We frequently see news accounts of older adults who have experienced some type of fraud, often losing their life savings. You may have encountered these older adults in the course of your work and seen firsthand the devastating financial and psychological impacts of elder fraud on older adults’ well-being. You may have wanted to help but weren’t sure where to refer older fraud victims.

You can refer older fraud victims to the National Elder Fraud Hotline, supported by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime. The hotline is a no-cost national resource staffed only by professionals who have experience working with older adults.

• Staff are continually updated on the latest scams and can consult with older adults about whether some communication they have received (e.g., text, email, mail) is really a scam.
• Staff are trained to use a nonjudgmental voice.
• Staff make referrals and warm hand-offs for resources and services in the older adult’s local area.
• Further, staff can assist older adults in placing a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a report which has the potential to freeze their funds (although this cannot be guaranteed).

Alert the older adults in your community, and those who love them, that they can reach out to the National Elder Fraud Hotline for all their elder fraud issues. Consider linking to the National Elder Fraud Hotline, disseminating the National Elder Fraud Hotline flyer to members of your community, or creating your own materials using the following information:

If you or someone you know has been a victim of elder fraud,
help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline.

833–FRAUD–11 or 833–372–8311

Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time
English / Español / other languages available

Andy Mao
National Elder Justice Coordinator
U.S. Department of Justice

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