DOJ: Elder fraud cases tied to nearly $4.8B in losses, 711,000 victims
WASHINGTON - The Department of Justice pursued nearly 350 criminal and civil enforcement actions involving fraud or abuse that targeted or disproportionately affected older adults during the past year, according to an annual report released Wednesday.
By the numbers:
The cases involved 712 defendants accused of stealing or attempting to steal approximately $4.84 billion from 711,353 victims, the department said. About 96% of the cases were criminal, while 45% involved international schemes.
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The report covers the period from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
The Justice Department also held nearly 1,200 public awareness and training events that reached more than 62 million Americans. It helped organize the Never Ever Campaign, a public-private effort focused on government and business imposter scams that reached more than 95 million people.
What they're saying:
The department said it continued developing training and resources for state and local prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, victim service providers and elder justice teams.
Why you should care:
One new resource was an online training course for law enforcement officers and emergency medical personnel responding to calls at long-term care facilities. More than 700 professionals completed the course during its first month, according to the report.
The department also highlighted efforts to support older victims of abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and fraud. Organizations funded through the federal Victims of Crime Act allocated $52 million for elder abuse victim services during the reporting period.
The Justice Department said it also helped return or freeze millions of dollars for older victims through various programs.
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" The Department stands united in its fight against elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and fraud to improve the quality of life for older Americans," the department said.
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What you can do:
People who believe they or someone they know has been the victim of elder fraud can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 or 833-372-8311.
The Source: The information came from the Department of Justice’s annual report to Congress on efforts to combat elder fraud and abuse, which covers enforcement actions, victim services, public awareness campaigns and training conducted from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. This story was reported from Los Angeles.