$250,000 to help stop elder fraud

A quarter of a million dollars in federal funding has been allotted for a demonstration project to address the serious and growing problem of crimes involving the financial exploitation of the elderly.
“Identity theft and financial scams are very serious crimes that threaten all of us but they are even more serious when they are deliberately targeted at those who are the most vulnerable, like our seniors,” Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said. “I am pleased that District Attorney Brown is taking the initiative to develop a new, comprehensive approach to these kinds of crimes and I was happy to help his office secure these funds to help investigate, prosecute, and prevent crimes like identify theft, credit card fraud and telemarketing scams aimed at seniors and the elderly.”
The project is a joint venture of Clinton and District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
“I am grateful to Senator Clinton and her Congressional colleagues for this important initiative,” said Brown. “Elder abuse is a wide-ranging and growing problem across the country – with estimates that as many as 500,000 of our nation’s seniors fall victim to abuse or neglect each year, a significant portion of whom are victims of complex financial exploitation crimes. Like many local prosecutors’ offices, we have found elder abuse prosecutions to be particularly challenging, requiring multi-disciplinary, specialized staffing and expertise. The funding announced today will allow us to develop a model program to address the complex issues posed by financial crimes against the elderly and vigorously prosecute those who exploit our most vulnerable citizens.”
The funding will support the Queens County District Attorney’s project that will provide comprehensive investigative, accounting, prosecutorial services for elderly victims of financial crimes, including telemarketing scams, consumer frauds, credit card fraud, identity theft, caregiver/familial financial crimes, and “stranger” exploitation matters. The program will also provide for intensive victims support services and an active public education and outreach program effort with the goals of preventing the incidence of fraud against the elderly and encouraging those victimized to come forward and seek the help of for law enforcement.