In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg announced that the Justice Department is intensifying efforts to protect seniors from fraudulent schemes that often deplete their life savings. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia has recently prosecuted several individuals involved in such frauds and conducted outreach to educate law enforcement.
“Prosecutors across the country are stepping up the fight against malicious schemes that target older Americans,” said Attorney General Bondi. “We are working with domestic law enforcement and foreign counterparts every day to hold criminals accountable and ensure that justice is done for our seniors both here at home and abroad.”
“Our Office is committed to identifying and prosecuting fraudsters who target elderly citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Hertzberg. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to bring opportunistic scammers to justice and ensure they get the punishment they deserve.”
The approach includes prosecuting criminals involved in elder fraud schemes and engaging with community groups for education on prevention.
Common elder fraud schemes include romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support scams, and grandparent scams.
Recent prosecutions have seen significant outcomes:
In U.S. v. Parikh, et al., Pradip Parikh and Alpesh Patel were convicted for roles in an Indian call center scam targeting elderly victims under false pretenses involving social security numbers.
In U.S. v. Young, et al., Rederic Young and Randolph Leggs pleaded guilty to bank fraud related to a retirement account takeover scheme.
The office also participated in an Elder Abuse Training event attended by more than 125 representatives from various agencies.
The National Elder Fraud Hotline offers assistance for victims of financial fraud aged 60 or older through personalized support from experienced professionals.
For more information on elder fraud protection efforts, resources are available through various Department of Justice platforms including its Elder Justice Initiative webpage.
