RICHARD PRUDOMSecretary

Anchor, Multimedia JournalistWCTV

ABBYWALTONIntroduction

Secretary Richard PrudomFlorida Department of Elder Affairs

RICHARDPRUDOM

Secretary Richard PrudomFlorida Department of Elder Affairs

PARTNERS

1-800-96-ABUSE(1-800-962-2873)

1-800-96-ABUSE(1-800-962-2873)

DOEA Initiatives to Alleviate Social Isolation• Project: VITAL

• Joy for All Companion Pets

• Pre-loaded MP3 players

• Restaurant Meal Initiative

Above: Dottie, a senior participant in Project: VITAL.

FSU Credit Union

2019 WEAAD Fraud Prevention Seminar

Secretary Richard PrudomFlorida Department of Elder Affairs

THANK YOUfor joining our webinar in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

Statewide Training CoordinatorAdult Protective Services

HEATHER CONLEYIntroduction

Approximately 1 in 10 Americans aged 60+

have experienced some form of elder abuse

Florida’s Elder Population

• Protecting Vulnerable Adults

– Reporting Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation

– Protective Investigation

– APS Statistical Overview

Adult Protective ServicesChapter 415, Florida Statutes

• Adult Protective Services Act

– “…protect the individual from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. It is the intent of the Legislature to provide for the detection and correction of abuse, neglect, and exploitation…It is intended that the mandatory reporting of such cases will cause the protective services of the state to be brought in to bear in an effort to prevent further abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults…”

Section 415.101(2), Florida Statutes

Vulnerable AdultDefinition

A person age 18 or older whose ability to perform the normal activities of daily living, and/or to provide for his or her own care or protection, is impaired due to a mental, emotional, sensory, long-term physical, or developmental disability or dysfunction, or brain damage, or the infirmities of aging.

Section 415.101(2), Florida Statutes

MaltreatmentsTypes

• Abuse– Any willful act or threatened act by a relative,

caregiver or household member which causes or is likely to cause significant impairment to a vulnerable adult’s physical, mental, or emotional health. Abuse includes acts and omissions.

Section 415.101(2), Florida Statutes

MaltreatmentsTypes

• Neglect– The failure or omission on the part of the caregiver or

vulnerable adult to provide the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the physical and mental health of a vulnerable adult.

– The failure of a caregiver or vulnerable adult to make a reasonable effort to protect a vulnerable adult from abuse, neglect or exploitation by others.

Section 415.101(2), Florida Statutes

MaltreatmentsTypes

• Self Neglect– “Vulnerable adult in need of services” means a

vulnerable adult who has been determined by a protective investigator to be suffering from the ill effects of neglect not caused by a second party perpetrator and is in need of protective services or other services to prevent further harm.

Section 415.101(2), Florida Statutes

MaltreatmentsTypes

• Exploitation– Stands in a position of trust or confidence with a vulnerable adult

and knowingly, by deception or intimidation, obtains or uses, or attempts to obtain or use the adult’s funds, assets, or property with the intent to temporarily or permanently deprive the adult of the use, benefit, or possession of the funds, assets, or property for the benefit of someone other than the vulnerable adult.

Section 415.101(2), Florida Statutes

The Protective InvestigationProcess

• Make contact with the victim within 24 hours of receiving report

• Determine if indicators of abuse, neglect or exploitation

• Assess safety and risk of further harm

• Determine need for services

• Complete investigation within 60 days

Chapter 415, Florida Statutes

Adult Maltreatments Statewide, FY 2018-2019

Maltreatment Frequencies with Findings: Institutional

3

2

1

7

15

25

28

21

57

91

24

14

61

165

200

660

3

1

6

13

26

11

16

23

102

126

47

160

226

159

618

1061

4

10

31

73

80

121

166

189

305

367

547

684

1173

1385

2989

3755

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000

Self Neglect

Internal Injuries

Burns

Asphyxiation

Confinement / Bizarre…

Malnutrition / Dehydration

Death

Substance Misuse

Bone Fracture

Exploitation

Sexual Abuse

Mental Injury

Environmental Hazards

Medical Neglect

Physical Injury

Inadequate Supervision

No Indicators Not Substantiated Verified

Maltreatment Frequencies with Findings: In-home

1

7

17

17

18

46

30

38

47

214

459

137

443

736

880

4399

1

8

13

13

31

69

91

114

89

440

1078

1279

858

1825

1814

5373

19

33

57

57

71

230

294

409

464

1440

2138

2264

2656

4951

5028

5638

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000

Internal Injuries

Burns

Asphyxiation

Death

Bone Fracture

Malnutrition / Dehydration

Sexual Abuse

Substance Misuse

Confinement / Bizarre…

Medical Neglect

Enviornmental Hazards

Mental Injury

Physical Injury

Inadequate Supervision

Exploitation

Self Neglect

No Indicator Not Substantiated Verified

Who are the abusers? In-home Verified Reports

Who are the abusers? Institutional Verified Reports

Prevention Types

• Legislation

• Mandated reporter education

• Empowerment programs for seniors and vulnerable adults

• Public education and awareness

Barriers to ReportingAbuse, Neglect and Exploitation

• Victims– Feel guilty or ashamed– Unable to admit they are victims– Afraid

• Family, Friends and Professionals– Recognizing signs may not be easy– Not sure who to call– Not aware of mandatory reporting requirements

Reporting Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Mandatory Reporting

• Required by F.S. 415.1034– Any person who has reasonable cause to believe that a vulnerable adult is

being abused, neglected or exploited.

