Department of Justice Charges Unprecedented Number of Elder Fraud Defendants Nationwide and Launches Hotline

justice.gov ^ | March 3, 2020 | DOJ-Office of Public Affairs

[ransomnote]

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

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Attorney General William P. Barr, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, and Chief Postal Inspector Gary R. Barksdale today announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history.  This year, prosecutors charged more than 400 defendants, far surpassing the 260 defendants charged in cases as part of last year’s sweep.  In each case, offenders allegedly engaged in financial schemes that targeted or largely affected seniors.  In total, the charged elder fraud schemes caused alleged losses of over a billion dollars.

Attorney General Barr made the announcement at an event in Florida entitled “Keeping Seniors Safe,” which outlined his vision for protecting older Americans from financial harm.  The event focused special attention on the threat posed by foreign-based fraud schemes that victimize seniors in large numbers.  During the event, the Attorney General declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal, making it one of the Department’s four top priorities.

“Americans are fed up with the constant barrage of scams that maliciously target the elderly and other vulnerable citizens,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.  “This year, the Department of Justice prosecuted more than 400 defendants, whose schemes totaled more than a billion dollars.  I want to thank the men and women of the department’s Consumer Protection Branch, which coordinated this effort, and all those in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Criminal Division who worked tirelessly to bring these cases.  The department is committed to stopping the full range of criminal activities that exploit America’s seniors.”

“The charges announced today demonstrate the great success of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to identify and stop those who are targeting our senior communities from overseas,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.  “We’re committed to continuing our efforts to keep our elderly citizens safe, whether they’re being targeted door-to-door, over the phone, or online.” 

“Every day, American consumers, particularly older Americans, receive offers that sound just too good to be true,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale.  “Some come through the mail; others by telephone or the Internet.  These offers have one objective – to rob you of your hard-earned money.  Fraud costs Americans millions of dollars each year.  The good news is most frauds can be prevented.  It’s one of the few crimes in which potential victims can just say “No!”  So hold on to your money and report scams to Postal Inspectors.”

This interactive map provides state by state information on the elder fraud cases and education and prevention community outreach efforts highlighted by today’s sweep announcement.  

Elder Fraud Hotline

Attorney General Barr also announced the launch of a National Elder Fraud Hotline, which will provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud.  The Hotline will be staffed by experienced case managers who can provide personalized support to callers.  Case managers will assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed.  When applicable, case managers will complete a complaint form with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for Internet-facilitated crimes and submit a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of the caller.  The Hotline’s toll free number is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).

Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force

The Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force prosecuted more than one quarter of the defendants charged as part of the announced sweep.  Established in June 2019, the Strike Force is composed of the department’s Consumer Protection Branch and six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (Central District of California, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of Texas), along with FBI special agents, Postal Inspectors, and numerous other law enforcement personnel.  Prosecutors in Strike Force districts brought cases against more than 140 sweep defendants.  FBI and the Postal Inspection Service served as lead agencies in the Strike Force and committed substantial investigative resources to pursuing elder fraud cases as part of Strike Force efforts.  The Strike Force has held dozens of meetings with industry, victim groups, and law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels to identify the most harmful schemes victimizing American seniors and to bolster preventive measures against further losses.  

Law Enforcement Actions Swept from Coast to Coast

U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in every federal district took part in the Elder Fraud Sweep announced today.  Many federal prosecuting offices filed cases against perpetrators and/or facilitators of elder fraud.  Others conducted outreach to law enforcement, community groups, seniors, or private industry.  Other U.S. Attorneys’ Offices demonstrated exceptional devotion to the cause of elder justice by both filing cases and conducting outreach.

For the second year, the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners also took comprehensive action against the money mule network that facilitates foreign-based elder fraud.  Generally, perpetrators use a “money mule” to transfer fraud proceeds from a victim to ringleaders of fraud schemes who often reside in other countries.  Some of these money mules act unwittingly, and intervention can effectively end their involvement in the fraud.  The FBI and the Postal Inspection Service took action against over 600 alleged money mules nationwide by conducting interviews, issuing warning letters, and bringing civil and criminal cases.  Agents and prosecutors in more than 85 federal district participated in this effort to halt the money flow from victim to fraudster.  These actions against money mules were in addition to the criminal and civil cases announced as part of this year’s elder fraud sweep.

