Tag elder

Dear Reader,

Working with the Department of Justice Elder Fraud Initiative and other internal and external partners, the FBI is committed to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting criminals who target seniors. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a key component in this endeavor, as it provides victims a venue to identify the subject and the fraud committed against them.

Through this voluntary submission of information, the IC3 receives and tracks thousands of complaints each day. These complaints contain the details of multiple types of schemes, including romance scams, investment fraud, government impersonation, and tech support fraud.

The number of elderly victims has risen at an alarming rate, while the loss amounts are even more staggering. In 2021, over 92,000 victims over the age of 60 reported losses of $1.7 billion to the IC3. This represents a 74 percent increase in losses over losses reported in 2020.

As a result of these trends and the emphasis by the FBI on protecting our seniors, the FBI is publishing the 2021 IC3 Elder Fraud Annual Report. This information is a companion report to the 2021 IC3 Annual Report released in March 2022. These reports, along with other publications, are available at www.ic3.gov.

The intent of this information is to educate, warn, and protect potential victims of all ages. Highlighting the crimes specifically affecting seniors will it be possible to ensure the necessary emphasis and resources are allocated to address this problem.

For those who unfortunately fall victim to these criminal tactics, please know the information you provide to the FBI is vital in bringing the criminals responsible to justice.

Luis M. Quesada
Assistant Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Criminal Investigative Division

Read the full report here: https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2021_IC3ElderFraudReport.pdf

Dear Reader,

The mission of the FBI is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. This mission includes our efforts to combat financial crimes targeting seniors. The FBI, in alignment with the Department of Justice Elder Fraud Initiative and the efforts of our internal and external partners, is committed to this mission. It is from this commitment to the American people that the FBI provides the public an avenue to report fraud through the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

The IC3 receives and tracks thousands of complaints daily, reported by victims of fraud. This reporting is key to identifying, investigating, and holding those responsible accountable for their actions. Victims of fraud have the option to identify their age range when submitting a complaint to IC3; the information contained in this report is derived from complaints submitted by or on behalf of victims aged 60 and over.

Each year, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of financial fraud or internet scheme, such as romance scams, tech support fraud, and lottery or sweepstake scams. Criminals gain their targets’ trust or use tactics of intimidation and threats to take advantage of their victims. Once successful, scammers are likely to keep a scheme going because of the prospect of significant financial gain.

In 2020, IC3 received a total of 791,790 complaints with reported losses exceeding $4.1 billion. Based on the information provided in the complaints, approximately 28% of the total fraud losses were sustained by victims over the age of 60, resulting in approximately $1 billion in losses to seniors. This represents an increase of approximately $300 million in losses reported in 2020 versus what was reported by victims over 60 in 2019.

To educate the public and provide as much information on the types of frauds targeting seniors as possible, the IC3 is offering its first publication of the 2020 IC3 Elder Fraud Annual Report. This report is a companion report to the 2020 IC3 Annual Report released in March 2021. These reports, along with other publications, are available at www.IC3.gov.

It is only by victims reporting fraud that we can identify trends, educate the public, and support investigations, and nowhere is this more important than crimes against seniors.

Calvin Shivers
Assistant Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Criminal Investigative Division

Read the full report here: https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020_IC3ElderFraudReport.pdf