Several financial and law enforcement agencies are teaming up to get the word out about elder fraud and financial scams.
According to the FBI and AARP, Americans who are 50 years and older lost nearly 3 billion dollars to cybercrime in 2021, a 62% increase from the year before. They say to look out for sudden changes in banking activity like frequent ATM withdrawals, wire transactions, gift card purchases, dodgy details about where money is being sent and to whom, and cryptocurrency purchases which these agencies say have exacerbated the problem. If you know of someone who is being exploited or in danger of being exploited, you are urged to contact:
Springfield Police Department (217-788-8311.)
The Adult Protective Services Hotline number to report elder fraud 866 800-1409.
Illinois Attorney General’s Office at 800-243-5377.
Internet-based fraud should be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3, https://www.ic3.gov/Home/FileComplaint.
Additional useful information about elder frauds and scams is available at www.uspis.gov and www.ftc.gov.
