The county, together with the Financial Institutions Team Project, is sponsoring a senior forum at the Santa Clara Convention Center on Aug. 1. The free event will feature workshops on consumer scams, telemarketing, sweepstakes fraud and other scams.

One common scam is the Canadian lottery scam, where elderly victims get telephone calls asking them to send money to claim "winnings" from the Canadian National Lottery.

Jamie Buckmaster, program manager of the county's Adult Protective Services, says elder financial abuse is a growing problem in the county, state and nation. And Willow Glen, with its large elderly community, is not immune.

About a third of the 2,000 abuse reports that the county receives annually are finance-related. Three out four of those financial abuse reports involve elderly victims. But she believes these numbers are just the tip of the iceberg.

"If the financial abuse involves a family member, there might be shame and embarrassment," Buckmaster said. "The senior might also be dependent on the abuser for caregiving."

The growing numbers are worrisome because financial abuse can be devastating. Often losses can't be recouped, leaving elders vulnerable, dependent and often depressed, says Jenefer Duane, CEO and executive director of Elder Financial Protection Network, an organization aimed at preventing financial fraud targeted at seniors.

"The betrayal of trust has an enormous effect on the health and welfare of an elder," Duane said. "The loss of their financial resources can result in elders becoming dependent on state-funded housing care."

According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, victims of financial abuse have a mortality rate three times higher than non-victims, Buckmaster said.

Education through forums is just one way the county is combating the problem.

In 1999, the Department of Aging and Adult Services established the award-winning financial abuse specialist team to respond immediately to incidents of financial abuse and to freeze assets within hours of a report. In its first year, the team recovered or prevented the loss of $56 million in assets and property for Santa Clara county seniors and dependent adults.

In 2002, the department partnered with Star One Union Credit and other financial institutions in the Silicon Valley to form the Financial Institution Team (FIT). Participating credit unions and banks share ideas and experiences through quarterly meetings, which are in turn used to train their employees in financial abuse detection and prevention. Buckmaster also offers training sessions at bank and credit union branches, teaching bank employees to spot tell-tale signs of financial fraud such as unusual changes in a customer's banking patterns, a customer coming in with a new friend who appears to be influencing the transaction, or a customer who acts fearful or unsure.

Another red flag is a sudden interest by caregivers or relatives in the customer's financial holdings or a new friend, especially a much younger person, who appears in an elder's life.

Both Buckmaster and Duane believe banks play a integral role in combating elder financial abuse. Banks are often the front line of defense against elderly fraud scams and are in a position to spot a scam while it's happening, Buckmaster said.

Currently a bill in the state Legislature, SB1018, sponsored by Sen. Joe Simitian, is weaving its way through the state Assembly, that would require bank tellers to inform authorities when they suspect an elderly client is the victim of fraud.

However, the banking industry is fighting it, saying it violates privacy expectations and singles out people 65 and older. Opponents also contend customers could be offended

Buckmaster urged residents to support the bill as it is an extra layer of defense for them against financial fraud.

Banks with branches in Willow Glen, such as Bank of the West, Washington Mutual and Wells Fargo, said their bank employees know to be on the lookout for suspicious activities and have internal procedures in place to report them.

Gary Kishner, a public relations manager for Washington Mutual, said "Our frontline staff does receive training to help them spot and report potential abuses."

John Stafford, spokesman for Bank of the West, believes consumer education is the key to fighting elder financial abuse.

"There are a lot of scammers out there who target the elderly because they think they are an easy to way to make money," he said. "Banks do what they can to mitigate the problem but consumer awareness is key."

Buckmaster is hoping for a good turnout at the senior forum and hopes it can help raise awareness. She has simple advice for seniors who want to protect themselves.

"Don't ever give anyone your personal information over the phone," Buckmaster said. "If it's too good to be true, it's too good to be true. Don't fall for it."

The senior forum will be held Aug. 1 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Pkwy., Santa Clara from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information, call 408.635.1724.

To report suspected financial abuse, call the Santa Clara County Adult Protective Services hotline at 1.800.414.2002.