Fraud in Ethnocultural Seniors' Communities

The main goals of this study are: (1) to define the scope and nature of fraudulent practices to which older adults from selected ethnocultural communities (namely, Chinese, Hispanic, Portuguese, and South Asian) are exposed; (2) to determine the response of those adults to exploitative practices; (3) to identify those who are at greatest risk; (4) to disseminate the findings. The project included focus group interviews with older men and women in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as with service providers. The findings are similar for all groups: both the nature and scope of fraudulent practices in these communities and the factors contributing to vulnerability closely parallel the experience of Canadian-born seniors. The study concludes with recommendations for fraud prevention.