Detroit City Wire

DETROIT – Dawn N. Ison, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, joined Chief Issa Shahin of the Dearborn Police Department, Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Inspector in Charge Rodney Hopkins of the United States Postal Inspection Service to recognize World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). Since 2006, WEAAD has promoted awareness and increased understanding of various forms of elder abuse and the resources available to those at risk.

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

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with Dearborn Police, City of Dearborn Senior Services, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the FBI, will hold a town hall meeting to raise awareness about elder abuse—specifically frauds targeting older citizens—on Thursday, June 20, 2024. The event will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Henry Ford Centennial Library located at 16301 Michigan Avenue in Dearborn. Speakers will include U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison and Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin. The town hall is open to both the public and media.

“We want to empower our seniors to recognize fraud,” said United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “We hope that this town hall will arm our seniors with the information they need to protect themselves.”

“Every day, consumers of all ages are bombarded by offers and representations over the phone, across the internet, and through the mail—some legitimate and some not,” stated Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Detroit Division.

Elder abuse involves acts that knowingly, intentionally or negligently cause or create a serious risk of harm to an older person by a family member, caregiver or other person in a trust relationship. This harm may be financial, physical, sexual or psychological.

The Justice Department maintains various programs and initiatives to combat elder abuse. The Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force collaborates with federal and state agencies to investigate and prosecute foreign-based schemes targeting older Americans while providing information on traditional scams like tech support fraud as well as newer schemes such as romance scams.

Some fraudsters use money mules to move proceeds from their illegal activities by preying on their targets' goodwill or financial vulnerability. The Money Mule Initiative aims to identify such activities to disrupt these fraud schemes while helping people recognize and avoid participation.

To assist older individuals and their families in identifying fraudulent activity, the Justice Department provides Senior Scam Alerts detailing tactics used in specific schemes such as Social Security Administration impostor scams where scammers impersonate government administrators; tech support scams involving false computer problem alerts; and lottery scams where victims are falsely informed they have won sweepstakes but must pay fees before claiming prizes.

For more information on elder justice efforts visit the Elder Justice Initiative page.

The Eastern District of Michigan continues collaborating with federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute elder abuse crimes.

Recently settled civil actions in this district are part of broader efforts by the Department of Justice to disrupt international fraud rings targeting U.S. citizens through fake social media profiles.

To report elder fraud contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or visit IC3.gov for more information.