Clare* was caring for her late husband during the final stages of his life, when she hired an advisor to sort out her finances. He claimed to be looking out for her best interests, but instead, Clare nearly lost tens of thousands of dollars to the advisor through a dodgy annuity fund. In doing so, she became yet another victim of elder abuse in Toowoomba.
A call to the Elder Abuse Helpline got Clare in touch with TASC National in Toowoomba. The service helped recover Clare’s money and saved her from paying interest on it. TASC’s social service coordinator, Terri-Ann Dwyer, said the organisation dealt with hundreds of elder abuse cases every year. For Clare, the assistance from TASC was invaluable.
*Not her real name.