It’s also good to stay on top of the latest scams, online scams can be particularly imaginative. “The state of the Scam” is a good article that examines the latest tactics cons are using to try and separate you from your money including the Revenue Canada Tax Refund scam. Click here to view the article.
The Windsor Police keeps a running tab on incident reports which are helpful and can be found here.
And of course the government of Canada has a very comprehensive list of advisories and alerts on frauds and scams. can be found here
A helpful factsheet on elder abuse is available here. And a safety planning checklist for older adults is also available here.
If you’re looking for a bit more fun, you might try testing your fraud IQ by taking this quiz. or watching the government sponsored educational film “fraud files”.
Who to Call?
If you suspect you may know of a fraud or scam notify the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre at 1-888-495-8801 or call the National Call Centre for Phonebusters 1-800-495-8501. If someone comes to your home or tries to impersonate a government or city official, you should make a police report.
The Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (ONPEA) has launched a new free, confidential, province-wide phone service to assist at-risk seniors. The new Seniors Safety Line — 1-866-299-1011 — provides 24 hours a day, seven-day-a-week assistance, in 150 languages.
If you life outside of Ontario, the government of Canada also has a comprehensive directory of services and programs addressing the needs of older adult victims of violence throughout Canada where you will find something local. The directory can be found here
If you have legal inquiries, the Attourney General also offers a Victim Support Line which is a multilingual, toll-free information line providing a range of services to victims of crime. They offer information and referral to support services in your community, pre-recorded information about the criminal justice system and access to information about provincially sentenced offenders. You can also register for automated notification when an offender’s status changes.
You can call the Victim Support Line toll-free at 1-888-579-2888 or 416-314-2447 in the Toronto area. The service is available from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
For more information on elder abuse, you can visit the website of the Canadian Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse. If you are looking for locally available help services you might try contacting the board director closest to your area, they may be able to direct you to the closest available services. Click here for the board of directors contact information.
Kerby Rotary House in Calgaryis the first shelter in North America for
abused seniors. It offers safe, secure shelter to older men or women
over 60 years of age in Calgary and area, who are experiencing family
abuse in their lives. The shelter provides crisis intervention, support,
advocacy, referral, short-term housing and the necessities of daily. Unfortunately there are not enough shelters like Kerby House and specialized services such as this are not yet widely available. You can get in touch with Kerby House by calling (403) 265-0661.
