Montana leaders warn of hidden elder abuse, scams in Helena
Helena officials warned that elder abuse often starts as a scam or care failure and can wipe out savings before families notice.
Scams, neglect and financial exploitation can move fast, and Helena leaders said older Montanans are often left exposed until the damage is already done. At a World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event in Helena on June 15, Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance James Brown and Adult Protective Services supervisor Trevor Tangen said elder abuse is frequently hidden, underreported and costly for families.
The warning landed sharply in Lewis and Clark County, where the U.S. Census Bureau estimates 75,331 residents as of July 1, 2025 and says 21.4% are age 65 or older. Federal Justice Department data say more than 10% of adults 65 and older experience some form of elder abuse in a given year, a reminder that abuse is not rare and is often invisible when seniors are isolated or targeted by newer fraud tactics.
Knudsen said seniors spend years building savings and should not lose that money to criminals. Brown warned that scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics, including artificial intelligence, to reach vulnerable people. Tangen said aging is natural but abuse is not, underscoring the state’s message that abuse, neglect and exploitation are not simply private family matters but public safety failures that can take root in homes, care settings and financial accounts.
The Montana Department of Justice said its Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates abuse and exploitation in health-care settings, while the Office of Consumer Protection handles financial exploitation and can steer complaints to the right agency. The Elder Justice Unit supports and coordinates broader work against elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams, and a recent DOJ update said the unit had 12 active cases. For families who suspect Medicaid-facility abuse, the state says to call the Medicaid Fraud Hotline at 800-376-1115; concerns can also go to law enforcement, Adult Protective Services, the Department of Justice or the State Auditor’s Office.
Officials also pointed to the human toll through a public-service campaign featuring Susan Bivins, an Anaconda resident who lost her life savings to a scammer in 2022. National elder-abuse experts say social support is one of the few well-documented protective factors, while social isolation is a risk factor, making the warning especially relevant in a county where so many residents are older and the biggest losses can begin with a missed call, a trusted caregiver or a withdrawal no one questions soon enough.
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