# Elder Fraud Datasets — README

Open elder-fraud datasets published by HCSK Inc.

## Files

1. **fbi-ic3-elder-fraud-by-state-2025-and-5yr-growth.csv** — 52 rows; 2025 elder fraud snapshot per state, with 5-year growth %
2. **fbi-ic3-elder-fraud-by-crime-type-2021-2025.csv** — 20 rows; 4 categories × 5 years, US-wide totals
3. **fbi-ic3-fastest-growing-states-2021-2025.csv** — 52 rows; sorted by 5-year growth descending
4. **fbi-ic3-state-per-capita-2025.csv** — 52 rows; loss per senior (using Census 65+ pop)
5. **fbi-ic3-elder-fraud-by-state-2021-and-2025.csv** — 104 rows; 2021 and 2025 snapshots per state

## License

CC-BY 4.0. Federal source data is public domain. Reproduce freely with attribution to HCSK Inc.

## Source documents

- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, Annual Elder Fraud Reports, 2021-2025
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (for per-capita denominators)
- HCSK Inc., integrated analysis program (2026) for synthesis and 5-year growth calculations

## Caveats

- Reported losses represent only ~5-15% of actual losses (per FTC underreporting research). Use these figures as a lower bound.
- Per-capita figures use Census 65+ population as the denominator; FBI elder fraud data is 60+. The slight category mismatch is unavoidable due to standard Census reporting categories. This is documented in the `notes` column of the per-capita CSV.
- 2021 state-level figures in the panel CSV are back-derived from the 2025 figure and the reported 5-year growth percentage. They are mathematically consistent but not independently sourced — see methodology notes.

## Citation

```
HCSK Inc. (2026). Elder fraud datasets [Data set].
Retrieved from https://seniors.hcsk.org/for-researchers/data/
```

## Contact

research@hcsk.org for methodology questions, alternative aggregations, or corrections.