The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to protecting older Americans from elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. It highlights this commitment in its recently released 2024 Annual Report to Congress on Department of Justice Activities to Combat Elder Fraud and Abuse.
From July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, “the Department pursued over 300 enforcement actions against more than 700 defendants charged with stealing nearly $700 million from approximately 225,000 victims, reached millions of Americans to warn them about government impersonation scams, and provided services and assistance to over 230,000 older victims and returned over $31 million to them.” — Attorney General Merrick B. Garland
Read the report to learn about important initiatives and efforts by the Department to increase public awareness, build the capacity of the field, arrest and prosecute offenders, support research, support victims, and discover programs that may enhance your organization’s efforts.
Notable OVC and OVC-funded efforts during the reporting period include—
- providing funding to eight new and existing state and Tribal coalitions to identify and address elder justice issues, through the OVC-funded National Center for State and Tribal Elder Justice Coalitions.
- supporting a legal fellowship program that delivers direct legal services to victims of elder fraud and abuse.
- administering the National Elder Fraud Hotline, which received tens of thousands of calls and voicemails. Hotline staff also assisted callers with submitting 4,125 complaint forms.
- providing support for the Elder Justice Initiative’s first National Elder Justice Law Enforcement Summit, which discussed law enforcement best practices for detecting and responding to elder abuse.
“We are grateful to be able to support the dedicated law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and victim service providers, who keep vulnerable older Americans safe from harm, and respond when they are not.” — OVC Director Kristina Rose
The Department will continue to educate the public about crimes against older individuals and ensure that stakeholders from across many disciplines have the tools to ensure the safety of older adults.
To report elder financial fraud, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline, 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). For more information on the Department’s elder justice activities, please visit the Elder Justice Initiative website.