The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division recently released its Annual Report to Congress on its efforts to Combat Elder Fraud and Abuse (www.justice.gov/elderjustice/media/1466131/dl?inline). 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, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
This year, the department pursued nearly 350 criminal and civil enforcement actions involving fraud or abuse that targeted or disproportionately affected older adults. Approximately 96% of the cases were criminal in nature and 45% involved international schemes. These cases named 712 defendants charged with stealing or alleged to have stolen $4,841,305,931 from 711,353 victims.
During that same period, the department also engaged in nearly 1,200 public awareness and training events, reaching over 62 million Americans. The department also helped to organize and participated in the Never Ever Campaign, a public-private coordinated consumer education effort to raise awareness about government and business imposter scams, collectively reaching over 95 million individuals.
The department continued to develop training and resources to support the efforts of state and local prosecutors, law enforcement, victim service providers, and elder justice multidisciplinary teams. This year, the department supported the development of an online training titled “Toolkit for Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services When Called to a Long-Term Care Facility,” with more than 700 professionals taking the course in the first month of its release. The department also continued to actively support older victims, whether harmed by family members or strangers. For example, Victims of Crime Act funded organizations allocated $52 million to elder abuse victim services. The department was also able to return millions to older victims, or freeze millions, through a variety of programs.
The department is committed to advancing elder justice through enforcement, public awareness, resources and training for elder justice professionals, and support for older victims and their families. The department stands united in its fight against elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and fraud to improve the quality of life for older Americans.
For additional information on elder fraud and abuse, visit the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative website at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
If anyone or someone anyone knows has been the victim elder fraud, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833–FRAUD–11or or 833–372–8311.
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