Financial Exploitation Research Articles

The Connection of Place, Routine Activity, and Financial Exploitation of Older Adults in a Large Retirement Community

ABSTRACT Financial exploitation of older adults is a rapidly growing social problem, and research in this area has largely focused on individual-level risk factors with the role of the community not considered. Given the rapid expansion of retirement communities across the United States, these areas may be emerging as hotspots for financial exploitation. This study presented officially reported administrative trend data on reported cases of financial exploitation and analyzed focus group and interview data collected from 80 residents of a large retirement community to assess the self-reported role of the community on older adults’ financial exploitation experiences and perceptions of risk. Study participants overwhelmingly expressed that they were targeted for financial exploitation immediately and repeatedly after moving into the retirement community and much more frequently than they had experienced before moving. Participants believed they were seen as vulnerable targets and adequate protection measures were not implemented by the retirement community’s management. Retirement community managers and local criminal justice officials should recognize that residents of retirement communities may be at risk for financial exploitation and implement prevention and response strategies.

Factors associated with financial exploitation in older adults: A systematic review

ObjectivesThis systematic review aimed to identify and analyze factors associated with financial exploitation in older adults. MethodsA comprehensive search strategy was implemented in December 2023, across three major databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus), along with Google Scholar as a search engine, without restrictions on publication year. Quality assessment was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and CONSORT tool. ResultsAmong the initial 985 articles identified, 26 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were conducted in the USA and had a cross-sectional design. Key factors identified included cognitive function, depression and emotional health, physical health, social support and interpersonal relationships, living arrangements, race, and personality traits. ConclusionThis review highlights the complex factors linked to financial exploitation in older adults, with cognitive function, depression, and social support as key predictors. However, inconsistencies in age, marital status, and substance use call for further research. Targeted interventions are essential to reduce the risk of exploitation.

I-MPaFS: enhancing EDoS attack detection in cloud computing through a data-driven approach

Cloud computing offers cost-effective IT solutions but is susceptible to security threats, particularly the Economic Denial of Sustainability (EDoS) attack. EDoS exploits cloud elasticity and the pay-per-use billing model, forcing users to incur unnecessary costs. This research introduces the Integrated Model Prediction and Feature Selection (I-MPaFS) framework to address EDoS attacks. I-MPaFS framework enhances an existing dataset to improve performance, using the generated data to build a Random Forest model for EDoS detection. Our investigation employs the UNSW-NB15, CSE-CIC-IDS18 and NSL-KDD datasets, demonstrating the proposed method’s superiority over existing techniques. The model achieved recall scores of 99.45% on the UNSW-NB15 dataset, 98.19% on the CSE-CIC-IDS18 dataset, and 99.82% on the NSL-KDD dataset, highlighting its reliability and efficacy in safeguarding cloud users from financial exploitation. This study contributes to the field by evaluating current EDoS detection methods, introducing the I-MPaFS framework, validating its performance with benchmark datasets, and comparing its effectiveness against state-of-the-art techniques. The findings affirm the significant potential of I-MPaFS in enhancing cloud security and protecting users from EDoS attacks.

Elder mistreatment and psychological resilience: the moderating role of social support

ABSTRACT This study examines the possible consequence of elder mistreatment on resilience and whether social support moderates this posited association, using a rural sample of 432 community-dwelling older Chinese adults aged 60 to 79 years. Elder abuse included verbal abuse, physical abuse, or financial exploitation. Social support was measured by The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Resilience was represented by a seven-item scale. Hierarchical regression models indicated that mistreatment is significantly related to low levels of resilience when confounding factors are adjusted. A significant interaction term (abuse × social support) was also detected. Mistreated respondents who reported higher levels of social support were less likely to experience low resilience compared to those with lower levels of social support. Social support buffers against the undesirable effect of mistreatment on resilience, especially for those who were abused.

