Providence Reporter

PROVIDENCE, RI – U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha joins national, state, local, and Tribal leaders in recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on Saturday, June 15, 2024. Since 2006, WEAAD has been commemorated to promote awareness and increase understanding of the many forms of elder abuse and elder fraud, as well as the resources available to those at risk.

Highlighting the partnership between law enforcement and the public, U.S. Attorney Cunha emphasized the importance of awareness and education.

“Elder fraud and abuse take a devastating toll on families, friends, and neighbors,” remarked U.S. Attorney Cunha. “Whether they deprive seniors of hard-earned financial security or physical safety, this office remains committed not just to prosecuting those who prey on the elderly but to helping friends and family protect their loved ones from the impact of these crimes. I urge Rhode Islanders to educate themselves and learn to recognize the signs of elder fraud and abuse, report them to law enforcement, and help stand up for those they care about.”

Elder abuse is an act that knowingly, intentionally, or negligently causes or creates a serious risk of harm to an older person by a family member, caregiver, or other person in a trust relationship. Such harm may be financial, physical, sexual, or psychological. Elder fraud is the financial exploitation of senior citizens often through scams or frauds targeting their assets. The Justice Department maintains various programs and initiatives to combat elder fraud and abuse.

The Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force marshals federal and state agencies working collaboratively to investigate and prosecute foreign-based schemes that target older Americans. In addition to aggressively investigating individuals responsible for these crimes, this initiative provides information to guard against both traditional scams like tech support fraud as well as trending schemes such as romance scams.

Using one scam to perpetrate or conceal another, some fraudsters rely on money mules to move proceeds from illegal activities. Preying on goodwill or financial vulnerability targets scammers recruit people—often older victims—to participate in schemes moving money unnoticed. The Money Mule Initiative identifies money mule activity disrupting these schemes while helping people recognize participation in perpetuating fraud.

To help older individuals identify fraudulent activity Justice Department provides Senior Scam Alerts with information about tactics used in specific schemes like Social Security Administration Impostor scams where scammers impersonate government administrators requesting Social Security numbers for confirmation; Tech Support scams warning about non-existent computer problems demanding large sums for unnecessary services; Lottery scams falsely notifying victims they've won sweepstakes requiring fees before claiming prizes.

To view/download video message from U.S Attorney Cunha & learn more about District Rhode Island’s & Department Justice’s Elder Abuse Awareness efforts visit District's website at Elder Justice Initiative page.

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