With sunny weather year-round, a dry climate, and slow-paced small towns nestled into iconic Southwestern scenery, there’s a reason Arizona is the third-most desirable retirement destination in the country.
In fact, one in four Arizona residents is over the age of 60.
Those in their golden years tend to have more gold in the bank than younger people.
But that just makes Arizona seniors a plum target for a slew of financial crimes, including extortion and identity theft.
A study released this month by NiceRx, an online pharmacy and medical clearinghouse based in the United Kingdom, ranked Arizona ninth in the U.S. among states where elder fraud is most rampant. The study is based on data from a 2020 FBI report on elder fraud.
“Elder abuse is a serious problem,” Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a statement. “Older adults may become vulnerable due to isolation, physical or mental disabilities and dependence on others for assistance.”
Since 2020, more than 3,000 Arizona residents over the age of 60 have been defrauded out of more than $27 million, according to the NiceRx study.
Brnovich suspects that the actual number of victims is as many as 6,900, but that “elderly victims are often reluctant to report abuse because they feel ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated, afraid, and may even defend the abuser.”
Three out of four victims of elder abuse in Arizona are white women, like 71-year-old Flora, who was scammed so badly she filed…
