new! fraud awareness network

Virtual Peer-to-Peer Program for Survivors of Fraud and Scams

Tuesdays from 10 - 11 am via Zoom or phone

(1) Held weekly, but you can attend as often as you want; (2) participants can remain anonymous; (3) meetings facilitated by Lifespan’s Fraud/Scam Prevention team; (4) participants can live anywhere, not limited to NYS.

For details please email or call: fraudnetwork@lifespanrochester.org; 585-626-0250 or 585-244-8400.

Flyer for sharing with others who may be interested in learning about this new program.

NYS E-MDT Website - fantastic resource Page

Check out the Webinars & Trainings page often for updated calendars listing events of interest - click on each event or scroll below the calendars for brief descriptions and links to register.

New page under tools!
scams | fraud | id theft

Central location for all things SCAM related

grand larceny arrest - power of attorney related!

Read NYS AG Letitia James press release and Times Union article

A few resources & ideas

Financial Exploitation & Neglect PSA Videos: Spoken in Mandarin - subtitled in English, Simplified Chinese & Traditional Chinese. Available to use for education and public awareness.
Link to videos on CBN website
Direct YouTube links - Financial Exploitation video and Neglect video
Developed by Carter Burden Network (CBN) as one of the 2024 NYS Elder Abuse Summit Implementation Projects.

Updated 2-sided flyers: Developed by UpEAC staff for you to personalize - add your contact info or logo. For ongoing reference at any time. Please replace all older versions.
updated WEAAD 2024 Elder Abuse
updated WEAAD 2024 HELPS
updated WEAAD 2024 Scam Free
and updated WEAAD 2024 (11x17) placemat

U.S. DOJ Office of Justice Programs
Elder Abuse Special Feature

Upstate elder abuse center at Lifespan

2025 STOP Scams NY Conference

First-of-its-kind conference addressing rising issue of scams targeting our aging population!
Flyer with details & registration
Registration form

Tues, May 6; 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Albany Marriott, 189 Wolf Road
$50 per person, lunch provided
Register by April 16, 2025
Hotel room group rate ($117) - if needed you must book by April 16

Keynote: Peter Lichtenberg
Experts & Panelists from: AARP, BBB of Upstate NY, FBI, FINRA, NYS OVS, NYS OFA, University at Albany, Niagara Co. Sheriff’s Office, Reliant FCU

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to collaborate, learn, and take action to protect older adults from scams!

Questions, if paying by check, or sponsorship inquiries - contact Emily Rozek, 585-244-8400 x144; erozek@lifespanrochester.org.

NYS OVS 2025 Conference Call for Presentations

The Power of Connection: Strengthening Services, Supporting Survivors
Aug 19-21, 2025 in Albany, NY
Conference details

upeac at lifespan’s nys e-mdt initiative webinar series

April 2, 2025; 10:00 - 11:00 am
Article 81 Guardianship and Elder Financial Abuse

Presenter: Deena Schwartz, Esq.
Details & registration form

OAA reauthorization, plus Keep aps funded in fy 2025
info from NAPSA & EJC

Important - U.S. Senate recently passed reauthorization of Older Americans Act (S.4776). House of Representatives must vote on it before end of Dec. Please contact your Representative.
Reauthorize Older Americans Act

Important - please share stories & data to educate Members of Congress about importance of Adult Protective Services. Important for them to hear not only from APS folks, but also others who work closely with APS, plus from community members.
Contact your Members of Congress

Elder abuse helpline for concerned persons

Flyers with details & statewide contact information - in English, Cantonese, Russian, Spanish.
A service for any concerned person witnessing abuse. See website for more details.

NYS Office for the Aging News

Inside NYS Aging - Great information and lots of important links - events, news, tools from NYSOFA & other partners to support people & organizations working in NYS’s Aging Services Network - form to subscribe to monthly electronic issues. Link to all issues. Oct issue - links to important Sepsis info.

NYS Master Plan for Aging
For more info on the MPA - www.ny.gov/mpa

New York State Coalition on Elder Abuse free Membership information

Membership form (PDF)
Membership form (Word)
Please fill out and return for new memberships or to update your contact information. Thank you.

