U.S. Justice Department releases elder fraud enforcement report

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Justice Dept. elder fraud report

Highlights

The U.S. Department of Justice reports nearly 350 criminal and civil enforcement actions this year targeting elder fraud or abuse, with 96% criminal and 45% international schemes.
Cases name 712 defendants accused of stealing or allegedly stealing $4.84 billion from 711,353 victims, summarizing 12 months of enforcement and elder justice activity.
Victims of Crime Act-funded organizations allocate $52 million to elder abuse victim services, while training initiatives and awareness campaigns reach over 62 million Americans.

Enforcement results and reporting period

As reported by U.S. Department of Justice, the Civil Division’s eighth annual report to Congress says the department pursues nearly 350 criminal and civil enforcement actions this year involving fraud or abuse that targets or disproportionately affects older adults. About 96% of those matters are criminal, and 45% involve international schemes.

The cases name 712 defendants accused of stealing, or alleged to have stolen, $4.84 billion from 711,353 victims. The department says the report summarizes activity across enforcement, victim support, training and other elder justice efforts during the 12-month period.

Awareness campaigns and victim support

The department also conducts nearly 1,200 public awareness and training events, reaching more than 62 million Americans. It helps organize and participate in the Never Ever Campaign, a public-private consumer education effort focused on government and business imposter scams that collectively reaches more than 95 million individuals.

The report says the department continues developing resources for state and local prosecutors, law enforcement, victim service providers and elder justice multidisciplinary teams. It highlights support for an online course, Toolkit for Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services When Called to a Long-Term Care Facility, which draws more than 700 professionals in its first month.

The department says Victims of Crime Act-funded organizations allocate $52 million to elder abuse victim services during the period. It also says various programs help return or freeze millions of dollars for older victims harmed by relatives or strangers.

In our earlier coverage of NAFDAC’s crackdown on counterfeit and non-compliant goods in Nigeria, we detailed how the regulator destroyed unsafe and falsified products worth N22.73 billion in the first eight months of the year. The piece explained that stepped-up inspections and seizures are aimed at tightening oversight of distribution channels, increasing compliance pressure on market participants, and reducing consumers’ exposure to harmful products.

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