Victims of Fraud and

Economic Crime

Meeting, Location,

and Sponsors

On April 26, 1998, 15 participants

invited by the Office for Victims of

Crime (OVC) convened for a 1-

day Fraud Victimization Focus

Group meeting at the Hyatt

Regency, Union Station, St.

Louis, Missouri. OVC convened

the meeting as part of the

Economic Crime Summit:

Exploring Solutions for the 21st

Century, sponsored by the

National White Collar Crime

Center (NWCCC), the National

Coalition for the Prevention of

Economic Crime, the Mid-States

Organized Crime Information

Center, and the Bureau of Justice

Assistance and OVC, both from

the U.S. Department of Justice.

The focus group met immediately

following the National Crime

Victims’ Rights Week as part of

the National White Collar Crime

Center’s Annual Economic Crime

Summit. The time and place were

selected to enhance public awareness and to expand the reach of

victim support services to those

exploited and devastated by economic crime.

Goals of the Focus

Group Meeting

Prior to the April 1998 meeting,

the meeting facilitator and OVC

staff developed goals for the

meeting, as listed below in no

particular order:

• Identify the critical issues

involved in victimization by

fraud and economic crime.

• Identify and examine the unique

problems and needs of fraud

and economic crime victims.

• Identify current procedures,

programs, and program components dealing with the impact

needs of fraud and economic

crime victims. Identify these 

as “promising practices” for

providing effective services 

to victims.

Results and Recommendations From 

an OVC Focus Group Meeting

For many years, the experiences of fraud and

economic crime victims were not well understood by criminal justice professionals. The

Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) recognized that

economic crime victims had been largely neglected

by many in the criminal justice system. OVC

decided to increase service and support to this victim group.

The number of victims of fraud and economic

crime is staggering. According to the National

Institute of Justice, each year more than 24 million

persons become victims of more than 38 million

fraud and attempted fraud crimes. Sometimes

called white-collar crime, fraud is widespread and

growing. One conservative estimate indicates that

fraud, in all its forms, cheats victims out of more

than $40 billion each year. Advancing technology

has created more opportunities for fraud. Computer

use leaves everyone vulnerable to fraud, including

telemarketing fraud, identity theft, and health care

scams.

Over time, professionals in the criminal justice system, including OVC, realized that victims of fraud

and victims of violent crime have much in common

and share similar needs. Each needs protection

from further harm. Each needs information about

rights, remedies, the criminal justice process, and

legal advocacy. Each needs practical assistance and

referrals to people and agencies for help with shortand long-term problems stemming from the crime,

such as mental health counseling and financial

help. Most importantly, each needs to see justice

done and offenders held accountable.

Like violent crime victims, fraud and economic

crime victims may suffer psychological and emotional harm and stress-related physical effects in

addition to financial damage. Victims may lose

their entire life savings and be devastated by the

psychological and social impact. In fact, many economic crime victims describe their experience as a

“psychological mugging.” They feel robbed of their

money, their security, their self-esteem, and their

dignity. They have lost their faith and trust in a system they believed would protect them and their

resources. Like victims of violent crime, economic

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bulletin

May 2000

Office for Victims of Crime

Advocating for the Fair 

 Treatment of Crime Victims

Message From

The Director

continued on page 2
2

OVC Bulletin

• Identify research needed in the

area of fraud and economic crime

victimization.

• Consider how the Federal Government can provide leadership and

support for efforts to assist victims

of fraud and economic crime.

• Reach consensus on 10 priorities 

concerning victims of fraud and 

economic crime.

• Formulate a plan of action for

future activities by OVC concerning fraud and economic crime 

victimization.

Ten Priorities for

Helping Fraud and

Economic Crime

Victims

Through comprehensive discussion of

the issues and the impact of fraud and

economic crime on victims, focus

group members generated 10 priorities

for helping these victims. The Federal

Government can lead this effort by:

• Increasing awareness of the 

emotional impact of fraud and economic crime on victims. Increasing

sensitivity, knowledge, and capacity

of criminal justice personnel and

victim advocates regarding victims

of fraud and economic crime and

the major concerns facing them,

including restitution and financial

remedies. Passing legislation to

increase victims’ standing in the

criminal justice process.

• Increasing accountability of criminal justice personnel and victim

advocates toward victims of fraud

and economic crime.

• Developing fraud and economic

crime victimization training programs for criminal justice system

professionals, including law

enforcement officers; prosecutors;

judges; corrections, probation, and

parole officers; and victim services

personnel. Teaching criminal 

justice professionals their proper 

roles in helping victims at State,

Federal, and local levels.

