Florida Office of the Attorney General issued the following announcement on Feb. 22.
The National Association of Attorneys General named Attorney General Ashley Moody Co-Chair of the NAAG Elder Justice Committee. Established in 2018, the Elder Justice Committee strives to assist state attorneys general in combating elder abuse and fraud through educational programs and resource sharing and development.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Senior protection is one of my top priorities as Florida’s Attorney General, and I am honored to share our fraud-fighting strategies with my colleagues from across the country as Co-Chair of NAAG’s Elder Justice Committee and work with other states to develop innovative programs to further protect older Floridians.”
The Elder Justice Committee is already making large strides in the walk to protect seniors. In 2018, NAAG urged the U.S. government to change its policy so that state attorneys could use federal funds to investigate and prosecute a wider range of Medicaid abuse and neglect cases.
In August of 2020, NAAG endorsed a bill that would amend the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to include victims of senior fraud as eligible for reimbursement by the Crime Victims Fund for states that provide compensation to victims.
Founded in 1907, NAAG helps attorneys general fulfill the responsibilities of their offices and assists in the delivery of high-quality legal services to the states and territorial jurisdictions. NAAG members include the 56 state and territorial attorneys general.
Soon after taking office, Attorney General Moody assembled Florida’s Senior Protection Team—an intra-agency group of experts working with law enforcement and outside organizations to fight fraud targeting older Floridians.
Additionally, Seniors vs. Crime is a special project of the Florida Attorney General’s Office that involves volunteers ages 50 and up. These senior sleuths help identify, prevent and report scams targeting older Floridians and have recovered $3.4 million for seniors since 2019.
Original source can be found here.