The Department of Justice on Wednesday released its eighth annual report to Congress on its efforts to combat elder fraud and abuse. The report covers the period from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and was issued by the department’s Civil Division.
According to the department, it pursued nearly 350 criminal and civil enforcement actions involving fraud or abuse that targeted or disproportionately affected older adults. About 96% of the cases were criminal, and 45% involved international schemes.
The cases named 712 defendants who were charged with stealing, or are alleged to have stolen, $4,841,305,931 from 711,353 victims, the department said. Charges are allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The department also said it took part in nearly 1,200 public awareness and training events, which it said reached more than 62 million Americans. It helped organize and took part in the Never Ever Campaign, a public-private consumer education effort about government and business imposter scams. The department said that campaign reached more than 95 million people.
The department said it continued to develop training and resources for state and local prosecutors, law enforcement, victim service providers and elder justice multidisciplinary teams. One example is an online course titled Toolkit for Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services When Called to a Long-Term Care Facility. The department said more than 700 professionals took the course in the first month after its release.
On victim support, the department said organizations funded through the Victims of Crime Act allocated $52 million to elder abuse victim services. It said it also returned millions of dollars to older victims, or froze millions, through a variety of programs.
The department said it is committed to advancing elder justice through enforcement, public awareness, training and support for older victims and their families.
People who are victims of elder fraud, or who know someone who is, can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311, according to the department. More information is available on the department’s Elder Justice Initiative website.