Cross-Validation of the Financial Exploitation Vulnerability Scale

ABSTRACT Objectives The present study is a cross-validation of the Financial Exploitation Vulnerability Scale (FEVS), a measure of contextual risk for financial exploitation. Methods The sample was drawn from both the community and the SAFE program, a service for older adults who have been financially scammed. FEVS was administered within a larger assessment battery. The total score ability to differentiate exploitation groups and its correlates were examined. ROC analysis and logistic regression evaluated the clinical utility of the FEVS to detect exploitation. Results were compared to the initial validation study. Results FEVS score was significantly higher for those who were exploited and correlated with age. ROC analysis revealed adequate detection of financial exploitation. FEVS total score remained a strong predictor of exploitation when compared to demographic factors and several measures of cognitive functioning. Conclusions Cross-validation demonstrates strong evidence that the FEVS detects financial exploitation in older adults, beyond the ability of many known risk factors. Clinical Implications FEVS is an evidence-based tool for identifying exploitation and is accessible to many professionals working with older adults. Items query contextual factors that allow professionals to support clients with the appropriate standard of care.

Age Modifies the Interactive Effect of Loneliness and Social Support on Financial Exploitation Vulnerability in Older Adults.

Social support and loneliness have been identified as important correlates of financial exploitation vulnerability (FEV) in older adults. However, the potential combined effect of these social factors on FEV remains unclear. Moreover, given that social support and loneliness may become more important as age increases, age may have a moderating effect on the loneliness-social support interaction. Participants were 342 community-living Israeli older adults aged 60 or over (M age = 73.37, SD = 7.82, 69.1% female) who responded to questionnaires assessing FEV (Financial Exploitation Vulnerability Scale), perceived social support (The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), loneliness (UCLA Three-item Loneliness Scale), and sociodemographic characteristics. Two hierarchical linear regression models covarying for demographic variables examined study hypotheses. In a first model, a significant interaction between social support and loneliness was discovered such that high levels of perceived social support attenuated the positive loneliness-FEV association. In a second model, a significant three-way interaction between social support, loneliness, and age was discovered. Probing the interaction revealed that the attenuating effect of social support on the loneliness-FEV link increased with increasing age. Findings suggest that effects of social factors on FEV may interact with each other and with age to predict FEV, and provide insights into when social support may be most relevant in mitigating FEV.

Lower entorhinal cortex thickness is associated with greater financial exploitation vulnerability in cognitively unimpaired older adults.

Research suggests that increased financial exploitation vulnerability due to declining decision making may be an early behavioral manifestation of brain changes occurring in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. One of the earliest documented brain changes during the preclinical phase is neurodegeneration in the entorhinal cortex. The objective of the current study was to examine the association between a measure of financial exploitation vulnerability and thickness in the entorhinal cortex in 97 cognitively unimpaired older adults. We also investigated financial exploitation vulnerability associations with frontal regions typically associated with decision making (e.g. dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortices), and additionally examined the interactive effect of age and cortical thickness on financial exploitation vulnerability. Results showed that greater financial exploitation vulnerability was associated with significantly lower entorhinal cortex thickness. There was a significant interaction between age and entorhinal cortex thickness on financial exploitation vulnerability, whereby lower entorhinal cortex thickness was associated with greater financial exploitation vulnerability in older participants. When the group was divided by age using a median split (70+ and <70years old), lower entorhinal cortex thickness was associated with greater vulnerability only in the older group. Collectively, these findings suggest that financial exploitation vulnerability may serve as a behavioral manifestation of entorhinal cortex thinning, a phenomenon observed in suboptimal brain aging and preclinical Alzheimer's disease.

Violence and Abuse Towards Grandparent Kinship Carers in Informal Kinship Care Context

Violence and abuse by grandchildren towards their grandparent kinship carers is an important but under-researched issue. Research evidence on the perceived legitimacy of aged-related myths, beliefs, and witchcraft accusations against older people, especially grandparents, in Ghana and Africa suggest that violence and abuse against grandparent kinship carers could be common. This study explored the types of violence or abuse experienced by grandparent kinship carers, and the meanings grandparents associate with the abuse. Thirty-one grandparents were recruited from four communities in Ghana following a horizontal network sampling approach and interviewed using a qualitative in-depth narrative storytelling strategy. Analysis of the narratives revealed three common types of abuse experienced by the grandparent kinship carers which were perpetrated by children living under their care: (1) insults and verbal abuse, (2) stealing and financial exploitation, and (3) physical threats. However, the grandparents rationalised and justified the abusive behaviours by attributing them to factors within the children’s eco-system, such as friends and household members. The findings highlighted three crucial interrelated factors that underlie these incidents of violence including cultural beliefs around witchcraft, family structural dynamics, and grandparents’ attitudes towards violence. Practical recommendations, including the development of a community normative change program, have been proposed to address violence by grandchildren towards grandparent kinship carers in Ghana.

