The U.S. Department of Justice recently issued its sixth Annual Report to Congress on its efforts to combat elder fraud and abuse.
The report summarizes the department’s extensive enforcement, victim support, training and myriad other efforts to promote elder justice during the reporting period from July 1, 2023, through June 30.
This year, the department, working with local, state, Tribal and federal partners, pursued over 300 enforcement actions against over 700 defendants charged with stealing nearly $700 million from over 225,000 older victims. These enforcement actions disrupted transnational and domestic fraud schemes targeting older adults through romance, lottery or government impersonation scams; held nursing home operators to account for providing grossly substandard care to their residents; and pursued fraud perpetrators — including financial advisors, caregivers or relatives — who exploited their relationships with older adults for financial gain.
Additionally, the department continued to support victims of elder fraud and abuse. The department returned millions of dollars to victims of elder fraud schemes and worked with financial institutions to freeze over $27 million on behalf of older victims before those funds were transferred to fraudsters. The department bolstered the efforts of state and local organizations, like elder abuse multidisciplinary teams and Elder Justice Coalitions, to better serve older adults, while also supporting over 4,600 victim assistance organizations around the country to provide services to over 200,000 older victims. The department’s National Elder Fraud Hotline also received over 50,000 calls this past year, and helped older victims to
report potential crimes and to locate available resources and services.
Over the past year, the department also conducted nearly 1000 elder justice events and trainings across the country to raise public awareness of elder fraud schemes. For example, the department hosted its first Elder Justice Law Enforcement Summit, which brought together representatives of state and local law enforcement organizations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, to share best practices, tools and resources to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and fraud. Likewise, the department worked closely with various other federal agencies on a coordinated public awareness campaign to highlight the dangers of government imposter scams and to provide tips on how to avoid such scams.
To report elder financial fraud, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline, 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). For additional information on the department’s elder justice activities, visit www.elderjustice.gov.
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