Justice Department Coordinates Nationwide Elder Fraud Sweep Of More Than 250 Defendants

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester announced today that the Department of Justice, along with many of its law enforcement partners, effected the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history. These cases involved over 250 defendants from around the globe who victimized more than a million Americans, most of whom were elderly. 

The formal announcement was made today by United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions and other federal and state law enforcement leaders. “The Justice Department and its partners are taking unprecedented, coordinated action to protect elderly Americans from financial threats, both foreign and domestic,” said Attorney General Sessions.  “Today’s actions send a clear message:  we will hold perpetrators of elder fraud schemes accountable wherever they are.  When criminals steal the hard-earned life savings of older Americans, we will respond with all the tools at the Department’s disposal – criminal prosecutions to punish offenders, civil injunctions to shut the schemes down, and asset forfeiture to take back ill-gotten gains.  Today is only the beginning.  I have directed Department prosecutors to coordinate with both domestic law enforcement partners and foreign counterparts to stop these criminals from exploiting our seniors.”

U.S. Attorney Kuester said, “Education is a key component to this enforcement effort. We want elderly Americans to be aware of the schemes that are designed to take advantage of them. Educational resources are available and I urge senior citizens, those in public service positions, community leaders, and those who care for elderly relatives to make themselves aware of the various ways criminals are defrauding our seniors. We can all play a role in preventing elder scams.” 

Educational brochures, links, and victim hotline information regarding Financial Scams and Financial Exploitation can be found below and at https://go.usa.gov/xnecU and https://go.usa.gov/xnecm.  Additional information can be found at https://www.elderjustice.gov.