SACRAMENTO, CA – Elder financial abuse is on the rise in Sacramento County, but it remains widely underreported and rarely prosecuted, according to a new report released June 4 by the Sacramento County Grand Jury.
Titled No Equal Justice for Victims of Elder Financial Abuse, the report defines elder financial abuse using California Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) §15610.30, which describes the offense as occurring when a person “takes, secretes, appropriates, obtains, or retains the real or personal property of an elder adult for wrongful use, with intent to defraud, or both.” Under WIC §15610.27, an “elder adult” is defined as anyone age 65 or older.
The 2020 census reported that 16% of Sacramento County residents were 65 or older—a number expected to increase. The Grand Jury noted that by 2026, the county’s population of residents over 65 is projected to exceed that of residents aged 0 to 17.
With this demographic shift has come a surge in financial abuse targeting elders. The Grand Jury investigation found that Sacramento County Adult Protective Services (APS) confirmed nearly 4,000 cases of elder financial abuse between 2019 and 2024. Yet only 123 of those were referred to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution, and just 99 resulted in filed charges.
“This means over 97% of confirmed elder financial abuse cases have gone unprosecuted,” stated Grand Jury Foreperson Elizabeth TenPas in a press release, citing data provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
One major issue, according to the report, is the APS data management system, which the Grand Jury found “is not designed to collect or report consistent information regarding referrals to law enforcement,” creating a gap in accountability.
Other contributing factors include the nature of the abuse itself. The report found that in more than 72% of elder financial abuse cases, the perpetrator is someone trusted by the victim—such as a caregiver, family member, friend, or financial advisor—leading to emotional barriers that prevent many victims from reporting the crime.
Sacramento-based Hackard Law emphasizes the importance of vigilance among loved ones. “In many cases, this is because victims are too embarrassed to seek help or simply are unaware that exploitation has taken place at all,” the firm notes, urging families to watch for red flags such as unpaid bills, sudden changes to estate documents, or missing assets.
While elder financial abuse is a nationwide issue, the Grand Jury report highlights specific shortcomings in Sacramento County’s response. TenPas stated, “Neither the District Attorney nor county law enforcement agencies have dedicated staff specifically trained to investigate and prosecute elder financial abuse.” The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office itself admits that it handles such cases only on “rare occasions.”
To address these deficiencies, the Grand Jury issued several recommendations. Currently, APS employs only 12 social workers focused on elder abuse, just seven of whom hold master’s degrees. The report stresses that financial abuse cases are often more complex than other types of elder abuse and require more specialized expertise. It calls for the hiring of additional, highly qualified social workers to handle such investigations.
In her press release, TenPas outlined additional recommendations from the report on how Sacramento County can address its growing problem of elder financial abuse. These include increased funding to support the hiring of investigators, prosecutors, and victim advocates; the reactivation of a Financial Abuse Specialist Team to improve coordination among agencies; expanded community outreach by APS and related organizations; and other strategic initiatives.
The report highlightsthe severe consequences of elder financial abuse.
Since many seniors live off a fixed income, financial recovery can be nearly impossible once they’ve been exploited. In addition to the psychological and emotional damages that financial abuse can inflict, this investigation maintains that it may force its victims “to cut back on essential expenses such as healthcare, adequate housing, medication and nutritious food, all of which can lead them into a life of poverty.”
