Department of Justice efforts to protect Older Adults

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announce the results of federal efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation.  During the past year, DOJ and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors.  Substantial efforts nationwide have been made over the last year to return money to fraud victims.  Today, DOJ also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.  From September 2021 to September 2022, DOJ personnel and their law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.  In the past year, DOJ has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible to receive money lost through elder fraud scams.  Many of these people were victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. One of the most common scams used to prey on elderly victims is the “grandparent scam,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scam.”  These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member, or someone calling on behalf of a family member.  Victims are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money.  Because these scams and others are pervasive, DOJ is committed to raising awareness about these schemes.  More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.