Scams on Seniors Remains a Growing Problem
In October 2024 the United State Department of Justice released its Annual Report to Congress on Department of Justice Activities to Combat Elder Fraud and Abuse. Between July 1, 2023 and June 20, 2024 the Department pursued over 300 criminal and civil enforcement actions involving conduct targeted or disproportionately affecting older adults. These cases involved 700 defendants being charged with stealing nearly $700 million from over 225,000 victims.
Description of the actions. Overall more than 30 different types of scams were prosecuted. Approximately one-third of the cases involved foreign scams. The scams with the highest financial losses for older adults, in order, were investment schemes, tech support, business email compromise, romance and government impersonation.
Recognizing scams. The Federal Trade Commissioner offers tips on recognizing scams. Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government and might use a real name by pretending to be calling on behalf of the Social Security Administration or Medicare. Scammers typically try to generate cooperation with scare tactics. They may state you’re in trouble with the government, owe money or have a family emergency. They may even use a phone number which shows up on caller-id for Washington D.C. Scammers will pressure you to act immediately so you don’t have time to think about the call or check out their information. Finally, they will generally insist you pay by using crypto currency, wiring money though MoneyGram or Western Union or using a payment app.
Watch out for the “grandparent scam”. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey obtained an indictment charging sixteen individuals with a scheme to defraud older Americans through this scam. Eleven individuals in the Dominican Republic and five persons from the United States were charged with falsely claiming the victims’ relatives were incarcerated for a traffic accident or other situation and needed money for their release. The callers impersonated defense attorneys, police officers or court personnel and convinced the victims to send money. The FTC suggests to resist the pressure to pay immediately and to contact other family members to check out the story. Moreover, they recommend you should never give your address, personal information or cash to anyone who contacts you.
Who to contact if you have been scanned. You should report the incident to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The Department launched the National Elder Fraud Hotline on March 3, 2020, which is also a critical resource for older adults who may be victims of financial fraud at 833–FRAUD–11.
Description of the actions. Overall more than 30 different types of scams were prosecuted. Approximately one-third of the cases involved foreign scams. The scams with the highest financial losses for older adults, in order, were investment schemes, tech support, business email compromise, romance and government impersonation.
Recognizing scams. The Federal Trade Commissioner offers tips on recognizing scams. Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government and might use a real name by pretending to be calling on behalf of the Social Security Administration or Medicare. Scammers typically try to generate cooperation with scare tactics. They may state you’re in trouble with the government, owe money or have a family emergency. They may even use a phone number which shows up on caller-id for Washington D.C. Scammers will pressure you to act immediately so you don’t have time to think about the call or check out their information. Finally, they will generally insist you pay by using crypto currency, wiring money though MoneyGram or Western Union or using a payment app.
Watch out for the “grandparent scam”. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey obtained an indictment charging sixteen individuals with a scheme to defraud older Americans through this scam. Eleven individuals in the Dominican Republic and five persons from the United States were charged with falsely claiming the victims’ relatives were incarcerated for a traffic accident or other situation and needed money for their release. The callers impersonated defense attorneys, police officers or court personnel and convinced the victims to send money. The FTC suggests to resist the pressure to pay immediately and to contact other family members to check out the story. Moreover, they recommend you should never give your address, personal information or cash to anyone who contacts you.
Who to contact if you have been scanned. You should report the incident to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The Department launched the National Elder Fraud Hotline on March 3, 2020, which is also a critical resource for older adults who may be victims of financial fraud at 833–FRAUD–11.
Lee A. Drizin, Esq. is the founder of Drizin Law and has practiced in Las Vegas for over three decades. His work focuses on probate, estate planning, trusts, and guardianship, with particular experience handling contested probate and administration matters. A UNLV graduate with a Master of Laws in Taxation from Boston University, Lee has built his career helping Nevada families navigate some of the most difficult times in their lives.
