GUAM – In a disturbing trend, a growing number of Guam’s elderly population is falling victim to financial exploitation, with scammers preying on their trust and life savings.
According to U.S. Attorney Shawn N. Anderson, the Elder Justice Program has identified several types of elder financial exploitation, including ‘lottery phone scams,’ in which callers convince seniors that a large fee or taxes must be paid before receiving lottery winnings.
Other schemes include ‘IRS imposter scams,’ which defraud victims by posing as IRS agents and claiming they owe back taxes, and ‘inheritance or business opportunity scams,’ which lure victims into believing a business opportunity or inheritance awaits them.
Anderson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Alcantara spoke about these schemes at the ‘2018 Enhancing Judicial Skills in Elder Abuse Cases Workshop,’ organized by Guam Supreme Court Justice F. Philip Carbullido. The workshop was attended by judges from Guam and neighboring islands, law enforcement, and community stakeholders.
The Elder Justice Program, a key priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, aims to strengthen awareness about elder abuse and financial exploitation through education, build law enforcement capacity to respond to elder justice issues, and facilitate prosecution efforts to make the community safer for all.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will be conducting outreach to various senior citizens centers in Guam and the NMI to educate seniors and their families about these schemes and provide resources to prevent financial exploitation.
For more information on the Elder Justice Program, visit https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice
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Key Facts
- State: Guam
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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