Alison J. Ramsdell, Elder Abuse Awareness, South Dakota 2024

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South Dakota Officials Join Forces to Combat Elder Abuse

SIOUX FALLS – In a bid to raise awareness about the growing concern of elder abuse, U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell has joined forces with national, state, local, and tribal leaders to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15, 2024.

Since 2006, WEAAD has been commemorated to promote awareness and increase understanding of the many forms of elder abuse, as well as the resources available to those at risk.

Highlighting the partnership between law enforcement and the public, U.S. Attorney Ramsdell emphasized the importance of awareness and education. "A recent study found that one in ten older Americans are victims of some form of elder abuse each year," noted U.S. Attorney Ramsdell. In observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the District of South Dakota reaffirms its commitment to working with federal, tribal, state, and local community partners to bring an end to elder abuse in all forms.

Elder abuse is a serious issue that affects millions of Americans, causing financial, physical, sexual, or psychological harm to older individuals. The Justice Department maintains a variety of programs and initiatives to combat elder abuse, including the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force and the Money Mule Initiative.

The Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force marshals federal and state agencies working collaboratively to investigate and prosecute foreign-based schemes that target older Americans. In addition to aggressively investigating the individuals, organizations, and networks responsible for these crimes, this initiative provides the public with information to guard against both traditional scams, like tech support fraud, as well as trending schemes, such as romance scams.

Some common scams that target older Americans include Romance Scams, Social Security Administration Impostor Scams, Tech Support Scams, Lottery Scams, and IRS Scams. The Justice Department provides Senior Scam Alerts with information about the tactics used in specific schemes, helping older individuals and their families identify and avoid fraudulent activity. By working together, we can prevent and combat elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

U.S. Attorney Ramsdell emphasized the importance of community involvement in preventing elder abuse. "We urge everyone to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities," she said. By taking a proactive approach, we can protect our most vulnerable citizens and bring an end to elder abuse in our community.