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SACRAMENTO, CA (June 12, 2012) ” The California Department of Corporations encourages Californians to
observe the 7 Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on Friday, June 15, 2012, by participating in
events around the state and promoting awareness of elder abuse issues by wearing purple that day.
The department will participate in events and resource fairs the week of June 11, including a panel in support of
World Elder Abuse Awareness Month with the Department of Insurance and the US Postal Inspector. This panel will
meet on Thursday, June 14, at the Jackie Robinson Community Center in Pasadena. On Friday, June 15, Department
staff will be present to advise attendees on senior investment scams and/or share materials at the Alpert Jewish
Community Center in Long Beach and the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Hemet. Details on these and other
upcoming events are available at the Department”s Education and Outreach Events Calendar on the website here:
http://www.corp.ca.gov/Consumer/Events.asp.
“As the state”s chief regulator of the investment advisor community, the Department is especially sensitive to the
needs and vulnerability of seniors in California,” said Corporations Commissioner Jan Lynn Owen. “We have special
materials to address senior investment scams, including our Seniors Against Investment Fraud (SAIF) program
which is well-respected and much emulated.”
Seniors Against Investment Fraud (SAIF) alerts and educates Californians over the age of 50 about financial and
investment fraud, scams, and unscrupulous sales practices that specifically target seniors. SAIF provides valuable
information and resources for seniors to make well-informed financial decisions. SAIF is available in English,
Spanish, Chinese and Tagalog and may be ordered in printed books from the Department or downloaded from
http://www.corp.ca.gov/Consumer/SAIF/Pubs/Default.asp.
Many communities and organizations throughout California will issue proclamations declaring June 15, 2012 as
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) and host events designed to raise their communities” awareness of
elder abuse. The first Awareness Day in 2006 involved several hundred organizations and governmental bodies at
international, national, regional, local, community and neighborhood level, in every continent in the world. The day
recognizes the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.
To learn more and to download a free copy of the Community Guide World Day Tool Kit, visit the website of the
International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) www.inpea.net/weaad.html.
The Department of Corporations is California’s investment and financing authority and is responsible for the regulation,
enforcement, and licensing of securities, franchises, off-exchange commodities, investment and financial services, independent
escrows, consumer and commercial finance lending, residential mortgage lending, payday lenders, check sellers, bill payers,
and debt reduction services. Consumers should contact the department to check on the status of the companies, investments or
other services they are considering and the licensing status of the person at the Department’s toll-free Consumer Services Office
at 1-866-ASK-CORP (1-866-275-2677) or at www.corp.ca.gov.
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