In addition to announcing the sweep cases, Attorney General Barr and others at the Keeping Seniors Safe event also thanked department personnel — especially the Elder Justice Coordinators appointed in each U.S. Attorney’s Office — for conducting dozens of outreach events across the nation to warn seniors of fraud schemes and to engage with industry representatives and state and local authorities on fraud-prevention measures.  These outreach efforts have helped to prevent seniors from falling prey to scams and have frustrated offenders’ efforts to obtain even more money from vulnerable elders.

The charges announced today are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

Component(s): 

Office of the Attorney General

Press Release Number: 

20-259

[ransomnote]

I know some panic when they see Barr's name in a press release. They think if he's at a press event, he doesn't do anything else and so they post their demands Barr be removed here. But that's like watching a fire truck drive by as it returns to the station and shrieking, "That's it! I've had it! We need to replace all our firefighters and hire some that will actually fight fires. All these ones do is drive around in a fire truck!"

I also see a lot of posts that say Barr is "letting the swamp have it's way" etc. if he's at an event and doesn't bring Comey et. al. in orange jumpsuits to it. I want to encourage you. Barr is one of a legion of people draining the swamp from the bottom up.

Barr doesn't list classified activities on the DOJ website or release it to the news. Watching the DOJ website as I do, I've seen countless cases about medical fraud, tax evasion and two re Panama Papers that confirm he's drying up their resources and getting lower level convictions from those who serve the elites; these lower level cases are put before the judge when elites are tried. For example, revelations in the Panama Papers (international off shore accounts of the rich and famous) lead to convictions of their tax preparers and those convictions are taken to tax trials of the elites. Of course the elites will also face other charges too, but tax trials are a start and could hold them in place while the deep state's financial and thug resources are dried up so the elites can't retaliate (won't have funds and with it, power) when bigger cases are brought.

During the Obama years, Sotero depleted our military to the point that when Trump took office, the country was in no condition to fend off domestic and international aggression meant to thwart prosecution of our DS. But Trump fought hard and long to get money for the wall and to rebuild the military (I think he spent 1.5 Trillion rebuilding our military) while the tentacles of the DS were being cut, and the other half of the country is being educated (often against their will) about what the Dems/Deep State/ Media really have in mind for us.

It's been hard waiting to see prosecutions turn the spotlight on the highest profile villians in D.C., but the groundwork is there and is beginning to surface. (Also, those in high places providing depositions and engaged in prosecution won't tell us about it, and the optics require that we not be told.) For details re some of the "groundwork", watch Rudy Guiliaini's video series called "Common Sense" on Youtube for all the evidence re the Ukraine.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-9J07yyuXQTx_uZQchtwsg

Without educating the public, and in the face of MSM propaganda, civil unrest would be cultivated by the DS and efforts would be made to provoke bloodshed. It's likely Pelosi et. al. would demand UN intervention to "save us" from President Trump, by falsely reporting that he is behind the civil unrest in a coup attemp (i.e., claim he wants to become dictator).

President Trump's strategy matches the winning strategy employed in a famous chess game 100 years ago (Capablanca vs Marshall), The President does love his chess games;  he has used this strategy to keep the economy stable enough to impress many with economic wins across the board (win hearts, minds, re-election). That's what the DS is hammering on now, fanning the flames of fear re coronavirus to destabilize the econimy; it's about all the DS has left.

Don't worry if you see Barr at a press event or having lunch! The deep state is still being dismantled even while Barr has coffee, WE'RE STILL WINNING!

[Oscar in Batangas]

POTUS-45 needs a couple hundred Bill Barrs if we’re ever going to make a dent in draining the SWAMP

[Bonemaker]

The FBI/DOJ is doing something...anything...along the lines of enforcing rational laws?

[ransomnote]

POTUS-45 needs a couple hundred Bill Barrs if we’re ever going to make a dent in draining the SWAMP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He has them. He doesn’t show them.
I’m still chuckling that POTUS pretended not to be watching election interference while people threatened to bail on him right up until Super Tuesday eve, at which point the DOJ listed the arsenal arrayed against election fraud, and then today, apparently having read the DOJ news, Donna Brazille loses it on the air. DOJ doc here:

The world is watching. :)

[ransomnote]

Joint Statement from DOJ, DOS, DOD, DHS, ODNI, FBI, NSA, and CISA on Preparations for Super Tuesday

3/3/2020, 9:20:41 AM · 1 of 5
ransomnote

Reposting good news from late last night. It first appeared on the DOJ website last night. All hands on deck to protect election - it has to have traumatized the lefties when they read this news!

