Hillsborough County agencies share resources for physical, emotional, and financial elder abuse
Preventing elder abuse
Advocates say one of the best lines of defense against elder abuse is education and Bay Area seniors got a crash course on Wednesday. FOX 13’s Ariel Plasencia reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County seniors gathered at the Brandon Senior Center on Wednesday to hear experts share tips and resources for spotting physical, emotional, and financial elder abuse.
"Just because we want to keep them updated, especially with senior scams and artificial intelligence that can lead to financial abuse," Hillsborough County Aging Services general manager and registered nurse Frances Duran Brea said of Wednesday’s event. "So we thought that we can bring in, kind of a panel of experts on each topic."
Different types of threats
What we know:
During the two-hour seminar, around 100 seniors heard from the Senior Connection Center, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County Aging Services, and Empath LIFE.
Representatives from each organization gave tips on how to spot and prevent physical, emotional, and financial abuse targeting older adults.
"Letting them know, hey, sometimes with senior abuse, it may look like a bruise, and it may not be," Brandon Senior Center volunteer Yvonne Miranda said. "So just be careful to look for certain things and to report it."
Tips to avoid scams
Why you should care:
Financial threats are rapidly evolving as scammers use more sophisticated technology to target seniors. Officials warned Wednesday that artificial intelligence is making modern phone and online scams much tougher to spot.
"It's so easy to take your information out there, and they just can hack you big time," Tampa resident Becky Martin, who attended the event, said.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office shared three tips for older residents Wednesday:
- Educate yourselves on the different types of scams so these scams can easily be spotted.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for social media, bank, and other personal accounts.
- Always verify the person who is calling, contacting, or messaging you.
"You really got to be on your toes, and you don't want to answer the phone. And anybody come to the door and say you won something? Yeah, definitely a scam," Martin said.
"I try not to -- you don't click on anything, you know. They said avoid crypto, avoid the gift cards, that's very important," Verna Gigliotti, who volunteers with the Brandon Senior Center and attended Wednesday’s event, said.
What you can do:
Click on the links below for more information:
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
Hillsborough County Aging Services
By the numbers:
According to the FBI, the average reported loss for older victims was more than $38,000 in 2025, with at least 12,400 victims claiming losses of at least $100,000.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from speakers and attendees at the Elder Abuse Prevention Conference held at the Brandon Senior Center on Wednesday, along with data from the FBI.