Hampshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner is backing a charity campaign to help protect older people from financial abuse.

Michael Lane has joined Action on Elder Abuse in urging older people and their families to learn how to spot the signs.

Data from the charity suggests that as many as 1,679 older people in the Hampshire Constabulary area could be experiencing financial abuse.

Typical financial crimes perpetrated against older people include fraud, forgery or embezzlement, the misuse of proxy decision making powers, doorstep crime such as bogus tradesmen, and postal, phone or internet scams.

Mr Lane, said: “Any form of abuse is unacceptable and we must all do everything we can to help protect those who are most vulnerable. Financial abuse not only strips people of their money it also takes away their, trust and independence.

“We are often vigilant for the signs of other types of abuse and as a result are seeing an increase in reporting. Elder abuse is still happening often unseen or unreported.

“It is therefore vital that we work together to raise awareness of the forms elder abuse can take and how to combat it. This is why I am backing the Action on Elder Abuse campaign. I would urge anyone who is either being abused themselves or suspects a loved one may be at risk to be vigilant and report it to the police.”

The commissioner and Action on Elder Abuse have said that older people can help keep themselves safe by checking bank statements regularly and tracking receipts, reducing how much money can be taken from an account at any one time, having a copy of the bank statement sent to someone trustworthy to check, and limiting the use of ‘chip and pin’ to control money.

Keeping important documents and valuables out of sight, never letting anyone into your home unless you can confirm their identity or they have made an appointment, only booking work on a house through ‘trusted trader’ schemes, and treating anyone asking for your financial details unsolicited with suspicion and noting that banks will never ask you for your account number or pin details are other ways of keeping yourself safe, according to the charity.

If anyone who has concerns they, or someone close to them, are being financially abused, call the confidential helpline on 080 8808 8141.