AG Moody Highlights Consumer Protection Resources for Seniors to Recognize National Older Americans and Elder Law Months
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is highlighting available senior protection resources in the Attorney General’s Office in recognition of National Older Americans Month and National Elder Law Month. Protecting the more than 4.2 million seniors living in Florida is one of Attorney General Moody’s top priorities. Attorney General Moody’s Office offers several resources to assist seniors who have been scammed, defrauded or exploited.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Florida is proud of its large senior population and the allure our state has on retirees from across the country. We work hard to protect older Floridians and our stellar reputation as the best place to live out the Golden Years. In recognition of Elder Law Month and Older Americans Month, I am highlighting some of our initiatives and resources designed to protect Florida’s more than four million seniors.”
In 2019, Attorney General Moody established the Senior Protection Team, an intra-agency group of experts working together to fight fraud and assist seniors. The team is comprised of multiple departments, including the Office of Statewide Prosecution, Consumer Protection Division and Medicaid Fraud Control. This team of experts works proactively to identify emerging scams, spot trends and stay ahead of changes in technology used to prey on seniors. The team also consults with outside experts, such as Florida law enforcement, other state agencies, private advocates and stakeholders, in its efforts to assist senior victims. The SPT has obtained more than $2.2 million in recoveries for 154 seniors.
To learn more about the Senior Protection Team, click here.
The Seniors vs. Crime program is another helpful resource for older Floridians. Launched in 1989, the program uses volunteer retired citizens to educate Floridians on consumer fraud and to assist in some consumer investigations. Seniors vs. Crime also conducts seminars about fraud protection. The 2022 Seniors vs. Crime annual report shows that volunteers across 5 regions directly assisted nearly 8,000 consumers, with over 25,000 hours of free service, recovering more than $1.2 million for older Floridians.
For more information about Seniors vs. Crime, please click here.
Attorney General Moody also works to educate seniors about fraud tactics. The Scams at a Glance program provides low-tech resources to help older Floridians stay one step ahead of scammers. The Scams at a Glance program provides free downloadable brochures that teach consumers how to avoid falling victim to fraudulent schemes.
To learn more, and view all the Scams at a Glance resources, click here.
Attorney General Moody’s Consumer Protection division is working hard to protect all Floridians from fraud. Since 2019, the Consumer Protection division has recovered $535,189,962. In the last year, the Consumer Protection Division recovered over $500,000 for 682 seniors.
To report instances of scams against senior citizens or non-emergency instances of senior exploitation, call 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or click here to file a complaint online.
In the case of an emergency, please call 911. In the cases of exploitation involving a vulnerable adult, please follow the mandatory reporting requirements found in section 415.1034, Fla. Stat., by reporting to the central abuse hotline at 1 (800) 962-2873.
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