Elder Abuse Law: What Families Should Know in 2026

Takeaways

• The Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) of 2017 created real accountability tools, but it did not stop elder fraud losses from rising.
• In 2025, people age 60+ reported more than 200,000 complaints and more than $7.7 billion in losses to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, showing why prevention still matters.
• AI-powered scams make familiar fraud tactics much more convincing in 2026.
• If you suspect abuse or exploitation, fast reporting can help stop harm and may improve the odds of recovering money.

Elder abuse can include physical abuse, neglect, emotional abuse, and financial exploitation – and it frequently happens behind closed doors. Because it can involve safety, money, and medical needs, the right response often involves more than one system, such as law enforcement, health care providers, social services, and the courts.

In late 2017, Congress passed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) to strengthen how the justice system responds to elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.

Amid a vastly different fraud landscape in 2026, it’s worth asking two practical questions:

• Did EAPPA deliver on its promise?
• What should older adults and their family members watch for in 2026?

What the EAPPA Was Designed to Do

EAPPA aimed to strengthen elder justice in a few key ways, including:

• Requiring a designated elder justice coordinator in each U.S. Attorney’s Office
• Improving coordination and data collection across agencies
• Increasing penalties for certain fraud schemes (including telemarketing and email marketing fraud) when they target older adults

What Actually Happened After EAPPA Passed

One of EAPPA’s most important accountability upgrades was creating an ongoing public record of implementation. The Department of Justice (DOJ) now publishes annual EAPPA reports describing what it has done to combat elder fraud and abuse.

Here’s what that means for families in 2026:

• Structure and transparency improved. Elder justice coordinators became standard practice, and annual reporting makes it easier to track what DOJ is prioritizing.
• Enforcement activity increased. In its 2025 annual report, the DOJ reported pursuing 283 criminal and civil enforcement actions involving conduct that targeted or disproportionately affected older adults during the reporting period (July 2024 through June 2025).
• However, fraud losses still grew. While enforcement activity can disrupt schemes and punish offenders, it cannot (by itself) undo how quickly scammers evolve — especially online.

That’s why consumer protection planning still matters. Families can reduce risk to elder loved ones by learning common scam patterns, setting boundaries, and building practical safeguards.

The Scam Landscape in 2026: AI Has Changed the Rules

When EAPPA was enacted in 2017, most scam guidance focused on phone calls, emails, and obvious phishing. In 2026, many of those same schemes still exist — but they’re often harder to detect because scammers can use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to scale and personalize their outreach.

The FBI’s IC3 2025 annual report describes how criminals use AI to produce convincing synthetic content and references voice cloning in “distress” (family emergency) scams. In 2025, people age 60+ submitted 201,266 complaints to IC3 and reported $7.748 billion in losses.

Common ways AI can appear in elder fraud now include:

• Voice cloning (“family emergency” calls). A caller sounds like a loved one and claims they’re in trouble, urgently asking for money.
• Deepfake video or audio. A scammer uses synthetic media to create “proof” that a story is real.
• AI-generated phishing and scripts. Messages are written in more natural language, with fewer obvious spelling and grammar errors.
• Hyper-personalized impersonation. Scammers use publicly available information (social media, online photos, public records) to make their story more believable.

Crypto Investment Fraud

One of the biggest changes since EAPPA passed is the growth of long-con investment fraud that often involves cryptocurrency.

The FBI calls this category cryptocurrency investment fraud and notes it is commonly described as “pig butchering.” The scam often starts with relationship-building — on social media, messaging apps, or dating platforms — and then shifts into a high-pressure investment pitch.

In these scams, criminals may build trust over days or weeks (sometimes longer) and then steer the victim to a convincing-looking “investment platform” or “opportunity.” Victims may even see fake gains at first — which encourages larger deposits — until withdrawals are blocked and the money is gone.

Older adults can be especially vulnerable when scammers combine investment pitches with companionship, romance, or authority-based intimidation.

COVID-19’s Lesson: Isolation Raises Risk

Crypto investment fraud often succeeds because scammers build trust over time – and that’s easier to do when someone is lonely or isolated.

Social isolation increases risk. The COVID-19 years highlighted how quickly elder abuse and financial exploitation risks can rise when older persons are isolated and normal “check-ins” disappear. Even in 2026, the takeaway is the same: regular contact and a second set of eyes on unusual messages, spending, or new “relationships” can help stop problems early.

For background, see overviews about abuse of older persons and elder abuse in the time of COVID-19.

How to Report Suspected Elder Abuse or Fraud

If you suspect abuse, neglect, or exploitation, it’s reasonable to feel unsure where to start. Reporting doesn’t require you to “prove” what happened — it’s about getting the concern in front of the right agency so they can assess and respond.

Here are practical reporting options many families use:

• If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
• Adult Protective Services (APS). APS agencies investigate reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation involving vulnerable adults. To understand what APS does and how to start, see this guidance from the Administration for Community Living.
• Eldercare Locator. The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can connect you to local services and reporting resources, including APS.
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): For online fraud, cryptocurrency investment fraud, romance scams, and other internet-enabled crimes, file at IC3.gov.
• FTC fraud reporting: Report scams and fraud to the Federal Trade Commission.
• Find help or report elder abuse through the DOJ.

If you’re unsure whether a situation is “elder abuse” versus “just a scam,” it’s still worth reporting. Many older adults experience both — especially when cognitive decline, undue influence, or caregiver dependence are part of the picture.

A Practical Prevention Checklist for 2026

No law can eliminate elder abuse on its own. But a few practical habits can reduce the odds that a scam escalates into a life-changing loss:

• Keep a trusted contact list at banks and brokerages (when available).
• Treat any urgent, secret, or “too-good-to-be-true” situation as a red flag.
• Pause and verify — especially before sending money via wire, gift cards, or crypto.
• Review account activity regularly (with consent) and watch for sudden changes.
• Consider preventive legal planning, such as a durable power of attorney, so your family has options if cognitive decline emerges.

If you’re dealing with suspected exploitation already, an elder law attorney may be able to help coordinate next steps, preserve evidence, and communicate with agencies.

For additional steps your family can take to help avoid financial exploitation, check out the following articles:

• Preventing Elder Financial Abuse in the Age of AI
• Digital Tools to Protect Older Adults From Financial Abuse