The U.S. Department of Justice National Elder Fraud Hotline operates from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, except some holidays.

The U.S. Department of Justice National Elder Fraud Hotline provides services to adults, age 60 and older, who may be victims of financial fraud. The Hotline provides callers access to experienced case managers who offer personalized support, assist with reporting suspected fraud to the relevant agencies, and provide resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed.

No, the Elder Fraud Hotline does not investigate incidents of financial crimes. The Hotline assists older adults with reporting the crimes and providing additional resources as needed.

The Hotline is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice through the Office for Victims of Crime.

The Elder Fraud Hotline specializes in cases of fraud or financial exploitation; however, the Hotline can provide resources and referrals for issues that fall outside of these areas on a case-by-case basis.

Case managers assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed. Case managers do not investigate and cannot make any guarantees as to whether the relevant agencies will investigate, nor can case managers make any guarantees as to whether a caller will get their money back.

The Hotline cannot guarantee that a caller will get their money back. Hotline staff refer callers to the appropriate resources and reporting channels and provide guidance on how callers might pursue recovering funds; however, the Hotline does not have the authority to investigate a scammer, bank, etc.

Yes. The Hotline can assist by providing you with the appropriate resources and reporting channels for you to contact on behalf of your [loved one, neighbor, etc.]. Our case managers can also assist you with filling out IC3/FTC complaint forms on behalf of your [loved one, neighbor, etc.].

Yes. The Hotline welcomes any referrals from other organizations. We encourage organizations to ask victims, or others calling on their behalf, to contact the Hotline.

The Hotline takes the security of your personal information very seriously. We collect limited personal information and will not share or distribute your personal information or the details of your case with anyone without your consent. Hotline staff are mandatory reporters, so if certain abuses or immediate safety risks are suspected, staff may be required to report to the necessary agencies.

Yes, any caller can remain anonymous; however, if you are comfortable providing your basic contact information, it can help us identify local resources and assist with reporting as needed.

The resources that the Hotline offers are tailored to each caller’s specific situation. Some of the most common resources include FTC, IC3, APS, and state/local reporting channels and resources as appropriate. For more information, please see our Resources page.

There are many red flags that might signal that an interaction is fraudulent, including being pressured to send money, threats of law enforcement action if you don’t comply, asking for gift cards, cryptocurrency, or providing codes as a form of payment, or requests to deposit a check but then send the money elsewhere. For more information, please see our Common Scams and Warning Signs page.

If you are not 100% certain of the source of the call, email, or text, do not respond. Hang up the phone, don’t click on unknown links, and don’t reply to unknown texts.

Please see our Common Scams and Warning Signs page.

Please see our Resources page.