06/15/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/15/2021 09:43
ATLANTA - Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine joins the entire Department of Justice to observe the 16th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
'One of the Department of Justice's top priorities is investigating and prosecuting elder abuse, as well as helping to educate the public on these issues.' said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. 'Financial exploitation is the most common form of elder abuse and is estimated to cost older adults up to $36 billion annually.'
Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. Elder abuse - an intentional or negligent act that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult - is a serious crime that affects at least 10 percent of older Americans every year. The Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enhancement actions; training and resources; research; victim services; and public awareness.
Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine is joining forces with the U.S. Postal Service, the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia, and the American Bankers Association today to discuss financial fraud scams targeting the elderly and how we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from falling victim. The virtual townhall will be held from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Information for access is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/WEAAD.
As the world takes this day to honor our seniors, the Department of Justice remains committed - through its Department-wide Elder Justice Initiative - to preventing and prosecuting elder abuse.
Regarding prevention, our team routinely engages in community outreach to educate the public on current fraud scams, including by speaking at senior citizen centers, on the radio, and on television. In addition, our office regularly collaborates with our state and local law enforcement partners in the fight against elder abuse.
Our office also is one of seven around the country participating in the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, which focuses on investigating and prosecuting individuals and entities associated with foreign-based fraud schemes affecting American seniors. For example, this past year, our office prosecuted the following:
On the civil side, this office obtained an injunction under 18 U.S.C. § 1345, shuttering foreign scammers' access to a server farm in Florida. The first-ever Section 1345 injunction in this District shut down the robocall scammers' VoIP technology, halting their ability to forward fraudulent calls to U.S. residents. Additionally, this office continues to investigate nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities as part of the Department of Justice Nursing Home Initiative for potential violations of the False Claims Act.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.