Note: Consumer Fraud and the Elderly: The Need for a Uniform System of Enforcement and Increased Civil and Criminal Penalties

Volume 4, Issue 1

Richard A. Starnes

Increasingly, swindlers are targeting the elderly in perpetrative their fraudulent schemes. In his Note, Mr. Starnes approaches this disturbing problem by first examining the variuos methods used to defraud elderly consumers. Next, the author analyzes the current criminal and civil deterrents used to protect elderly consumers and finds them inadequate. Specifically, teh lack of uniformity in laws and enforcement allows crafty swindlers to evade liability. To combat this growing problem, teh author concluded by proposing a uniform system of enforcement and punishment to effectively protect the elderly.