• Developing effective national

media campaigns on fraud and

economic crime victimization.

• Identifying or creating victim

services that can be adapted or

improved for older victims of

fraud and economic crime.

Recognizing that victim service

providers are often financially,

technologically, and geographically

disadvantaged to deal effectively

with the myriad concerns of older

victims.

• Identifying or creating networks

within all cultural and language

groups to provide assistance with

outreach and public awareness

efforts.

• Developing victim support groups

that provide emotional support,

practical guidance, and information.

• Researching victims’ needs and

using that information to develop

effective policies.

• Recognizing and responding to

the needs of identity theft victims

and providing remedies for those

needs.

• Acknowledging the role of the

financial industry in protecting

victims from further victimization.

Participants Suggest

Ways the Federal

Government Can Lead

and Support

Focus group participants suggested

the following ways the Federal

Government can lead and support

efforts to help victims of fraud and

economic crime:

crime victims may spend years trying to

recover from these crimes.

Recognizing the needs of economic

crime victims, OVC and other components of the criminal justice system have

made efforts to provide more services

and resources to this traditionally underserved victim population. OVC’s first

step, in 1997, was to change the language of its funding guidelines to extend

the reach of its Crime Victim Assistance

Funds to provide services and support to

economic crime victims through State

programs. Further, OVC developed and

made available Federal programs, model

brochures and pamphlets, and demonstration projects designed for use by

those helping fraud and economic crime

victims. OVC offered these tools for

replication nationwide, providing service

and support to those assisting economic

crime victims.

To ensure development of an effective

and sensitive response to the concerns,

needs, and issues of economic crime victims, OVC directed its Federal Crime

Victims Division (FCVD) to focus special attention on this particular victim

group. In April 1998, the Fraud

Victimization Focus Group convened to

study economic crime issues. This group

raised questions and submitted findings

that became the basis for the training

ideas, promising practices, recommendations, and action plan presented in this

bulletin. OVC applauds the fine efforts

of this focus group and appreciates its

vision and dedication. OVC believes

nationwide application of measures

based on these findings can help ensure

the development and continuation of

effective policies, programs, and services

to assist economic crime victims. 

Kathryn M. Turman

Director

Office for Victims of Crime

continued from page 1
3

• Take a leadership role in education

and prevention.

• Establish fellowships and internships within Federal agencies to

encourage discussions and to

emphasize fraud and economic

crime issues.

• Sponsor a national symposium,

possibly using OVC funds, to discuss victimization issues surrounding fraud, economic crime, and

identity theft.

• Develop a national clearinghouse

for resources and information.

• Develop a national advertising

campaign similar to that of the

National Crime Prevention

Council. Sponsor media support.

• Promote educational campaigns

within public schools about fraud

victimization and identity theft.

• Promote interagency, multidisciplinary efforts and initiatives to crosstrain professionals involved in fraud

and economic crime victim issues.

• Provide assistance, resources, and

new technology to manage cases

involving large numbers of crime

victims.

• Use the Victims of Crime Act

(VOCA) to mandate services and

to develop more victim assistance

programs aimed at fraud and economic crime victims.

• Mandate Federal Deposit

Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

institutions to educate customers

and increase public awareness

about fraud and identity theft 

victimization.

• Convene a White House conference on economic crime to maximize attention on these issues from

both the public and private sectors.

• Encourage and facilitate corporate

collaborative initiatives such as

public/private ventures regarding

fraud and economic crime issues.

Participants Suggest 

a Plan of Action

Focus group participants regarded

this OVC-hosted gathering as the

“first step” in addressing the complex

and varied needs of fraud and economic crime victims. After the conclusion of the focus group meeting,

participants suggested the following

plan of action as the “next steps” to

be taken:

• Convene a national symposium on

fraud, economic crime, and whitecollar crime victimization, inviting

as many stakeholders as possible to

participate.

• Ensure funding for the national

symposium project by using VOCA

Federal funds administered by

OVC.

• Invite input and encourage responses from consumer affairs groups.

• During National Crime Victims’

Rights Week or during the symposium, publicly recognize the judges

and probation officers who were

most successful in enforcing restitution for fraud and economic

crime victims.

OVC’s Response to 

the Plan of Action

In response to the plan of action proposed by the focus group participants,

OVC has done or will do the following:

• Work with the Deputy Attorney

General’s working group on victims

of crime to address allocution, restitution, and potential new areas of

VOCA funding for fraud victims

services.

• Encourage replication of the best

practices from OVC-funded

Federal demonstration programs

on asset identification and the

restitution recovery process.

