Millions Recovered Through Seniors vs. Crime

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody will be in Naples tomorrow to announce the latest successes of the Seniors vs. Crime Project and ongoing efforts to protect seniors. The just-released 2020 Seniors vs. Crime Annual Report shows nearly $1.7 million in total refunds, savings and recoveries for older Floridians. Protecting Florida’s more than 5 million seniors is a major priority of the Attorney General. To bolster ongoing efforts to protect seniors, Attorney General Moody is working with legislative leaders this session to enhance protections for seniors against exploitation.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “As COVID-19 rapidly spread across the world, criminals doubled down on efforts to target seniors—but that didn’t deter Seniors vs. Crime volunteers. Not only did they help protect their fellow seniors who had been victimized, they also provided thousands of Floridians with the tools needed to avoid scams—all at no cost to seniors. While this latest report is promising, our work protecting Florida’s seniors is far from over. I remain as dedicated as ever to protecting older Floridians from exploitation which is why I am working with Senator Danny Burgess and Representative Colleen Burton on legislation to strengthen senior protection in Florida.”

Attorney General Moody will hold a news conference at the Collier County Sheriff’s Office tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. to discuss the new report and continued efforts to protect Florida’s 5 million seniors from fraud and exploitation.

The Seniors vs. Crime Project was founded in 1989 with the mission to help prevent crime and fraud, aid consumers in resolving disputes and assist the Florida Attorney General’s Office with its mission through the work of Florida senior volunteers—referred to as Senior Sleuths by Seniors vs. Crime.

Since Attorney General Moody took office, Seniors vs. Crime has helped recover, refund and save more than $3.4 million for older Floridians. The 2020 Seniors vs. Crime Annual Report showed historical achievements, such as:

• Senior Sleuths directly assisted more than 11,000 Florida seniors during 2020;
• Total savings to seniors who utilized Seniors vs. Crime services amounted to $1,690,958;
• The project provided crime prevention training to more than 4,600 people, including information being sent out in more than 90 printed media articles, nearly 100 television events and approximately 530 social media posts regarding services offered through Seniors vs. Crime; and
• Senior Sleuth volunteers dedicated more than 11,400 hours of free assistance to Florida seniors.

Seniors vs. Crime continues to provide results each year, but Attorney General Moody recognizes that there is more work to be done. Attorney General Moody has developed a Senior Protection Team within her office and also serves as Co-Chair for the National Association of Attorneys General’s Elder Justice Committee to help advance the mission of protecting older Floridians.

For more on the committee, click here.

To view the 2020 Seniors vs. Crime Annual Report, click here.