The Northville Township Police Department, always looking for ways to better “serve and protect” the community, recently began several different initiatives to help safeguard the area’s 65-plus community, which comprises about 20 percent of the township’s population.

The department’s mental health and fraud calls within that population have risen over the last couple of years. During 2023-24, Northville area seniors made up 14 percent of those needing assistance regarding mental health and 37 percent of township fraud incidents. During the first six months of 2025, those numbers jumped dramatically, with seniors needing assistance on 33 percent of mental health calls and almost 79 percent of fraud cases.

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen a notable increase in fraud complaints and the recent data illustrates how significant this trend has become,” said Northville Township Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police Scott Hilden. “Many of these investigations now involve elaborate, multi-million-dollar schemes that come in many forms.”

One of the most common involves victims being contacted by someone claiming to be a law enforcement official or federal agent, who tells them their financial accounts have been compromised and that they must move their money immediately. Other common frauds involve overseas investment opportunities, often offering the victim a short-term gain/ profit that builds confidence and leads them to invest a much larger sum, which ultimately results in a total loss.

“We’ve also handled multiple romance-based scams,” Hilden said. “In one recent case, a suspect built an online relationship with the victim over six months before asking for money, ultimately stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars. In many of these cases, the suspects request payment in cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, making recovery of funds extremely difficult.”

The Northville Township Police continues to take a proactive approach by investigating these crimes aggressively and increasing public awareness.

“We’ve been working closely with community organizations and residents to educate the public on how to recognize and report these scams before losses occur,” Hilden said.

The local police have also put up a sign near a Bitcoin machine to warn the community that if someone is requesting Bitcoin, they might be getting scammed and to call the police before purchasing Bitcoin. Many local businesses have removed the crypto ATMs to prevent future scams.

Township police is also continuing to strengthen its partnership with Northville Senior Services through a recently awarded grant that supports expanded community outreach and education.

The grant helps fund an embedded behavioral clinician shared with the cities of Northville and Plymouth. First, it’ll supplement its already great senior wellness programming with some additional seminars geared toward senior mental health and crime prevention, particularly fraud crimes. Additionally, it’ll coordinate with Senior Services to provide its staff with some mental health awareness training and to establish a referral program.

“While our focus is on educating all members of the community, seniors are often targeted because they tend to be trusting and genuinely want to do the right thing when contacted by someone who appears official,” Hilden said. “The grant allows us to allocate more resources to proactive programs, including safety presentations, community events and fraud-prevention workshops, all designed to equip residents with the knowledge and tools to protect themselves.

“By working together, our department and Senior Services are building a stronger network of support and education for our community’s older adults.”