Pa. forms unit to investigate financial crimes against older Pennsylvanians

• Scott LaMar
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  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

Pensioner holding credit card for internet banking and entering in security details. Senior woman making online payments using laptop. Mature woman shopping online with credit card.

Airdate: Tuesday, August 30, 2022

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging will expand a pilot program to form an investigative unit to probe financial exploitation cases involving older adults.

Denise Getgen, Director of Protective Services for the Department of Aging appeared on Tuesday’s Smart Talk, “The thought behind the FAST (Financial Abuse Specialist team) team is to assist the area agencies on aging in completing investigations and then analyzing the data that’s obtained during the investigation to see if we can forward those cases on to law enforcement, to see if we can get justice, whether that’s in the form of criminal remedies or civil remedies and in things like restitution, prosecution, if we can really just return assets to older adults for their use.”

Getgen was asked how older Pennsylvanians are being financially exploited,”The kinds of things we’re seeing are assets, just cash being taken from older adults by people of trust, whether that’s unfortunately, family or caregivers, powers of attorney. It could be removal of cash from bank accounts, multiple transactions using a electronic, transfer of assets or debit cards, that kind of thing. We see a lot, unfortunately, of people transferring things like farms and homes over to themselves for, well under a fair market value.”

Getgen said older people and their families have to be aware of scammers who are trying to con them out of the money as well.

To report suspected financial exploitation or a scam, call 1-800-490-8505.