The United States Attorney's Office in Chicago has marked World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by acknowledging the collaborative efforts with federal, state, and local agencies to highlight the forms of elder abuse and the available resources for those in danger, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office's own press release. Elder abuse, defined as any act causing or posing a grave risk to an older person—be it physical, financial, sexual, or psychological—is most often perpetrated by trusted family members or caregivers.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Morris Pasqual, emphasized the office's pledge to pursue and charge individuals who exploit the elderly, and on this day aimed at raising awareness, the office is calling on seniors and their caregivers to stay alert against fraud, according to their press release. Echoing this commitment, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland revealed in a statement that elder abuse frequently goes unreported, with many victims unnoticed, driving the Department of Justice to actively prosecute these crimes and deliver necessary support to the victims.
In pursuing its mission over the past five years, the Department of Justice has acted on over 1,500 cases linked to elder misconduct; these efforts included financial restitution on a significant scale for the victims of elder fraud. The Northern District of Illinois, in particular, has seen several high-profile prosecutions, such as Chicago businessman Mark Steven Diamond confessing to a fraud charge relating to a scheme defrauding elderly homeowners, he’s due for sentencing on September 4th, and in another instance, authorities impounded around $1.4 million of suspected illegal proceedings in Tether cryptocurrency tied to a tech support swindle targeting older Americans.
To bolster the fight against such abuses, the Department has laid out numerous initiatives. The Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force focuses on prosecuting international fraud targeting American elders, its efforts also encompass enlightening the public on assorted scam tactics, including trending romance scams, according to the Department's Elder Justice Initiative page. Additionally, the Money Mule Initiative aims at disrupting fraud schemes by educating the public about avoiding participation as money mules, where scammers use individuals, often seniors, to transfer illicit funds discreetly. There's also the provision of Senior Scam Alerts that outline the methodologies employed in prevalent cons like Social Security or tech support scams. Those in need of assistance or wishing to report elder fraud can reach out to the National Elder Fraud Hotline or visit the FBI's Elder Fraud Complaint Center by following the links provided in the press release.
