Most crooks are escaping as Internal Revenue Service impersonation scams grow, a study by the Senate Aging Committee cautioned Wednesday.

Nearly two million Americans have been targeted by people pretending to be with the IRS, but the Justice Department has successfully prosecuted only five of the fraudsters.

However, the Committee report said increased publicity has made it harder for crooks to seduce potential victims.

A new flavor of the fraud has scamsters claiming they're are following up on letters the IRS sent.

In written testimony accompanying the release of the report, a warning was offered by the Center for Advocacy for the Rights & Interests of the Elderly (CARIE) that many state adult protective services programs are having their funding cut while complaints they receive surge.

CARIE Executive Director Diane Menio said in the prepared testimony that federal block grants used to support the programs are under a major threat of elimination in Congress.

If the funding evaporates, she added, adult protective operations could be hard pressed to investigate the growing reports of abuse.