Camden, N.J.– Did you know, New Jersey is ranked fifth in the nation for financial losses as a result of fraud committed against victims over the age of 60, according to the FBI’s 2021 overall state statistics? According to data included in the 2021 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Elder Fraud Report, 2,665 NJ fraud victims over the age of 60 saw a total of $87,546,156 in financial losses. The IC3 is a division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that handles suspected internet-facilitated criminal activity.
According to the 2021 IC3 Elder Fraud Report, the number of elderly victims has risen at an alarming rate, while the loss amounts are even more staggering. Nationwide in 2021, over 92,000 victims over the age of 60 reported losses of $1.7 billion to the IC3, representing a 74% increase in losses as compared to reported losses in 2020.
Last month, CCPO Major Crimes Unit Deputy Section Chief Kathleen Covert-Mininno was named as the Designee to the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP) Elder Protection Task Force. The OIFP is responsible for investigating, prosecuting, and deterring insurance fraud and serves as the statewide coordinator for all anti-insurance fraud efforts in New Jersey. With more than 50 detectives and 20 prosecutors, OIFP investigates a wide range of insurance fraud schemes and serves as a clearinghouse for cases referred by the public, insurance companies, the Medicaid Program, and other law enforcement agencies….
