OVC Bulletin, May 2000: Victims of Fraud and Economic Crime

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.

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OVC Bulletin, May 2000, Victims of Fraud and Economic Crime