WHERE you can FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE

Please check for periodic updates.

2021 New York State Elder Abuse Summit - Next Steps
Summit page (under Tools) includes links to webinars, Final Summit Report, Executive Summary, and updates.

NYS Elder Abuse Enhanced Multidisciplinary Teams Initiative (E-MDT)
E-MDT page (under Tools); link to E-MDT website with great information, videos, & other resources.

National Center for State & Tribal Elder Justice Coalitions (NCSTEJC)
NCSTEJC page (Coalitions tab); link to NCSTEJC website with information on the Center, Partners, and Grantees.

Final Rule for APS Regulations
Please go to Helpful Resources & Links page under Tools for details.

Resources, references, websites, information links, etc. - Helpful Resources & Links page (Tools tab).

Recorded programs, handouts, additional information - Recordings page (Events tab).

Past articles, reports, additional information - News and Research & Education pages.

General Archived Information page.

protect ssbg federal funding

Please take a few minutes to contact members of Congress. They need to hear how so very important Social Services Block Grant funding is.

NAPSA Public Policy web page (scroll down for all the info)- for general details and links to SSBG Advocacy Toolkit, Fact Sheet, and easy way to reach out to your Senators and Representatives.
Make a call or email
SSBG Fact Sheet

Another way national, state & local organizations can help. NAPSA is circulating a sign on letter to urge Congressional leadership to protect SSBG.
The letter for your reference - many more signatures added since circulated, including NYS Coalition on Elder Abuse and Lifespan. Please join in this effort - Mon, Mar 31 at 12pm deadline for signing.
Form to use for signing
If you don’t get a chance to sign on to the letter - you can still contact them separately.

swindled savings - nyt article

After They Were Scammed, Another Rude Surprise - Victims owe the I.R.S. on retirement fund money they withdrew to pay fraudsters.

Resources & References:
April 2024 Senate Special Committee on Aging Report

2023 FBI Internet Crime Report

NYT Swindled Savings 5-Part Series
How One Man Lost $740,000 to Scammers Targeting His Retirement Savings (NYT July 2024)

How to Avoid Online Scams & What to Do if You Become a Victim (NYT Aug 2024)

Lured by a Promising Job, He Was Forced to Scam People (NYT Sept 2024)

They’re Giving Scammers All Their Money. The Kids Can’t Stop Them. (NYT Nov 2024)

social work month 2025

Great time to learn and reflect on the profession’s many positive contributions.

2025 Theme: Compassion + Action
NASW for details & activities

office for victims of crime training & technical assistance center - ovc ttac

Great resources for National Consumer Protection Week in March and other important information, webinars, and links.
OVC TTAC website

sage webinar: impact of federal directives - what lgbtq+ older adults need to know

Panel of experts will break down the recent developments and discuss their implications and what resources are available to help.

Thurs, Feb 20; 3:00 - 4:00 pm
Webinar recording of Feb 20, 2025 program. Updates & analysis may no longer be up-to-date given rapid development of proposed policy changes & corresponding lawsuits.
Link to some resources

U.S. DOJ 2024 Annual Report

Department of Justice Activities to Combat Elder Fraud & Abuse
An amazing amount of information in each chapter: Enforcement, Public Awareness, Capacity Building, Victim Support & Recovery, Research - don’t be surprised if some programs sound a little familiar. Be sure to click on all the links to discover even more interesting information.

Important Resources

American Society on Aging webinars
Link for recorded (archived for 60 days) and future webinars.
National Link Coalition
Working together to stop violence against people and animals.
Website
Resource page
NY Crime Victims Legal Network
Partnership of OVS-funded civil legal organizations and victim assistance programs. Link to online resource (NY Crime Victims Legal Help).
National Network of State Elder Justice Coalitions (NNSEJC)
Webpage with information and links to many resources
APS TARC Webinars
Link to recordings & handouts
National Center on Elder Abuse Resource Materials; and FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3
Go to Helpful Resources & Links page.