in fiscal year 2006, 35 cases in fiscal year 2005 and 26 in fiscal year 2004.

So far in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, his office has investigated 38 cases.

“It’s really running pretty strong,” Kenney said. “It’s a real problem.”

If you combine elder exploitation and neglect cases, Kenney’s office investigated 126 complaints in the last fiscal year and 91 so far in the current fiscal year.

A story about the Boonsboro man was published in The Herald-Mail on Jan. 6. Afterward, three people called the Department of Social Services to notify agency personnel of possible financial exploitation cases involving seniors, Kenney said.

The increasing number of cases might be attributed, at least in part, to people looking for easy money in bad economic times, Kenney said.

Financial exploitation of the elderly is not only accomplished by strangers. Sometimes it is family members who, as an elderly person’s condition deteriorates, take advantage of the situation, Kenney said.

Susan MacDonald, executive director of the Washington County Commission on Aging, said she believes a push to keep people out of nursing homes increases the chances of seniors running into problems.

By mail or phone

Sgt. Paul Kifer of the Hagerstown Police Department said his department has witnessed cases of financial exploitation of the elderly, primarily involving seniors who are taken advantage of through computer, mail and phone scams.

Kifer said he has seen schemes that involve attempts to lure seniors with promises of easy money, but which really are attempts to obtain personal information about the seniors.

“They’re constantly trying to get your information,” Kifer said. “They just keep changing the way they do it.”

For instance, scammers call seniors pretending to be representatives of companies with whom the seniors have credit card accounts, Kifer said.

Another scam involves a caller telling the senior he or she missed jury duty and asking for a Social Security number to verify the identity of the senior, Kifer said.

Once a scam artist obtains a Social Security number, he or she can use the information for a variety of purposes, including opening credit card accounts, Kifer said.

Deceit and loss

Elder financial exploitation cases at the Department of Social Services include stories of deceit and losses in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Kenney recalled a case about four years ago in Hagerstown in which an older woman had a relative who was helping her with her financial affairs.

The woman was fond of the relative, but problems, such as utility bills not being paid, arose, Kenney said.

The relative eventually took out a $90,000 home equity loan on the older woman’s house, but did not make payments on the loan, Kenney said.

In another case, an older man in the Hagerstown area hired a handyman to do repairs around his house. After the handyman realized the victim had trouble with his memory, he started billing him for jobs not finished or only partially completed, Kenney said.

The bills eventually totaled about $40,000, Kenney said.

The first case was prosecuted and resulted in jail time for the offender, and the one involving the handyman was prosecuted and resulted in the handyman paying restitution, Kenney said.

Investigating such cases can be complicated, especially when they involve issues such as finances and loans, Kenney said. When police get involved in investigations like that, they sometimes need accountants to help them, said Lt. Mark Knight of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.

Offering help

While investigators are looking into financial exploitation cases, the Department of Social Services works with the victims to meet their needs and stop further exploitation, Kenney said.

In extreme cases, emergency steps can be taken to get victims into foster care, Kenney said.

“I have seen people that have lost their homes, their life savings,” Kenney said. “It can be substantial.” He said the case involving the Boonsboro man was the worst he has seen in terms of the amount of money involved.

Although officials would not comment on the man’s status, Kenney said he was being cared for in an assisted-living facility in Hagerstown.

Legal vs. moral

When Adult Protective Services workers in Kenney’s department start looking at what appear to be financial exploitation cases involving the elderly, they have to determine how capable the seniors involved are to make such decisions as giving others access to their bank accounts, Kenney said.

Investigators also have to try to determine the intentions of the senior and whether he or she might have been coerced, Kenney said.

In some cases, even when there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, there might be a moral question, he said.

Sometimes, providing help might mean arranging for services such as Meals on Wheels, transportation or disability help, Kenney said.

Other cases end up in court.

Washington County State’s Attorney Charles Strong said his office has been taking on an increasing number of elderly exploitation cases and takes them seriously.

Strong said such cases can be difficult to investigate because elderly victims sometimes have trouble communicating or cannot recall information.

With increasing life spans and the prevalence of age-related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, elderly people are becoming “much more vulnerable,” Strong said.

The National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse Web site (www.preventelderabuse.org) offers the following information about financial elder abuse.

What constitutes financial elder abuse:

• Taking money or property.

• Forging an older person’s signature.

• Getting an older person to sign a deed, will or power of attorney through deception, coercion or undue influence.

• Using the older person’s property or possessions without permission.

• Promising lifelong care in exchange for money or property and not following through on the promise.

• Confidence crimes, or cons, use deception to gain victims’ confidence.

