Developing an Intervention to Prevent Repeat Mass Marketing Fraud Victimization Among Older Adults

• In Event: Studies of Elder Abuse/Fraud Prevention and Intervention Programs

Abstract

The Mass Marketing Elder Fraud Initiative (MMEFI) has several key aims: 1. To use administrative records from the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) on victims of mass marketing fraud to understand the nature and frequency of repeat victimization among older adults and the socioeconomic context in which these crimes occur; 2. To develop and test a mailed intervention to be used by the USPIS to reduce rates of repeat victimization from mass marketing fraud; 3. To conduct a randomized control trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention using data on actual victimization experiences. We provide an overview of the MMEFI project and findings to date from the secondary data analysis and initial testing of the intervention materials. We detail the next steps in the project and potential challenges, including lingering impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authors

• Lynn Langton, RTI International

• Marguerite DeLiema, University of Minnesota