Last month the U.S. Department of Justice announced its largest elder fraud sweep in history of over 250 defendants from around the globe. These defendants had victimized over 1 million Americans, most of whom were elders. Many of the cases involved financial fraud that amounted to losses of more than half a billion dollars.ย Some of the fraud schemes include:ย mass mailing, telemarketing and investment frauds, and individual incidences of identity theft and theft by guardians. A number of cases also involved transnational criminal organizations that defrauded hundreds of thousands of elderly victims, while others involved a single relative or fiduciary who took advantage of an individual victim.
Part of the team work that leads to such a successful massive take down is the interdisciplinary approach of federal agencies, police departments and local organizations like our California Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) working together. Our SMP, and SMPs around the country, educate seniors about Medicare fraud and how to detect, report and protect themselves from all kinds of scams. If you or someone you know suspects identity theft, Medicare fraud or other health care scams, contact our California SMP to report it at 1-855-613-7080.
Read the Department of Justice’s full press release for details on this massive nationwide elder fraud sweep.
