PROVIDENCE – “Every day, this Office sees the financial ruin and emotional devastation inflicted on elderly victims by scams and fraud schemes. The most recent FBI statistics are staggering: in 2021 nearly 100,000 American seniors reported being defrauded by scammers of $1.7 billion dollars. That’s more than just a statistic – it’s a life changing event that many never recover from, and we are determined to leverage our resources to bring to justice those who prey on our elderly and vulnerable friends and neighbors.”

That’s the sobering reality United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha outlined today at the outset of a law enforcement elder fraud investigation and prosecution training program attended by more than sixty members of Rhode Island federal, state, and local law enforcement.

Hosted by the United States Attorney’s Office and the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association, in collaboration with the United States Postal Inspection Service, today’s training program focused on identifying the most common elder fraud scams; utilizing techniques and federal laws to build a case from a one-victim complaint to identifying larger fraud networks; overcoming challenges law enforcement and prosecutors face while investigating and prosecuting elder fraud cases; the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies; and support and resources available for victims of crimes against the elderly.

“Elder fraud consists of financial crimes that target older people’s money or...

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