• Cosponsor a variety of national

conferences, including the National

Organization for Victim Assistance

(NOVA) and NWCCC’s Economic

Crime Summit panels that present

general sessions, workshops, and

dialogue about fraud and economic

crime victim issues.

• Develop pamphlets, brochures,

handbooks, guidebooks, and a

video about fraud and economic

crime. Distribute the materials

widely to law enforcement officers

and criminal justice personnel, victims, victim service providers, and

the public.

• Alert VOCA administrators about

changes in the program guidelines

for VOCA victim assistance that

allow use of victim assistance

funds for services such as mental

health counseling and recovery of

restitution for fraud victims at

State and local levels. 

• Conduct workshops and develop

fact sheets on fraud and economic

crime victim issues.

• Submit information about fraud

and economic crime victim issues

to the Office for Victims of Crime

Resource Center (OVCRC) for

inclusion on the fraud victim

issues page of the National

Criminal Justice Reference

Service (NCJRS) Web site. 
• Through OVCRC, establish and

maintain a national toll-free telephone hotline that users can call to

request information and products

(printed and video material) about

fraud and economic crime victims.

• Sponsor and conduct a Health Care

Fraud Victimization Focus Group

and summarize the proceedings in

a published report.

• Incorporate fraud victimization

issues into the text of the 1999

National Victim Assistance

Academy.

• Collaborate with the National

Institute of Justice on focused

research in the area of fraud and

economic crime victimization and

the harm suffered by these victims.

• Recognize through the annual

Attorney General’s Crime Victims

Fund Award those Federal personnel who made outstanding efforts

on behalf of fraud and economic

crime victims. 

• Elicit and review public comments

on the existing VOCA guidelines

for both victim compensation and

assistance. Determine what

changes are necessary to address

fraud victims’ needs. Determine

the allowable use of VOCA funding to do so.

Conclusion

The important work by members of

the Fraud Victimization Focus Group

provided OVC and the field valuable

information and insights that will

help promote policies, programs, and

services beneficial to fraud and economic crime victims. OVC will continue its efforts and maintain its 

leadership role in addressing the

complex needs of this group and

other underserved victims. 

For Further Information

For additional information about the

Victims of Fraud and Economic

Crime focus group meeting, contact

Office for Victims of Crime

810 Seventh Street NW, Eighth Floor

Washington, DC 20531

Telephone: 202–307–5983

Fax: 202–514–6383

Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/

For more information and publications about victims of fraud and economic crime, please contact

Office for Victims of Crime

Resource Center (OVCRC)

Telephone: 1–800–627–6872

Web site: www.ncjrs.org

Relevant Publications

VOCA Victim Assistance Guidelines

These guidelines, revised April 1997

and published in the Federal

Register, allow State VOCA grantees

to fund program services that assist

victims of financial exploitation and

fraud. To obtain a copy, visit the

OVC Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/

ovc/. Click on State Compensation 

& Assistance. Click on Guidelines.

To obtain a list of current VOCAfunded victim assistance programs,

visit the OVC Web site at 

www.ojp. usdoj. gov/ovc/. 

Click on Help for Victims.

Click on State by State.

Information for Victims and

Witnesses Who Report Fraud

Crimes BC 000599

This generic Federal law enforcement pamphlet provides answers to

frequently asked questions about

financial fraud and includes assistance contact information.

Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities —

A Handbook for Fraud Victims

Participating in the Federal

Criminal Justice System

NCJ 172830

This handbook is for victims who are

participating in a Federal criminal

prosecution.

Victims of Fraud: Beyond Financial

Loss NCJ 170593

This 20-minute educational video

focuses on the emotional and financial impact of fraud crimes, emphasizing fraud victims’ needs for access

to the criminal justice system.

Providing Services to Victims of

Fraud: Resources for Victim/

Witness Coordinators

NCJ 170594

This guide includes strategies,

sample letters, forms, and useful

assistance information intended to

help victim/witness coordinators

enhance and expand victim services.

Victimization of Persons by Fraud

NCJ 153727

National Institute of Justice Reprint.

Reprinted from Crime & Delinquency, Vol. 41, No.1, January 1995,

Sage Publications, Inc., pp. 54–72.

4

Victims of Fraud and Economic Crime
5

Victims of Fraud and Economic Crime

This research paper focuses on the

victimization of persons by personal

fraud. It also addresses the reactions

of victims and official agencies to the

victimization experience and the

implications for research and public

education.

This abstract is available at this time

in paperback form from NCJRS by

calling 1–800–851–3420, or you may

visit the Web site at www.ncjrs.org.

Telemarketing Fraud Prevention,

Public Awareness, and Training

Activities FS 000214

OVC Fact Sheet, August 1998.

