Elder fraud cases rose to 61% in 2025, a 3% increase compared to the year prior, the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry announced this past week in a report for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
Ninety-two percent of the perpetrators were family members of the senior citizen who was defrauded, with 48% being the victim’s children and 33% their spouse.
There was also a 26.5% increase in financial exploitation of elders by relatives or other people close to them.
The report also detailed a 39% increase in sexual abuse involving elders, and a 35% leap in violations of their rights, including their autonomy.
These victims were mostly women (67%), and the report specified that the group at highest risk was people above the age of 75.
Further, the report said the public was more aware of the potential for elder abuse.
Over the course of 2025, the public reported 22% more cases of elder abuse than the previous year, the report stated.
There was also a marked increase in cases in which a professional accompanied an elder to file a police report or court filing (50%), cases in which elders requested judicial assistance (37%), and cases in which elders submitted requests for replacement housing and legal aid (24%).
Moreover, treatment centers were expanding their protective measures through legal and judicial action to aid in protecting victims, according to the report.
Welfare Minister calls on public to work against elder abuse
“The Welfare Ministry is working with the best tools at its disposal to detect, prevent, and treat cases of exploitation and abuse of senior citizens, while recruiting additional government agencies,” said Welfare and Social Affairs Minister Haim Katz.
“The data indicate that vigilance and involvement are required. When there is suspicion, there is no room for hesitation,” he added.
“I call on the public to report any potential harm to a senior citizen to the relevant treatment agencies and authorities. We will continue to act decisively against this despicable phenomenon,” Katz said.
Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry Director-General Yinon Aharoni said that “the report reflects the complex reality senior citizens in Israel face, but also the ability of the social services system to identify vulnerabilities and intervene promptly.
“The increase in inquiries from the community, referrals for legal assistance, and the use of tools to protect victims indicates that the ministry’s investment in training, in the development of professional tools, and in raising awareness is bearing fruit,” Aharoni said.
“At the same time, the increase in fraud and economic exploitation requires expanding cooperation with all relevant bodies in order to provide a broader protective shield for the senior population,” he added.
Elder abuse is more than physical violence
Yariv Mann, the head of the Senior Citizens Administration at the ministry, said that the report’s findings emphasized that physical violence was not the only way golden agers could be harmed.
“More and more cases involve economic exploitation and fraud, violation of rights, abuse of trust, and loneliness that increases the risk,” he said.
“The increase in reports from the community proves that the public now better understands the warning signs and knows how to seek help,” according to Mann.
“We will continue to strengthen the detection, treatment, and prevention system, and work together with local authorities, the health system, the police, and civil society organizations to protect senior citizens in Israel,” he said.