Attorneys General Asking Lawmakers to Add Older Adult Protections to Victims of Crime Act

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter on Monday sent a letter to U.S. congressional leaders, requesting that they amend the 1984 Victims of Crime Act to include seniors victimized by fraud as qualifying for reimbursement by the Crime Victims Fund, reports KFOR-TV . Reimbursements are typically allocated for victims of violent crime, and the Edith Shorougian Senior Victims of Fraud Compensation Act would channel penalties and fines from deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements into the Crime Victims Fund, for compensating seniors abused by fraud. "Especially now, with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, these are individuals who may be disconnected from their support system, making them easier targets for criminals," Hunter declared. "We must make sure we are protecting our most vulnerable from these awful crimes, and making every effort to make them whole if they have been victimized. My colleagues and I encourage Congress to act on this important legislation." Forty-three other state attorneys general signed Hunter's letter.