THANK YOU SPONSORS!!
The inaugural Texas Elder Justice Coalition Summit will be an event not to miss thanks to our sponsors.
We are thrilled to announce a $12,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation! Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $29 million in grants to law-related programs. Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation is the nation’s largest charitably-funded bar foundation.
Additional generous Summit support is provided by:
Mitchell Senior Solutions Agency
WellMed Charitable Foundation
United Way of Tarrant County’s Area Agency on Aging
This funding ensures the Texas Elder Justice Coalition Summit provides a solid program that aligns with our mission, to end financial exploitation of older Texans through education, advocacy, accountability and collaboration with state and community partners, ensuring that older adults age with dignity and financial security.
Thanks again, sponsors!
—
TEJC Summit – – June 10, 2025 – – Fort Worth
One month to register
TEJC Summit Registration Prices increase May 29, 2025, and seats are limited.
In-person registration fee is $100 per person and includes continental breakfast, lunch and refreshment breaks. CE available.
Virtual registration is $100. CE not included.
Registration is discounted 20% for groups of 5 or more.
Scholarships available
A limited number of scholarships are available to cover the cost of registration for the 2025 TEJC Summit, either in person or virtually.
These scholarships aim to increase access for professionals, students, and community members committed to advancing elder justice across Texas.
DUE: Monday, May 5, 2025 by 5pm
Download scholarship form here.
Program highlights
•The state of fraud and financial exploitation
•Best practices for financial institutions: identifying, preventing, and reporting these crimes
•Realities of prosecuting financial exploitation in Texas
•Federal, state, and local resources
•Strategies to safeguard Texas’ growing older population
—
WEAAD across Texas, June 13, 2025
TEJC Older Adult committee is planning for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) events across the state. Current locations include: Houston, Fort Worth, El Paso and Arlington.
Let’s make sure TEJC generates additional visibility for WEAAD across Texas!
The purpose of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.
Tools, tips, events and more are available on the NCEA page at USC.
Our next planning meeting is 12:30pm Tue, May 13 via Teams.
Join us!
Meeting link
Meeting ID: 213 390 619 343
Passcode: hpQ7Xw
Contact dhoffman@guardianshipservices.org for more info.
—
Virtual Currency Kiosks aka Crypto ATMs or Bitcoin ATMs (BTMs)
Detective Jeff Prater, Colleyville Police Department, Federal Task Force Officer, US Secret Service Special Investigations Unit, has been busy warning and informing about the dangers of Crypto ATMs. The photo to the right is the sign Colleyville Police Department installed near Crypto ATMs in Colleyville which has deterred some older adults from depositing funds.
He was also asked to testify in Senate Committee on Business and Commerce Hearing on April 15 about Senate Bill 1705, which is pending in committee and the House Committee on Pensions, Investments & Financial Services on March 24, 2025 about House Bill 2798.
Both bills create protections for individuals who are being scammed. In general, the bills include provisions to report fraudulent transactions, establishes a maximum daily transaction limit for new customers, as well as, mandates on disclosures to costumers including information on fees, exchange rates, operator liability, and refund policies.
You can watch his testimonies in the committee hearings at the links below.
—
TEJC Recordings Available on YouTube
TEJC Jan 2025 Monthly Meeting – Angel Hanzik, Texas Senior Medicare Patrol
Angel discussed the mission of the program, which focuses on combating Medicare fraud through education and outreach, noting that Medicare loses around $60 billion annually to fraud. She emphasized the importance of understanding the distinctions between fraud, error, and abuse, and highlighted the need for prevention, detection, and reporting to mitigate these issues. Angel provided practical advice on protecting Medicare information, including the importance of not sharing Medicare numbers and being cautious of unsolicited calls, which are often scams.
Angel further stressed the necessity for individuals to regularly review their Medicare summary notices and explanation of benefits to identify potential fraud, such as being charged for services not received. He introduced a healthcare tracker tool designed to help users log their healthcare appointments, making it easier to spot discrepancies. In case of suspected fraud, he advised contacting healthcare providers for clarification and reporting suspicious activity to the Texas Senior Medicare Patrol, which offers a confidential hotline for assistance. The discussion also touched on the connection between Medicare fraud and other forms of elder fraud, highlighting the need for collaboration among various agencies to address these issues effectively.
Watch TEJC January 2025 video here.
TEJC Feb 2025 Monthly Meeting – Jason Moon, Federal Trade Commission, Southwest Region
Jason Moon from the FTC, outlined the agency’s role in consumer protection for older adults. He emphasized the importance of education and community engagement in preventing identity theft and other deceptive practices, sharing resources available for seniors, including the “Pass It On” campaign, which focuses on raising awareness about scams.
Jason highlighted the identitytheft.gov website, which offers tailored recovery plans for victims of identity theft and provides financial literacy resources. He noted the prevalence of romance scams targeting seniors and the challenges in prosecuting such cases due to their international nature. Jason also discussed the complexities surrounding cryptocurrency scams and the need for consumer education to help seniors recognize common scam payment methods.
Watch TEJC February 2025 video here.
TEJC Mar 2025 Monthly Meeting –Ann Baddour, M.A., M.P.Aff Director, Fair Financial Services Project, Texas Appleseed
Ann Baddour discussed her work at Texas Appleseed, focusing on consumer protection and elder financial abuse. She outlined key legislative priorities, including a bill to assist victims of coerced debt (House Bill 4238) and efforts to regulate solar panel sales to prevent fraud. (Senate Bill 1036)
She highlighted the alarming rates of payday lending in Texas, where APRs can exceed 500%, and emphasized the need for statewide regulations to combat this issue. Elva Roy recounted her experiences with payday lenders in Arlington and the complications faced by low-income individuals who resort to these loans. Baddour also mentioned the efforts of organizations like the Catholic Church to provide alternative loan options.