Strain sebagai pendorong mahasiswa menggunakan pinjol ilegal: Analisis viktimisasi mahasiswa korban pinjol ilegal

Background: The cases range from socialization that requires students to participate in using online loans, to murders with the motive of paying for online loans. Illegal online loans cases continue to push the urgency of research that analyzes why many students become users of illegal online loans. Findings: Although the number of students using illegal online loans continues to increase, the victimization experience of students using illegal online loans is still very little researched. Student status places someone as an academic, someone who is highly educated and has critical and analytical thinking skills. Methods: This study uses a critical criminology method with the use of a qualitative approach to produce strain analysis. This study uses data mining with a qualitative approach with a structured interview methodology. This study also found that the impact of illegal online loans on students is very disruptive to their lives on a large scale and in the long term. Conclusion: Students experience losses from the burden of illegal online loan costs which are very large because financial exploitation through interest and hidden fees is very large due to their limited financial capabilities. The magnitude of financial losses from illegal online loans greatly disrupts students' academic lives. Many students have to drop out of college due to limited funds or because they have to focus on finding income to cover the financial losses from illegal online loan exploitation. The terror, intimidation, threats, and violence experienced by students disrupt their mental and physical health. Students have to live in conditions without security for a long period of time when they become users of illegal online loans. Many students who are victims of illegal online loans suffer from mental disorders that interfere with their ability to live their lives. Long-term student recovery requires psychiatric care that takes a lot of effort, time, and money.

Phishing vulnerability compounded by older age, apolipoprotein E e4 genotype, and lower cognition.

With technological advancements, financial exploitation tactics have expanded into the online realm. Older adults may be particularly susceptible to online scams due to age- and Alzheimer's disease-related changes in cognition. In this study, 182 adults ranging from 18 to 90 years underwent cognitive assessment, genotyping for apolipoprotein E e4 (APOE4), and completed the lab-based Short Phishing Email Suspicion Test (S-PEST) as well as the real-life PHishing Internet Task (PHIT). Across both paradigms, older age predicted heightened susceptibility to phishing, with this enhanced susceptibility pronounced among older APOE4 allele carriers with lower working memory. Additionally, performance in both phishing tasks was correlated in that reduced ability to discriminate between phishing and safe emails in S-PEST predicted greater phishing susceptibility in PHIT. The current study identifies older age, APOE4, and lower cognition as risk factors for phishing vulnerability and introduces S-PEST as an easy-to-administer, ecologically valid tool for assessing phishing susceptibility.

Evektivitas Sanksi Pidana Terhadap Praktik Pengganda Uang

The practice of money multipliers is a common phenomenon in Indonesia. This practice exploits public trust to achieve personal gain. The negative effects of this practice include financial loss and exploitation. Indonesian criminal law has regulated fraud and embezzlement, which can be applied to ensnare money multiplier shamans. However, the effectiveness of criminal law in overcoming this practice is still questionable. However, the effectiveness of criminal law in dealing with this practice is still unclear. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of criminal law on the practice of money multiplier shamans. This study uses a normative legal analysis method using a doctrinal and empirical approach. The results of the study indicate that criminal law has the potential to be an effective instrument in overcoming the practice of money multiplier shamans. However, there are several factors that can hinder the effectiveness of criminal law, such as Lack of public awareness of criminal law, Difficulty in proof. To increase the effectiveness of the law in responding to money multiplier practices, steps are needed such as increasing public awareness of the law, increasing the capacity of law enforcement officers, and strengthening the law enforcement system.

Criminalizing Abuse, Neglect, and Financial Exploitation of Older Adults

The criminalization of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older adults did not begin until the late 1990s in the United States. During this time, a number of states enacted laws criminalizing certain abusive and exploitive behaviors committed against older adults and added punishment enhancements to existing laws if victims were over a certain age. These laws and policies, and the impetus for them, mirrored those enacted decades prior as part of the child welfare movement, with connections drawn between the vulnerability of younger and older victims. Despite passage of these various abuse and exploitation laws for older adults, significant challenges remain in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of crimes committed against this population. Further, the population of older adults has been rapidly expanding along with rates of victimization, elevating the importance of this escalating social problem. This paper identifies limitations in the prior research by describing the past, present, and likely future of U.S. law and policy intended to effectively respond to crimes against older adults and concludes with a research and policy agenda.