This fact sheet describes four innovative projects funded by OVC that are

designed to prevent and intervene in

telemarketing fraud schemes that target elderly citizens.

Online Resources

As more Americans work and play

online, the number of computer

fraud-related incidents has increased.

In addition to computer fraud, fraud

against the elderly and identity fraud

are also rising. Fortunately, there are

a number of resources available to

victims of fraud, as well as resources

that help prevent fraud. The following Web sites contain valuable information on how victims can protect

themselves from various forms of

fraud.

• Resource for Consumer

Information From the Federal

Government

U.S. Consumer Gateway

www.consumer.gov/

• Facts for Consumers from the

Federal Trade Commission:

Art Fraud

Advertising Law Internet Site

www.webcom.com/~lewrose/

brochures/art.html

• Fraud Victimization—The Extent,

the Targets, the Effects

National Institute of Justice

www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/frau.pdf

• The Mail Fraud and False

Representation Statutes

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

www.usps.gov/websites/depart/

inspect/statutes.htm

• Inspection Service Information

about Consumer Fraud

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

www.usps.gov/websites/depart/

inspect/consmenu.htm

• Consumer Education Resource Lists

National Institute for Consumer

Education

www.emich.edu/public/coe/nice/

fraud.html

• American Association for Retired

Persons (AARP)

www.aarp.org/

• The U.S. Government’s Central

Web Site for Information About

Identity Theft

www.consumer.gov/idtheft/

• Commodity Futures Trading

Commission 

www.cftc.gov/

• Consumer Credit Counseling

Service

www.cccssdic.org/

• Federal Trade Commission

www.ftc.gov/

• Legal Services Corporation

www.lsc.gov/index2.htm

• National Futures Association

www.nfa.futures.org/

• National Fraud Information Center

www.fraud.org/

• National Insurance Crime Bureau

www.nicb.org/

• Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

www.privacyrights.org/

• Scam Alerts and Information

www.nsi.org/Tips/scams.html

• U.S. Securities and 

Exchange Commission 

www.sec.gov/

• National White Collar 

Crime Center 

www.iir.com/nwccc/

• National Criminal Justice

Reference Service

www.ncjrs.org/

If you need more information or have

questions concerning fraud or fraud

publications, please call the Office

for Victims of Crime Resource

Center toll free at 1–800–627–6872

or visit the OVC Web site at

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/.

Focus Group

Participants

OVC thanks the following participants who attended the Victims of

Fraud and Economic Crime focus

group meeting and contributed their

experience, information, and support.

The assembly at the focus group

meeting included citizens who had

been victims of fraud and economic

crime in addition to professionals

from both the criminal justice and

victim services fields.

Trudy Gregorie (Meeting

Facilitator), Director, Victim

Services, National Center for 

Victims of Crime

Kelly Brodie, Deputy Director, Iowa

Department of Justice, Crime Victim

Assistance Division
Michael Courville, Representative,

International Association of Chiefs 

of Police

Debbie Deem, Victim/Witness

Coordinator, U.S. Attorney’s Office

for the Central District of California

Laura Federline (Focus Group

Coordinator), Program Specialist,

Federal Crime Victims Division,

Office for Victims of Crime, U.S.

Department of Justice

Mari Frank, President, Mari J.

Frank and Associates

Robert Jacobs, Chief Probation

Officer, U.S. District Court,

Probation Department, Northern

District of Florida

Sharon Knope, Victim/Witness

Coordinator, U.S. Attorney’s Office

for the Western District of New York

Jane Kusic (Conference

Coordinator), Program Specialist,

National White Collar Crime Center

Steve Mehlman, Consumer

Representative, AARP, Southeast

Region

Rhonda Mims, J.D., Senior

Attorney, American Prosecutors

Research Institute

Marty Plone, D.V.M., Del Valle

Hospital

Marie Shadden (Contractor),

Associate III, Community Research

Associates

Marta Sotomayor, Ph.D., Executive

Director, National Hispanic Council

on Aging

Richard Titus, Ph.D., Program

Manager, National Institute of

Justice, U.S. Department of Justice

The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations

expressed in this document are

those of the authors and do not

necessarily represent the official

position or policies of the U.S.

Department of Justice.

The Office for Victims of Crime

is a component of the Office of

Justice Programs, which also

includes the Bureau of Justice

Assistance, the Bureau of Justice

Statistics, the Office of Juvenile

Justice and Delinquency

Prevention, and the National

Institute of Justice.

OVC Bulletin

NCJ 176357

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office for Victims of Crime

Washington, D.C. 20531

Official Business

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