PORTLAND, Maine — In 2023, 397 Mainers filed fraud complaints for losses totaling more than $7.1 million, according to the FBI.
It's this devastating loss, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maine hopes to help prevent with the launch of a new initiative.
The Maine Rx Elder Fraud Program was announced Thursday and will utilize the inherent relationship of pharmacists and their customers to reach older Mainers, the attorney's office said.
"Informational brochures will be attached to prescription bags for distribution to pharmacy customers at Hannaford pharmacies across Maine," U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee said.
McElwee said the brochures are designed to educate folks on common signs of scams and how to report elder fraud. They'll be handed out at all of Hannaford's 60 in-store pharmacies.
"It is a simple, but impactful way to reach this crucial audience and ultimately reduce the number of people who are victimized by elder fraud here in Maine," McElwee added. "We know that entire families visit pharmacies, parents on behalf of children, children on behalf of their parents, and perpetrators of elder fraud are indiscriminate.”
The program, a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office, AARP Maine, and the Maine Council for Elder Abuse is expected to begin sometime in the month of Sept.
Nationwide, the FBI reported 101,000 Americans aged 60-plus were defrauded out of $3.4 billion through different scams in 2023.
"For older individuals who may not frankly have enough time to make a huge loss from a scam, it can be absolutely devastating," Jane Margesson, communications director for AARP Maine, said.