Racial Capitalism and Black-White Health Inequities in the United States: The Case of the 2008 Financial Crisis.

Scholars cite racist political-economic systems as drivers of health inequities in the United States (i.e., racial capitalism). But how does racial capitalism generate health inequities? I address this open question within the historical context of predatory lending during the 2008 financial crisis. Relevant hypotheses are tested with multiple waves of data from Black and White participants of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 8,877). Across socioeconomic strata, I find that Black participants report higher rates of foreclosure, eviction, repossession, delinquent bills, lost income, and new debts in the wake of the financial crisis. Using structural equation and quasi-experimental models, I then show that Black participants also self-report rapid health declines and increases in prescription drug abuse throughout this period, much of which is explained by chronic financial stress. I conclude that racial capitalism can generate health inequities by ensnaring Black Americans in a toxic web of financial exploitation and stress proliferation.

Perinatal Economic Abuse: Experiences, Impacts, and Needed Resources.

Introduction: Economic abuse is one form of intimate partner violence (IPV) intended to control a survivor's ability to make, save, or spend money to gain power over them. Perinatal people may be more vulnerable to economic abuse due to changes in employment and finances. This study's aims were to explore how economic abuse manifests among pregnant and parenting survivors and how best to support pregnant and parenting survivors of economic abuse. Methods: We conducted virtual semistructured interviews with IPV survivors and IPV advocates. Participants were recruited through an online recruitment registry, national IPV organizations, and local domestic violence agencies. Interview audiorecordings were transcribed. We used a deductive-inductive thematic analysis approach. Two research team members individually coded each transcript and met to resolve discrepancies in coding. Results: We completed interviews with 18 advocates and 20 survivors. Participants described experiences of financial control, exploitation, and employment sabotage. Partners leveraged the criminal-legal, child welfare, and health care systems and cultural norms about pregnancy, including those related to gender and religion to financially harm survivors. Advocates described how economic abuse impacts marginalized survivors. Dream resources described include cash assistance, healthy relationship and financial education, and employer policies. Discussion: Survivors and advocates reported a variety of experiences with economic abuse during the perinatal period. Future interventions should focus on providing unrestricted cash transfers to survivors, developing education on economic abuse, and creating supportive policies in health care and employment settings. This study highlights the ways that economic abuse specifically impacts perinatal survivors and their children.

“We’re going to tie you to the chair”: the perception of perpetrators and the risk of violence in old age

This article analyses the experiences and perceptions of a sample of people over 60 about the most frequent type of violence in old age, the risk factors, the offenders and the reactions to abuse. A mixed study was carried out with the sequential application of 677 questionnaires and 45 interviews. The results show that older people are mainly victims of psychological abuse and financial exploitation; the type of abuse varies according to the type of aggressor; and that machismo, ageism, mental health problems, addictive behaviours and social isolation are risk factors for violence. Health and justice professionals are perceived as those to whom victims should turn and confide.

Neuropsychological profile associated with financial exploitation vulnerability in older adults without dementia

Objective: Reports of financial exploitation have steadily increased among older adults. Few studies have examined neuropsychological profiles for individuals vulnerable to financial exploitation, and existing studies have focused on susceptibility to scams, one specific type of financial exploitation. The current study therefore examines whether a general measure of financial exploitation vulnerability is associated with neuropsychological performance in a community sample. Methods: A sample (n = 116) of adults aged 50 or older without dementia completed a laboratory visit that measures physical and psychological functioning and a neuropsychological assessment, the Uniform Data Set-3 (UDS-3) and California Verbal Learning Test-II. Results: After covarying for demographics, current medical problems, financial literacy, and a global cognition screen, financial exploitation vulnerability was negatively associated with scores on the Multilingual Naming Test, Craft Story Recall and Delayed Recall, California Verbal Learning Test-II Delayed Recall and Recognition Discriminability, Phonemic Fluency, and Trails B. Financial exploitation vulnerability was not associated with performance on Digit Span, Semantic Fluency, Benson Complex Figure Recall, or Trails A. Conclusions: Among older adults without dementia, individuals at higher risk for financial exploitation demonstrated worse verbal memory, confrontation naming, phonemic fluency, and set-shifting. These tests are generally sensitive to Default Mode Network functioning and Alzheimer’s Disease neuropathology. Longitudinal studies in more impaired samples are warranted to further corroborate and elucidate these relationships.

