Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson on Monday revealed plans for a statewide initiative to enhance Ohio’s response to romance scams and similar forms of financial exploitation targeting older adults.
Wilson unveiled the initiative, which prioritizes digital forensics in the fight against these growing crimes, during the 2026 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Conference, presented by his office and the Ohio Elder Abuse Commission at the Fawcett Center.
“Romance scams are among the most devastating crimes targeting older Ohioans because they steal more than money – they exploit trust,” Wilson said. “This new initiative will strengthen our ability to identify offenders, connect intelligence across jurisdictions and provide Ohioans with an easier way to report suspected scams before more victims are harmed.”
The effort, known as the Romance Impostor Scams Forensic Initiative, is due to officially launch in mid-July.
As part of the initiative, the Attorney General’s Office plans to establish a dedicated hotline for the public and law enforcement agencies to report suspected scams.
The hotline calls, in turn, will help investigators from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to identify patterns across jurisdictions and provide support for law enforcement agencies with such cases.
The Attorney General’s annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Conference featured a keynote presentation from Delaware County Probate Judge Dave Hejmanowski and Delaware County Prosecutor Milissa Schiffel, along with workshops focused on preventing abuse, neglect, exploitation and fraud affecting older Ohioans.
Throughout June – designated as Elder Abuse Awareness Month – the Attorney General’s Office encourages Ohioans to recognize the warning signs of elder abuse and financial exploitation, and to report suspected abuse to local authorities.
More specific information about the initiative and the hotline will be shared in the coming month.
