RALEIGH, N.C. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - North Carolina, Eastern), published as received.

RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Michael Easley joined national, state, and local leaders in recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), which is on June 15. Since 2006, WEAAD has been commemorated to promote awareness and increase understanding of the many forms of elder abuse and the resources available to those at risk.

Highlighting the partnership between law enforcement and the public, U.S. Attorney Easley emphasized the importance of awareness and education. To help build awareness, the office is hosting three community events with Meals on Wheels, AARP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, where elder abuse will be discussed with the public.

“Respecting our elders is a core American value,” said U.S. Attorney Easley. “But too many crooks see our seniors as targets for financial scams. We are prioritizing cases with elderly victims to help stop the frauds and cheats trying to rob our seniors. Learn the signs of elder fraud and abuse. Together, we can give our older generation the respect they deserve.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to investigating individuals who abuse consumer trust and target the elderly and vulnerable individuals because of greed,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Tommy D. Coke of the Atlanta Division. “Postal Inspectors, along with our federal partners, are committed to preventing these bad actors from taking advantage of our elderly population by educating the community with common signs that are indicative of fraud.”

Starting this week, the office is hosting three community outreach events, all open to the public. Media interested in attending should RSVP to the email above and plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early for set up.

  • Raleigh on Tuesday, June 11 at noon, at the Friendship Café [Capital Towers, 4808 Six Forks Road, Bldg. 2].
  • Wake Forest on Wednesday, June 12 at 11:30 a.m., at the Friendship Café - Northern Wake Senior Center [234 E. Holding Ave.].
  • Supply on Monday, June 15 at 1 p.m. at The Brunswick Center at Supply, [101 Stone Chimney Road] This event is co-hosted by Brunswick Senior Resources, Inc.

“Scams and fraud that target older adults remain one of the worst forms of elder abuse. When it comes to fighting back, knowledge is power. We are working together so more people know how to prevent, spot, and report scams. We also want victims to know that they are not alone and free help and support from trained volunteers is available,” said AARP North Carolina Director Mike Olender. “Attempts at the financial exploitation of our elderly population are rampant. The resources and information provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for our seniors will help them discern fraudulent and predatory practices and provides them with the resources to hold any bad actors accountable. This information ensures safer and more empowered financial futures for seniors and destigmatizes seeking help in the event that a senior does fall victim to a financial scam. We want to thank the U.S. Attorney's office for taking the time to present this information to our senior clients.” 

Elder abuse is an act that knowingly, intentionally, or negligently causes or creates a serious risk of harm to an older person by a family member, caregiver, or other person in a trust relationship. Such harm may be financial, physical, sexual, or psychological. In addition to these prosecutions, the Justice Department maintains various programs and initiatives to combat elder abuse.

The Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force marshals federal and state agencies working collaboratively to investigate and prosecute foreign-based schemes that target older Americans. In addition to aggressively investigating the individuals, organizations, and networks responsible for these crimes, this initiative provides the public with information to guard against both traditional scams, like tech support fraud, and trending schemes, such as romance scams.

Using one scam to perpetrate or conceal another, some fraudsters rely on money mules to move the proceeds of their illegal activity. Preying on their targets’ goodwill or financial vulnerability, scammers recruit people, many times older victims, to participate in schemes to move money in ways that avoid notice. The Money Mule Initiative identifies and addresses money mule activity to disrupt these fraud schemes and helps people to recognize and avoid participation in perpetuating fraud.

To help older individuals and their families identify and avoid fraudulent activity, the Justice Department provides Senior Scam Alerts with information about the tactics used in specific schemes. For example, in Social Security Administration Impostor schemes, scammers impersonate government administrators and falsely report suspicious activity to request that the victims provide their Social Security numbers for confirmation. In Tech Support scams, fraudsters contact victims, sometimes through internet pop-up messages, to warn about non-existent computer problems, ask that the victim give them remote access to their computer, and identify a non-existent problem, then demand large sums of money for unnecessary services. In Lottery scams, telemarketers falsely notify victims that they have won a sweepstakes and tell them they must first pay fees for shipping, insurance, customs duties, or taxes before they can claim their prizes.

Please visit the Elder Justice Initiative page to learn more about the department’s elder justice efforts.

To report elder fraud, contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov.