It’s not unusual for the victims of fraud to be elderly. They are often taken advantage of by the people tasked with caring for them. Those people, once convicted of identity theft or fraud against the elderly can face more serious penalties than if the victim were someone else.
A law called the Protections of Disabled Adults and Elder Persons Act can be applied to cases against people who are accused of taking advantage of vulnerable adults. According to this Atlanta Journal Constitution article, the DA in Dekalb is not afraid to charge people under this law when it is applicable.
The article uses an example that sounds like many other cases played out across the country. An elderly man, no longer able to care for himself, hires an aide to assist him in the home. He trusts the aid and doesn’t realize he is being robbed of his money until it is nearly too late.
In the case here police arrested the caregiver, Rukshana Burton and she later pled guilty to taking over $100,000 from 92 year old Harold Williams. Williams states that he would have trusted Burton with his life and was surprised when it was discovered where his money was going, into Burton’s account.
Similar to the laws view on children, it views elderly adults as particularly vulnerable. This means that if you face a fraud charge and the victim is an elderly person in your care, you could face a stiffer penalty.
Although this isn’t uncommon, most fraud cases involve bad checks or credit fraud. These too, however, can carry serious repercussions. Credit card fraud, for instance, can land you a 3 year prison sentence and a felony criminal record.
If you are accused of a white collar crime like fraud or forgery, I may be able to help. Call me today to discuss your case and together we can come up with a solution.