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Video length: 4 min
Abuse of weakness: elderly people targeted by scammers
Seniors are prime targets for scams, as they are for online scams. According to the Fondation de France, 800,000 people over the age of 75 are victims of abuse of weakness each year.
(France 2)
Seniors are prime targets for scams, as they are for online scams. According to the Fondation de France, 800,000 people over the age of 75 are victims of abuse of weakness each year.
Isolated, vulnerable, dependent, elderly people have become a prime target for scammers. The French population is aging, and, mechanically, abuses of weakness are increasing. In 2023, the Paris public prosecutor’s office handled 30% additional procedures. Victims, under the influence, are often unaware of what is happening to them.
“There is the feeling of fear, shame, and then denial”
The Fondation de France estimates that 800,000 people over the age of 75 are victims of abuse and neglect each year. “There is the feeling of fear, shame, and then denial”, explains Élodie Durant, belonging to the 3977 federation against the mistreatment of elderly people. Abuses of weakness remain very difficult to identify. According to the associations, only 10% of cases are reported.
