Artificial intelligence is making scams harder to detect and Wisconsin advocates are warning the financial toll is mounting, especially for older Wisconsinites.
Fraud complaints from people 60 and older spiked nearly 60% last year, with reported losses topping $7.7 billion, according to FBI data. The bureau pointed out impersonation scams in particular are surging.
Nancy Stencil, executive director of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans, said AI can allow an impostor to sound just like a loved one or appear to be a legitimate authority figure.
“Those I think are the ones that are probably the most scary because if I’m talking to somebody on the phone and it sounds exactly like my daughter, why would I have any reason to think otherwise?” Stencil observed.
From January 2025 through July of this year, the FBI received nearly 61,000 complaints involving impersonation scams, with more than $1.6 billion in reported losses. Senior advocates are calling on lawmakers to hold online platforms accountable for letting scams run rampant on their sites.
Nearly 80% of older adults reported at least one scam attempt in the past year, according to the National Council on Aging, with average losses of more than $38,000. Stencil acknowledged people may find it hard to believe someone could fall for a scam but fraudsters capitalize on a sense of urgency, causing people to act before they think.
“It’s the element of surprise that gets people. Like, you know, ‘Mom, I need this money right away,’ or, ‘They’re not going to let me out of jail,’ or something that really catches you, and we try to tell people to just take a pause before you engage,” Stencil recommended.
Stencil explained a pause can give people time to independently verify an urgent request through another family member or trusted person. She noted victims often feel ashamed afterward, making them reluctant to tell anyone about what happened but stressed the importance of reporting suspected fraud to financial institutions and law enforcement and staying educated on the latest scams.
“I think a lot of older people, especially, you’d be more afraid to tell your son or your daughter what happened, or now mom can’t live by herself anymore. I mean, it can happen to anybody,” Stencil underscored.
Judith Ruiz-Branch wrote this story for Wisconsin News Connection, a member of Public News Service.
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