State Attorneys General Announce Elder Fraud Sweep with Justice Department

Washington, D.C. — National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) President and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt joined U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and other law enforcement partners this morning in announcing the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history. The actions charged a variety of fraud schemes victimizing the elderly. Attorney General Schmidt highlighted state cases.

“State attorneys general are continuing our commitment to protect senior citizens by participating in this coordinated effort to prosecute those who have defrauded seniors, said Attorney General Schmidt. “Working together with our federal and local partners, we will remain focused on combating both the physical and financial abuse of seniors, which all too often occurs in the shadows.”

Between 1900 and 2010, the number of Americans age 65 and older grew from fewer than 5 million to more than 40 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Since June 2017, NAAG’s presidential initiative has been “Protecting America’s Seniors: Attorneys General United Against Elder Abuse.” It is a concentrated effort working with attorneys general around the country to help all states gather expertise and build capacity to fight elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. The initiative will culminate in a NAAG Presidential Initiative Summit that Attorney General Schmidt will host in Manhattan, Kan., on April 17-18.

In addition to today’s sweep, state and territory attorneys general have also addressed elder abuse in their jurisdictions by:

• Establishing an Elder Abuse Unit within their office to help state residents;
• Protecting senior citizens from financial exploitation through both education and prosecution;
• Educating seniors and their families on crime prevention and adult bullying; and
• Providing techniques on how to avoid scams and victimization

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