2024 Home for the Holidays Resources


                                                              

The Eldercare Locator's 2024 Home for the Holidays campaign is focused on helping older adults, caregivers and families to stay safe and worry free by protecting themselves and loved ones from financial fraud and scams during the holiday season. To assist older adults, caregivers and families in navigating and addressing financial scams, the Eldercare Locator offers these trusted resources and expert guidance.                                       

Check out Protect Your Wallet: A Guide to Avoiding Financial Scams for information on common scams, tips to avoid scams and what to do if you suspect fraud or a scam.   

    

You can also contact the Eldercare Locator, where trained staff are available to connect you with local fraud reporting organizations.
The following resources offer practical tools and support to help you stay informed and take action against financial scams and fraud.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
  • Money Smart for Older Adults: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Money Smart for Older Adults can help older adults, family caregivers, and others prevent, recognize, and report scams, fraud and financial exploitation.
  • Elder Fraud Prevention Networks: The CFPB’s Network Development guide provides resources to mobilize stakeholders to start or grow a network to combat elder financial exploitation. 
DART Academy
  • DART Academy is an e-learning platform designed to empower older adults to improve their online awareness, recognize scams and hone their digital skills. DART Academy users become detectives immersed in realistic scam scenarios to combat online fraud and protect themselves and their loved ones.
Defending Against COVID-19 Cyber Scams FBI: Internet Crime Complaint Center
  • Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that serves as the central hub for reporting cyber crimes. It provides a convenient platform for victims to report suspected internet-facilitated criminal activity, helping authorities to investigate and respond to these incident
National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA)
  • National Elder Fraud Hotline: If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). A case manager who will help you through the reporting process at the federal, state, and local levels.
National Center for Disaster Fraud
  • National coordinating agency within the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. It was established to improve the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters. The NCDF also advocates for the victims of such fraud.
Senior Medicare Patrol
  • Senior Medicare Patrols (SMPs) empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors, and abuse through outreach, counseling and education. SMPs are grant-funded projects of the federal U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ACL. 
  • SMP has many online resources to help prevent various types of Medicare fraud schemes, including medical identity theft, COVID-19, durable medical equipment, genetic testing, home care, hospice, nursing home and Medicare Card Scams.
Social Security Administration U.S. Postal Inspection Service Fraud Unit Hotline
  • Service provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to report suspected fraud involving the U.S. Mail. This includes various types of mail fraud such as sweepstakes and lottery scams, employment fraud, telemarketing fraud and other deceptive practices that misuse the postal system.