InfoBytes Blog
President Trump Signs Law to Prevent Elder Abuse and Exploitation
On October 18, President Trump signed the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act, which establishes new requirements aimed at improving the DOJ’s response to elder abuse crimes. Among other things, S 178 expands data collection and information sharing provisions to prevent financial crimes committed against seniors. The law also broadens the federal criminal code to include “email marketing” fraud, such as marketing measures designed to induce the commitment to a loan. Other notable provisions include enhanced penalties for fraud and increased training for federal investigators and prosecutors. Further, the law requires the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection and the DOJ to appoint elder justice coordinators to oversee enforcement, consumer education efforts, and policy activities related to elder justice issues.