7-10-2018
OLYMPIA, Wash. — For this Adult Abuse Prevention Month, the Department of Social and Health Services reports a spike in financial crime against vulnerable adults in Washington.
DSHS says financial exploitation has seen the sharpest increase and now accounts for more than 25% of all their investigations.
The department’s Adult Protection Services investigated nearly 11,000 cases of financial exploitation in 2017, which is almost double the number investigated in 2012.
Adult Abuse Prevention Month aims to raise awareness of the issue and help people spot the signs. These include abrupt changes in a will or other financial documents, sudden appearance of previously uninvolved relatives claiming rights to a vulnerable adult’s possessions, and adding additional names on bank signature cards. For the full list, go here.