Successful Aging Through Financial Empowerment (SAFE): Financial Coaching with Older Adult Victims of Financial Exploitation

ABSTRACT Financial exploitation (FE) of older adults is a growing public health problem. Current estimates of financial exploitation show between 5% and 11% of older adults are victimized each year. This study examined an empowerment-centered financial coaching intervention. Program records and participant baseline and follow-up assessment data were used to detail program dynamics and investigate participant outcomes. Most SAFE participants were very satisfied or satisfied (91%) with the services they received. Participants also reported significantly less stress at the six-month follow-up. These findings demonstrate that empowerment-centered financial coaching interventions can successfully address FE in older adult populations.

“You're on your own, kid”: A critical analysis of Australian universities' international student mental health strategies

AbstractMental ill‐health is a serious and growing problem among university students in Australia. Within this cohort, international students are particularly vulnerable. International students in Australia have fewer social rights than domestic students and are at elevated risk of social isolation, exploitation in employment, precarious housing, financial insecurity, and racism and discrimination. When mental health challenges arise, international students are also less likely than their domestic counterparts to access support services. Against the backdrop of this escalating problem, this article presents a critical analysis of Australian universities' policy approaches to international student mental health. We ask: (a) How many universities have such policies publicly available, and (b) how do these policies understand and seek to address the problem of international student distress? Drawing on a documentary analysis of publicly available university mental health strategies, we find that—in the comparatively rare cases where such documents exist—international students' mental ill‐health is generally framed in these documents as an individual concern, placing the onus on individual students to develop “resilience” and/or seek out help. Leveraging theoretical insights concerning the collective production of (mental) health and illness, we caution that this individualisation of student distress naturalises and depoliticises the logics of financial exploitation and neglect that contribute to many international students' mental health problems to begin with.

CHALLENGES OF BRIDE BUYING WOMEN (MOLKI) IN HARYANA

Bride buying, a controversial practice prevalent in certain regions of India, particularly in Haryana, raises significant ethical and social concerns. This paper explores the challenges faced by women who are bought as brides, including social stigma, lack of autonomy, economic dependence, and psychological issues. By examining the cultural and socio-economic context of Haryana, this paper aims to highlight the challenges faced by women purchased for marriage purpose and to understand the impact on the society at large. In the end, some suggestions are also given to provide better living for purchased brides. Bride buying, a practice rooted in socio-economic and cultural complexities, has significant implications for women in Haryana, India. This study explores the multifaceted challenges faced by women who become brides through this transactional system. Central to these challenges are issues of autonomy and agency, as many women are treated as commodities rather than individuals with rights and desires. Economic burdens placed on families often lead to financial exploitation, further ingrained poverty and limiting educational and career opportunities for these women. Additionally, the psychological impacts of bride buying, including feelings of worthlessness and depression, are profound, as societal norms perpetuate stigma and isolation. Legal frameworks aimed at addressing dowry-related practices often fall short, leaving women vulnerable and unprotected. This paper underscores the urgent need for inclusive policy interventions and community awareness programs not only to encounter the challenge of bride buying in Haryana but also promote gender equality and empower women in Haryana.

Harmonising tradition and child welfare: ordination of Buddhist child monks in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, where a majority follows Theravada Buddhism, there are rituals and norms related to the ordination of monks, as well as a process of certification. An 8-year-old male novice monk was presented for clinical forensic examination following an assault at a temple by several other fellow novice monks. Further investigation revealed that this recently-ordained monk did not possess proper certification of ordination and financial exploitation of the young monks’ priesthood status and the alleged assault were suspected. This case discusses several suggestions, including the legal reinforcement of a probationary period, streamlining the registration process, and setting a minimum age for ordination, to safeguard the welfare of child monks while supporting the norms and traditions of priesthood.