East Lyme — State Attorney General William Tong, joined by state and local representatives, visited East Lyme Senior Center on Thursday to share personal stories and examples of elder abuse, and to spotlight the importance of calling the Elder Justice Hotline.
Tong stated that the amount of scam activity, financial abuse and physical abuse has increased by 30% year over year.
In an effort to coordinate investigations and resources at the state level, the centralized hotline number, 1-860-808-5555, was introduced to the public in July 2021
“This happens to good people, smart people,” Tong said, sharing that even his own mother was also once a victim of financial abuse that claimed $5,000 of her funds.
The East Lyme event, attended by about 25 seniors, was the first Tong has done in New London County this year on elder justice. Previously he has been to Avon, Simsbury, Torrington, Portland, Stratford, Trumbull and Norwalk. This is the first speaking tour he has done on the topic.
“This happens to people every day across the state,” said Tong, after referencing a recent case of someone scammed by police impersonators who were able to swipe $20,000 in his savings. “Once the money is gone, it’s really hard to get back.”
Tong said many scams are “run almost always from outside the country” using sophisticated technology. He estimated that the national cost of scam activity toward seniors is $36.5 billion.
According to Tong, only 1 in 44 cases of elder financial abuse gets…
