SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Federal prosecutors in central Illinois are helping to back the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of Illinois is joining the Department of Justice as a whole in observing the day. The department is condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, including financial exploitation.
The central district is playing a role in the Elder Justice Initiative, which is happening across the Department of Justice, by putting together a task force of law enforcement agencies and service organizations in central Illinois. The group's job will be to raise awareness and prosecute criminals who carry out fraud schemes.
A press release said the office's criminal division has been successful in recovering money in some cases. This includes nearly $50,000 elderly individuals sent in a scheme where criminals convinced them a grandchild desperately needed money.
One specific scam the Department of Justice said it is "aggressively prosecuting" involves fraudsters who offer seniors fake COVID-19 test kits and fake assistance to obtain stimulus money and Paycheck Protection Program funds.
“It is a sad reality that senior citizens are at greater risk of becoming isolated and lonely, and the COVID-19 pandemic has escalated these situations to put the elderly at even greater risk for fraud schemes and scams,” said U.S. Attorney John Milhiser. “Criminals use these situations to prey upon those who are least able to fend off their attacks. They use ever more creative techniques to illegally profit and steal hard-earned money from unsuspecting individuals. We must do everything possible to protect our vulnerable population of seniors.”
Milhiser's office said it is possible to halt the transfer of funds and keep money from being lost if victims or family members of victims contact police or their county sheriff's office within 24 to 48 hours of a fraudulent transfer.
The National Elder Fraud Hotline, launched earlier in 2020 by Attorney General William Barr, can be reached at 833-FRAUD-11. Experienced case managers available through the hotline can provide personalized support to help elders and caretakers who believe they are fraud victims.
