KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Story courtesy of WVLT) – Two Gatlinburg police officers recently received recognition for solving an elder fraud case that highlights a broader issue impacting older adults across East Tennessee, according to advocates who say financial abuse has reached epidemic levels.
Detective Cindy Myers and Officer Josh Cole were honored by the East Tennessee Elder Justice Coalition for their work investigating an online investment scam that targeted an elderly Gatlinburg resident. The victim was contacted through social media and persuaded to invest in what was presented as a legitimate investment opportunity. Over several weeks, the victim was manipulated into providing increasingly large sums of money, including a significant cash payment made
Philip Gentile with the East Tennessee Elder Justice Coalition said the problem has grown significantly.
“It’s an epidemic right now with the growing older population and the scams that they fall victim to,” Gentile said.
The East Tennessee Elder Justice Coalition said many scams start with criminals building trust online before asking for money. Gentile, who is the chair of the coalition, said those schemes can develop over time.
“Generally it’s Facebook or some social media platform like that where the scammer will befriend them and make them earn their confidence and try to make them believe that they are their friend,” Gentile said. “A lot of times the suspects or the scammers will will take weeks or months to to spend time building a relationship with the older adult.”
Gentile said older adults in Tennessee lose millions of dollars each year to financial exploitation. In Knox County, advocates estimate for every reported case of elder abuse, 22 others go unreported.
“It’s hundreds of millions of dollars, but across the state, it’s probably getting close to a billion dollars,” Gentile said.
One of the fastest growing threats involves cryptocurrency ATMs, according to Gentile.
“Older adults are being told to take cash out of their bank and feed that cash into a cryptocurrency ATM, and those are all over the place right now,” he said. “Losses in Tennessee are about 160 million dollars just with that.”
Dottie Lyvers, director of the Community Action Council Office on Aging, said artificial intelligence is making scams harder to spot.
“People can replicate voices of loved ones,” Lyvers said. “So it’s always good that if you think it is a grandchild or a family member to hang up and call that other family member and find out if that’s true or not.”
Lyvers said families should watch for warning signs like unpaid bills or sudden financial changes and stay actively involved in older relatives’ lives.
“If you suspect elder abuse at all, it must be reported to adult protective services,” she said. “And so a lot of times that is the first line of defense.”
Tennessee law requires suspected elder abuse to be reported to Adult Protective Services.
In the Gatlinburg case, officers intervened before further losses occurred, ultimately leading to the arrest of a suspect on charges related to fraud, theft, and the financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable adult.
Gentile said many victims feel embarrassed or afraid to come forward, especially if a family member may be involved. Others may not realize they’ve been scammed until the money is already gone. He says early reporting is critical to preventing more losses.
Adult Protective Services can be reached at 888-277-8366.
More resources surrounding elder abuse can be found here https://www.knoxcac.org/office-on-aging/.
