Thu, 2024-06-20

The Bermuda Police Service (BPS), wishes to remind the public of the need to help protect our senior citizens against falling victim to scams in which bad actors take advantage of their vulnerabilities and steal monies from them. This is a form of elder abuse.

As of January 2023 to present, the BPS Financial Crime Unit has investigated 18 cases involving seniors being duped out of approximately one and a half million dollars by online fraudsters. In one instance, a senior lost $250,000. These unscrupulous individuals play on the vulnerabilities of the elderly, leading them to provide their personal information and banking details. There have even been instances where family members have caused seniors to make transactions against their will.

Detective Chief Inspector, Jason Smith, of the Specialist Investigations Unit, said, “The BPS is seeing a rise in the number of such cases being reported. To date, five arrests have been made and two persons have been convicted in the courts for these offences. We want to encourage the public to help protect our seniors by reminding them not to give their personal information to anyone without first verifying that they are from a reputable organization with which they have a bona fide interest. We are also appealing to family members who are aware of other relatives who may be pressuring elders to give money to someone or, trying to trick a senior into signing wills or contracts, to come forward and report these matters to the police.”

“The BPS would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the contributions that our seniors have made to our community and give the assurance that we will continue to do all within our power to ensure their safety and wellbeing, in order that they may enjoy their golden years.”

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