United States Attorney’s Office Recognizes World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

DETROIT - Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, joins the Department of Justice and the Elder Fraud Coordinating Council, along with other government agencies and organizations across the country in recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). WEAAD provides an opportunity for all of us to promote dialogue and action on the issue of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. This year's Elder Justice Coordinating Council's campaign, entitled Never EVER, helps to raise awareness about how to recognize and avoid imposter scams.

Imposters are scammers who pretend to be someone they're not - including government agencies and well-known businesses - to trick you into giving them money, access to your financial accounts, or your personal information. They make up complicated stories about so-called emergencies, so you'll panic and act quickly before you have time to think about what to do or talk to someone you trust.

One common scam starts with an unexpected call from someone who says they're from a well-known business, saying there's suspicious activity on your account. To "help" you, they transfer you to someone who says they're from the government. This so-called helper, who claims to be from the FBI, the FTC, or some other law enforcement agency, urges you to move your money to "protect it" - maybe by transferring it to an account they give you, depositing it in a "government account" or crypto ATM for "safekeeping," or getting cash or gold and giving it to a courier. But it's all a lie. No one from the government will ever ask you to do these things. Only scammers will.

Other lies might involve a "suspended Social Security number" or supposed eligibility for government benefits. In all cases, that scammer will go to great lengths to convince you they're with the government: fake caller ID or official-looking letters, for example. The agency name might be real or made up (but real-sounding), and some scammers might show you an employee ID or badge - all to seem more real. But they're not.

To recognize and avoid a government imposter, keep these things in mind:

•Never ever will someone from the government say: "Your money isn't safe. Move it to protect it." Only a scammer will.

•Never ever will someone from the government threaten to suspend your government benefits if you don't pay immediately. Only a scammer will.

•Never ever will someone from the government demand that you pay with a payment app, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or gift cards.

Talk to someone you trust if you're worried about a problem with your account or identity - especially if the stranger says they're from the government or the situation is serious or involves a crime. Visit ejcc.acl.gov/imposters for more on imposter scams. And if you spot an imposter scam - or any other type of scam - report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Government imposter scams are a serious problem: in 2025, the FTC received more than 375,000 reports about government imposters, with reported losses of $917 million.

The United States Attorney's Office remains committed to protecting our seniors from the growing threat of elder fraud and financial exploitation. As part of that effort, we have reached out to senior citizen groups and community organizations to provide information on common scams, warning signs and steps individuals can take to safeguard themselves and their loved ones. We recently presented to a group of seniors at Congregation Shaarey Zedek and have other presentations planned for this summer. For those senior citizen groups and community organizations interested in having a representative from the U.S. Attorney's Office speak to their group, please contact Public Affairs Officer Gina Balaya at 313-226-9758 or email at [email protected].

To learn more about the department's elder justice efforts please visit the Elder Justice Initiative page. To learn more about who to avoid imposter scams visit ejcc.acl.gov/imposters