Baddour also emphasized the importance of data privacy protections and the need for fair insurance practices for widows and widowers.
Ann shared affordable loan options link: https://www.raisetexas.org/_files/ugd/97fc8b_41d7d4e2f3e04af39b748d60349d6dc4.pdf
Watch TEJC March 2025 video here.
TEJC Apr 2025 Monthly Meeting – Marcela Nava, PhD, MPP, MSSW, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University Texas at Arlington
Dr. Marcela Nava presented on the culturally and linguistically accessible services (CLAS) standards developed by the Office of Minority Health, emphasizing their importance in promoting cultural competence in protecting older adults. She highlighted the complexities of implementing these standards amid current social and political pressures, urging participants to engage in meaningful discussions that prioritize accountability to the communities they serve.
Dr. Nava addressed the pressing challenges facing social work in Texas, particularly the impact of political and social dynamics on equity discussions. She noted the rapid diversification of the aging population and the critical need for conversations that protect professionals while advancing service delivery to all individuals. Additionally, she stressed the importance of hiring individuals with lived experience and training staff in culturally competent care, as well as evaluating organizational practices to ensure alignment with equity principles.
Watch TEJC April 2025 video here.
—
TEJC Introduction Webinar
Looking for an introduction to the Texas Elder Justice Coalition, have questions or want to dig a bit deeper?
Join Dana Hoffman for a 30 minute overview covering the mission, committees and goals of the Coalition.
Share with colleagues who would like to learn more!
Next opportunities are April 29, May 27, and June 24 at 2pm.
Contact dhoffman@guardianshipservices.org for virtual meeting info.
—
National Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Team Summit
The Elder Justice Initiative, in collaboration with the Office for Victims of Crime, will host the first National Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Summit. The goal of the Summit is to advance the elder abuse MDT field beyond systems collaboration toward the adoption of practices that contribute to increasing access to justice for older Americans. Adoption of these practices promotes engagement, provides older victims with a better experience while they are in the system, and contributes to their recovery and well-being long after exiting the system.
The Summit will feature:
Sessions focused on best practices, innovative approaches, and real world solutions
Panel discussions on emerging trends and future needs in the MDT field
Networking event to foster connections and collaboration among participants
Resources to support MDT development and sustainability
Participation is virtual.
Cost
There is no registration fee associated with the Summit.
—
Texas is still #3 in Older Adult Fraud loss, and losses increased from 2023
FTC reports Top Scams of 2024
Even though the number reports of fraud is roughly the same as last year, more people lost a lot more money to fraud.
One in three people (vs. one in four in 2023) who reported fraud said they lost money, adding up to $12.5 billion (up $2.5 billion from 2023). That’s bbbbbbillion with a B!
People lost over $3 billion to scams that started online, compared to approximately $1.9 billion lost to more “traditional” contact methods like calls, texts, or emails.
However, people lost more money per person (a median of $1,500) when they interacted with scammers on the phone.
And, once again, imposter scams topped the list of scams reported.
Here are some other things to know:
• The biggest scam losses happened by bank transfer or payment. Among all payment methods, people reported losing more money through a bank transfer or payment ($2 billion), followed by cryptocurrency at $1.4 billion.
• Investment scams led to big losses. A majority (79%) of people who reported an investment-related scam lost money, with a median loss of over $9,000. The $5.7 billion losses in this category are up about $1 billion from last year.
• People reported losing money more often when contacted through social media. Most people (70%) reported a loss when contacted on a social media platform — and lost more money overall ($1.9 billion).
• Job scams and fake employment agency losses jumped — a lot. Between 2020-2024, reports nearly tripled and losses grew from $90 million to $501 million.
• Younger people lost money more often. People aged 20-29 reported losing money more often than people 70+. But when older adults lost money, they lost far more than any other age group.
The biggest takeaway? Your reports make a difference. If you see a fraud or scam, the FTC wants to hear about it: go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Read the 2024 Data Book for more details and to learn what happened in Texas.
Another fascinating way to look at the data is to go to https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/AgeandFraud/Infographic
You can review by types of fraud and age groups to see how fraud affects every generation differently. Payment method and contact method as well as numbers of episodes as total amounts.
By BCP Staff, March 10, 2025 – with edits and comments by Dana Hoffman
Original article located:
https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/03/top-scams-2024
—
Coalition spreading across Texas
We need your help filling in the geographic holes. Forward this newsletter to your network in the areas without representation.
—
*NEW* LINKED IN GROUP
Click this link to be added to the new linked in group for TEJC. Share and discuss topics privately without the email clutter.
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/10092054/
Upcoming meetings
May monthly meeting:
5/14/2025 2-3pm
Speaker: Robert Mascio, Director, FINRA Investor Education Foundation
June monthly meeting:
6/11/2025 2-3pm
Highlights, Take aways and feedback about TEJC Summit
July monthly meeting:
7/9/2025 2-3pm
Speaker: Shelly Young, Alzheimer’s Association
August monthly meeting:
8/13/2025 2-3pm
Speaker: Zack Wheeler, Great Worth
Click HERE to Join the TEJC Monthly Meeting on Microsoft Teams
Meeting ID: 262 864 068 674
Passcode: LwgXJt
—
Invite your colleagues to join our monthly meetings.
Texas Elder Justice Coalition (TEJC) is dedicated to safeguarding older Texans from financial exploitation and asks individuals and organizations to take the pledge to Stop the Stigma so that older adults, their families, neighbors and caregivers feel safe to come forward and report any instance of suspected fraud or scams as soon as possible.
If you received this newsletter from a colleague and would like to sign up for more information, sign up by visiting https://txelderjustice.org/join-network/
or contact Dana Hoffman at dhoffman@txelderjustice.org
###