• Scams are fraudulent or deceptive acts.

• Fraud is the use of deception, trickery, false pretense, or dishonest acts or statements for financial gain.

• Telemarketing scams. Perpetrators call victims and use deception, scare tactics or exaggerated claims to get them to send money. They also might make charges against victims’ credit cards without authorization.

Who and why:

Family members, including sons, daughters, grandchildren or spouses, who engage in financial elder abuse might:

• Have substance abuse, gambling or financial problems.

• Stand to inherit and feel justified in taking what they believe is “almost” or “rightfully” theirs.

• Fear their older family member will get sick and use up their savings, depriving the abuser of an inheritance.

• Have had a negative relationship with the older person and feel a sense of “entitlement.”

• Have negative feelings toward siblings or other family members whom they want to prevent from acquiring or inheriting the older person’s assets.

Predatory individuals might seek out vulnerable seniors with the intent of exploiting them. They might:

• Profess to love the older person.

• Seek employment as personal care attendants, counselors, etc., to gain access.

• Identify vulnerable people by driving through neighborhoods (to find people who are alone and isolated) or by contacting recently widowed people they find through newspaper death announcements.

• Move from community to community to avoid being apprehended.

Unscrupulous professionals or businesspeople, or people posing as such, might:

• Overcharge for services or products.

• Use deceptive or unfair business practices.

• Use their positions of trust or respect to gain compliance.

The National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (NCPEA) describes itself as an association of researchers, practitioners, educators and advocates dedicated to protecting the safety, security and dignity of America’s most vulnerable citizens. It was established in 1988 in an effort to achieve a clearer understanding of abuse and to provide direction and leadership to prevent it.

Getting help

There are a number of agencies available to help senior citizens who are being financially exploited.

Help also is available for other vulnerable people, such as those with handicaps, said John Kenney, program manager of adult services for the Washington County Department of Social Services.

Someone suspecting financial or physical exploitation or abuse of an elderly person can call an intake number at the Department of Social Services at 240-420-2155, Kenney said.

When the call involves an emergency situation, a social worker on call is available to respond, Kenney said.

Those needing emergency help on a holiday or a weekend can call 240-420-2222, Kenney said.

The Department of Social Services will respond to nonemergency situations within five days, Kenney said.

An exploitation case is considered an emergency if the victim’s life is considered to be in danger, if the victim’s caretaker is causing serious harm, if the senior is being physically abused or if the victim is living without the necessities to sustain life, Kenney said.

Nonemergencies include many cases of exploitation involving financial problems, Kenney said.

Other examples of situations that usually are not emergencies include self-neglect, living in unsanitary conditions or being unable to keep up with routines such as keeping appointments, Kenney said.

Maryland Access Point

Those trying to figure out what types of help are available can turn to Maryland Access Point (MAP), Kenney said.

MAP is a program that links older people and adults with disabilities from all income levels with local health and support services.

The program was developed by a partnership of community service organizations on behalf of Washington County residents, according to the Washington County Commission on Aging Web site at www.wccoaging.org.

The Web site notes MAP assists Washington County residents by:

• Creating a single point of entry to access resources for lifelong independence.

• Accessing the financial and eligibility processes for local, state and federal programs.

• Offering a “No Wrong Door” connection to appropriate agencies providing benefits or services.

SALT

Senior citizens who are seeking information on how to protect themselves from exploitation and fraud can turn to the SALT Council of Washington County.

SALT, an acronym for Seniors and Law Enforcement Together, provides information and conducts seminars designed to keep seniors safe and to warn them about fraud and exploitation, President Ronald Wayne Taylor said.

Contacts

The following is contact information for those wishing to obtain help for themselves or someone they suspect is a victim of elder abuse or information about avoiding exploitation.

• Washington County Department of Social Services intake number — 240-420-2155

• Washington County Department of Social Services, emergency number for holidays and weekends — 240-420-2222

• Maryland Access Point — 301-790-0275

• Washington County Commission on Aging — 301-790-0275

• SALT of Washington County, Deputy 1st Class James Holsinger — 240-313-2194

Coming Monday

• Making decisions about living arrangements or figuring out who to trust with your financial and medical affairs can be difficult. But there are options.

• Indications that a senior is being taken advantage of.

• Sources that can offer information and assistance for those choosing care facilities or wishing to register complaints.

Coming Tuesday

• Residents of a local retirement community talk about the scams they’ve faced.

• How some scam artists operate.

• Senior citizens who are seeking information on how to protect themselves from exploitation and fraud can turn to a local organization for information and advice.