• Florida Abuse Hotline (1-800-96-ABUSE)– 24 Hour toll-free hotline– On-line reporting– 47,032 reports alleging adult abuse,

neglect or exploitation in FY 18-19

ReportingHow to report

• Florida Abuse Hotline– 1-800-96-ABUSE (800-962-2873)

• On-line reporting

– https://reportabuse.dcf.state.fl.us/

• Facsimile reporting– 1-800-914-0004

• TDD (Telephone Device for the Deaf)– 1-800-453-5145

How can you help?Mandatory Reporting

• If the victim is in danger of immediate harm call 911

• When in doubt about a situation, make the call and let the Hotline experts decide if an investigation is needed

– Provide specific information – demographics and client location – Relevant collateral sources with contact information – The “w’s”

Heather Conley

Adult Protective Services

850-694-6224

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Questions?

Special Agent in ChargeHHS-OIG Investigations

OMARPEREZ AYBARIntroduction

Section 4(a)(1) of the Inspector General Act provides that it is the duty and responsibility of the Inspector General “to conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits and investigations relating to the programs and operations” of HHS.

Our investigative portfolio protects $1 Trillion + budget spanning over 300 programs.

Office of Investigations

HHS Agencies

Types of Investigations

Criminal

• Paying/Receiving kickbacks

• ID/PII Theft

• Conspiracies to defraud HHS programs

• Grant/Contract fraud

Civil

• Billing for services not rendered

• Billing for medically unnecessary/non-covered services

• Upcoding services

• Door-to-door solicitations

• Cold-calling beneficiaries

• High-visibility locations: store/church parking lots, booths in malls

• Recruiters & marketers –some outside U.S.

• Bait-click ads on the Internet

• Social media ads offering testing, education, medications

How Fraudsters Prey Upon “Benes”

• Feds break up $1.2B Medicare orthopedic brace scam

• Florida executive sentenced to 20 years in prison - $1.3B scheme

• Feds take down alleged $1.7B Medicare gene test fraud that peddled cheek swabs

• Port Charlotte woman sentenced to prison for healthcare fraud

• Gainesville physician and ex-wife sentenced to Federal prison

• Florida eye doctor gets 17 years for Medicare fraud

Examples

• 1-800-HHS-TIPS

• oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud

• National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline, 1-866-720-5721

• justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form

Please Share Any Information You Have

• On behalf of HHS, thank you to Anne Chansler, her team of extraordinary volunteers, and the entire Department of Elder Affairs for all you do to safeguard and advocate for our elders.

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Questions?

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jacksonville FBI Field Office

Special Agent FBIIntroduction

Resources available:

• Elder Justice Public Service Announcement

• https://youtube.be/qBGGAA7Mxbo

• Links for reporting fraud to the FBI

• https://tips.fbi.gov

• www.ic3.gov

• FBI common fraud schemes

• www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes

• Department of Justice tips and tools to avoid scams

• https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/video/introducing-ftc-sams-and-identity-theft-older-adults-tips-and-tools

Resources available, continued:

• National Institute of Justice Overview of Elder Abuse

• https://www.jij.gov/topics//crime/elder-abuse/pages/welcome.aspx

• Department of Justice resources

• https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice

• Elder Exploitation Issues and Trends

• https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/event/suspicious-activity-reports-elder-financial-exploitation-issues-and-trends

• Better Business Bureau

• https://bbb.org/scamtracker/us

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Questions?

U.S. Postal Inspector Team Leader

ADEL VALDESIntroduction

U.S. POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE

COMBATTING FRAUD

• Enforcing the law

• Educating the public

PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION• Shred docs with identifying information

• Check your credit report

• Don’t let mail sit in your mailbox

FOR HELP AND INFORMATION

IdentityTheft.govor call 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338)

TELEMARKETING & MAIL FRAUD• Advance fee or payday loan• Low credit card interest rate• Extended car warranty• Investment• Charitable donation• Free offer• Psychic Reading• Lottery or sweepstakes

LEAD LISTS

ROMANCE SCAMS• Love me

• Help me

• Trust me

• Pay me

Victim: This is the thing I had the most trouble with. I had his pictures in my house for a year. I talked to this guy for so long. Even when I was told it was a scam, my feelings didn’t change. They didn’t go away. Nobody understands that. They’ve brainwashed you.

STOLEN PHOTO SCAMMER

• Keep your personal information private until you’ve met in person

• Turn off location settings on your mobile phone

• Check out the romancer’s image, name, email address

PLAY IT SAFE

Create a FRAUD SAFETY NETfor you and your family

AVOID SALES PITCHES• Don’t enter prize or

sweepstakes drawings

• Avoid free lunch seminars

• Never respond to

internet offers

Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies

Joint task forces

Industry groups

Consumer groups

Universal Postal Union

OUR PARTNERSHIPS

Federal Trade Commission1-877-FTC-HELP or www.ftc.gov

Your local police department

U.S. Postal Inspection Service1-877-876-2455(say “theft” or “fraud”)postalinspectors.uspis.gov

REPORT FRAUD

DeliveringTrust.com

ADEL VALDESTeam LeaderU.S. Postal Inspection Service

Anchor, Multimedia JournalistWCTV

Questions?

Anchor, Multimedia JournalistWCTV

Closing remarks.

Thank You!