An Auckland lawyer believes the increased accessibility of the internet is putting our elderly population at risk of financial ruin.
Law firm Stainton Chellew believes seniors are becoming more vulnerable from sophisticated internet scams and fraudsters, without adequate protection from the legal system.
It has called for more to be done by law and enforcement authorities when it comes to keeping up with the risks and dangers posed in the digital age.
Partner Henry Chellew said they're seeing more and more internet-related cases come to their attention.
"It's where people have either sailed perilously close to disaster, or in fact have had a disaster, where they've fallen into the clutches of internet scammers."
Chellew said at the moment there's a presumption of everyone being mentally capable and a medical professional has to prove otherwise.
"The problem area that we have is that half way point where people might be mentally competent as far as a doctor is concerned, but they are still a real hazard in terms of having access to bank accounts.
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