The results are based on a synthesis of existing research and a study of the police records of the city of Essen. As the German population ages, the elderly more frequently fall victim to crimes. The most common offenses include purse thefts, thefts from apartments, fraud, conning, murder, and robbery; at the same time, the number of abused senior citizens in nursing homes continues to grow. The victims are often older women who live alone and whose physical handicaps (vision and hearing problems, movement problems) make it hard to resist the offender. Because of this inherent vulnerability, crimes against the elderly frequently result in serious injury and severe emotional scars including persistent fear and distrust of their environment. To prevent future victimization, public and private organizations must reach out to the elderly to teach them about the nature of these crimes. 11 pages of references