The Justice Department's annual elder justice report, released October 28, names a number for victims: the National Elder Fraud Hotline, 833-FRAUD-11, which is 833-372-8311. It is listed in the department's release.
Most families learn a number like that for the first time on the worst day of the year. It helps to know it sooner, and to know in what order the next few hours usually go.
First, stop more money leaving
If a call is still going on, take the phone gently and end it. A parent who has just sent money is often the person most sure that one more step will fix it. Do not ask why it happened yet.
That question comes later, and it can wait until everyone has eaten and slept. You can sort out the details after the line is closed.
Then write down what you can
Keep every receipt, tracking number, and the name and address on any package. A recent San Diego case shows why. The U.S. Attorney's Office says its investigation began in December 2020 with 11 packages holding about $135,000, and that victims had mailed cash to made-up names at short-term rentals.
Make the calls in order
Call the bank or the company holding the money the same day, and say plainly that your parent was the target of a scam. Then call the hotline above. The department's release gives no hours and describes no services for it, so ask what they can do rather than expecting a particular result.
Report it to local police or to adult protective services as well. The office name varies by state.
Take photos of the receipts if you can. Paper gets lost in a stressful week, and a clear picture on your phone is easy to hand to whoever asks.
Say the kind thing first
The government says the callers in that case posed as technical support agents, government officials or bank employees. Those are roles people are taught to trust. Nobody was caught because they were careless. Say so to your parent before you ask what happened, and you will learn more.
If this is your family
Write the hotline number on a card by your parent's phone today, before anything has gone wrong, and say it is there so calling feels ordinary. If something does happen, the sentence to say is: "I'm not upset. Let's call the bank together right now."
Sources
U.S. Department of Justice, October 28, 2026: Justice Department Releases Eighth Annual Elder Justice Report
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, October 26, 2026: Final Defendants Plead Guilty in $65 Million Multinational Fraud Ring Targeting Thousands of Seniors