Examining Five Years of the National Elder Fraud Hotline

• In Event: Age and Victimization: Understanding Risk Factors Across the Life-Course

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Justice’s National Elder Fraud Hotline (NEFH), managed by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), provides services to all adults aged 60 and older who may have experienced financial fraud. The hotline, which is staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, was first launched in March 2020 and has received over 185,000 calls. Using five years of call data, we examine trends in fraud types reported by callers, along with characteristics of callers (e.g., age; location). We also explore temporal patterns (e.g., time of day; months out of the year) in call volume to identify times where fraud may be clustering and where individuals are more likely to engage in help-seeking. These results can equip elder justice professionals with knowledge to better understand fraud trends, in addition to providing elders and their loved ones with information that can be used to protect themselves.

Authors

• Darby Potter, ICF

• Jessica Garcia, ICF

• Erica Fissel, ICF

• Alana Henninger, ICF