MIAMI – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has put a bullseye on those who would defraud elderly Americans through its work with the Justice Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force.
In fact, the Strike Force is adding 14 additional U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide, bringing the total to 20. These include U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and New York. USAO-SDFL was one of the first to join in 2019. Since that time, the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations have brought successful cases against the largest and most harmful global elder fraud schemes. These organizations also worked with foreign law enforcement to disrupt criminal enterprises, disable their infrastructure, and bring perpetrators to justice.
“The most common scams that target the elderly include impersonating a government official, robocalls, and sweepstakes,” said Juan Antonio “Tony” Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “Age-related health conditions such as dementia or decreased cognitive function can make it difficult for our senior citizens to detect a scam. Preying upon our elderly population is a shameful thing to do and it’s our job to go after these perpetrators and prosecute them to the fullest.”
And go after them is just what the…
