the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Senator Declan O’Scanlon’s legislation to protect vulnerable senior citizens and people with disabilities from theft scams passed the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee.
“Seniors have always been prime targets for criminals who prey on their trusting nature and easy demeanor,” said O’Scanlon (R-13). “As technology has developed, it has become easier to find victims and raid their life savings. This can be devastating for people living on fixed incomes.”
O’Scanlon’s bill (S-601) would make the fiscal victimization of a senior or disabled person a crime. Under the measure, a person would be guilty of fiscal victimization for committing, attempting to commit, or conspiring with others to commit theft against a senior citizen or a person with a disability.
“These crimes are becoming more common, and they often go unreported because the victims feel embarrassed or don’t know where to turn,” O’Scanlon noted. “Not only will this bill make it easier for the courts to punish the criminals, it will also shine light on the growing problem and may discourage scammers from exploiting vulnerable residents.”
The crime of fiscal victimization created by the bill would be an additional charge for suspects accused of theft of money or valuables. The new offense would be a crime of the fourth degree, or one degree higher than the most serious underlying crime, and the courts would be authorized to impose separate sentences for each conviction.
Another idiotic bill.
The victimization should be a crime. PERIOD.
Not only a crime if you are a senior or disabled.
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All of this protected class is BS.
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If its a crime for one , its a crime for all.
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You must watch the home health care aides. A lonely old person gets emotionally ‘attached’ to whoever is there most of the time. Its not like they always change their wills, but watch the cash, checkbook and credit card bills. Speaking from experience, my dad, being a vulnerable old man was constantly missing cash until we took that away. Then we saw the health care aide meeting her husband at the food store and filling the trunk of his car with extra food bought on my dad’s credit card. His wishes were to stay in his home, not a nursing home, and we accomodate those wishes. but there are LOTS of opportunities for these dishonest people to rob him financially. Old people do not understand they are being taking advantage of financially vs outright theft. They do not understand the difference between employee and ‘friend’. sad but true. be careful out there