 

 

-Elsewhere, I see an early sign this is horrible news for the dems:

On another thread, FReeper PGKdan wrote:

Democrat Panic?

Donna Brazille tells RNC Head to 'go to hell' on air.

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Used on another thread in the forum and reposted here:

Some are worried these agencies are still fully infiltrated but Trump has been cleaning house/agencies.

I’d read stories that claimed TRUMP had declared “war” on the FBI in his first year in office ; one report said he had “gutted” the Agency of many staff but these seemed to be below the level of executive.
Some examples of higher up FBI officials who have been REMOVED (often saying “stepped down”,” retired”, “fired”, “moved on”)

James Comey – Director

Andrew McCabe, Deputy Director
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/01/trumps-war-on-the-department-of-justice/580051/

Jim Rybicki, Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor
https://www.conservapedia.com/James_Rybicki
James Baker, General Counsel
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ex-top-fbi-lawyer-james-baker-admits-he-is-nervous-about-doj-inspector-general

Bill Priestap, Director of Counterintelligence (Strzok’s boss)
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2019/04/11/fbi_mans_testimony_points_to_significant_wrongdoing_beyond_spying.html

Peter Strzok, Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/397902-opinion-one-fbi-text-message-in-russia-probe-should-alarm-every-american
Lisa Page, Office of General Counsel
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/lisa-page-said-senior-fbi-officials-wanted-to-take-hillary-clinton-down

Mike Kortan, Assistant Director for Public Affairs and David Laufman, Counterintelligence and Export Control
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/08/fbi-texts-officials-resign-400533

Josh Campbell, Special Assistant to Comey
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/372335-an-open-letter-to-the-fbi-agent-who-resigned-because-of-trump
John Carlin
https://fedsoc.org/contributors/john-carlin

Michael Steinbach – Head of NAT SEC Div and Predecessor John Giacalone fmr Head of National Security Div
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/01/what-really-happened-with-andrew-mccabe-it-wasnt-conspiracy-fbi

James Turgal – Assistant Director
https://jeffrainforth.com/obamas-fbi-resignation/?doing_wp_cron=1583225639.1375160217285156250000

Greg Bower – Top Congressional Liason
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/chrisgeidner/fbi-comey-brower-congress-departure

Trisha Anderson – Principle Deputy General Counsel
https://www.theepochtimes.com/exclusive-testimony-by-fbi-lawyer-trisha-anderson-reveals-extensive-role-in-trump-clinton-investigations_2806982.html
Mary McCord
https://www.npr.org/2017/04/20/524905899/leader-of-justice-department-national-security-division-on-the-way-out
Randy Coleman AD of the Counterintelligence Division
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/lisa-page-said-senior-fbi-officials-wanted-to-take-hillary-clinton-down

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Last excerpt from another thread and it's a great one:

rdcbn to ransomnote

The concept of “Be careful what you ask for, you might get it” is going to be a bitch for Democrats. They are going to get it good and hard.

BTW, DHS is responsible for ensuring no ineligible foreigners taint our electoral process with commit voter fraud so nice ICE rep drinking coffee with a CISA Auditor in every district could be a wonderful thing.

Very disappointed that President Trump forgot to retain The Ghost Busters to help ensure that malevolent ghosts of the long dead don't return from their cemeteries to haunt the voting booths but he was preoccupied with impeachment and all so willing to the guy a pass this time around.

All the guys from

The

Best

Election

Ever

crowd about to get their Best Ever expectations bar raised in 2020. Watching the Dems howl and sputter at how dutifully The Impeached and Fully Exonerated One is going give them the clean, transparent election they ask for, no - they demand, is going to be entertainment epic.

No Russia, Russia, Russia this time around.

[bagster]

What? A positive thread?

*spraying bug spray*

[familyop]

The DOJ has been working hard. I’m impressed at the many frequent reports!