Oklahoma County prosecutors say elderly increasingly targeted

Wednesday, October 26th 2005, 5:57 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Prosecutors say elderly Oklahomans increasingly are being targeted for financial crimes by con artists, unscrupulous caretakers and even family members.

Tuesday, Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane announced the formation of a new coalition aimed at preventing these types of crimes.

The Coalition Against Financial Exploitation of the Elderly is a cooperative effort of prosecutors, the Department of Human Services, the Oklahoma Banker's Association and other agencies.

Lane says he's also assigned a special prosecutor to target cases involving financial exploitation.

According to DHS, about 2,100 cases of exploitation of the elderly were reported to the agency last year.