Consumer Interest High-profile Orders and AI Hype Cannot Hide a Broken Consumer Justice System Sucheta Dalal, 17 April 2026 In the past six months, the national consumer disputes redressal commission (NCDRC) and the Supreme Court of India (SC) have delivered several consumer-friendly rulings on real-estate delays. It is a heartening development, given that… Consumer Interest...Read More

A Chinese man featured in a viral YouTube video confronting scam operators has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from his role in a sprawling, yearslong fraud scheme that targeted thousands of elderly victims across the United States, federal prosecutors said.  He is the second defendant to be charged out of five in an indictment that was...Read More

Bradenton A scammer has been convicted of grand theft after scamming an elderly Bradenton widower while pretending to be a female love interest, according to police. The Bradenton Police Department, assisted by the Bloomington Police Department in Minnesota, arrested Benjamin Yakah in 2024 after he posed online as a woman named “Julia” and scammed a...Read More

I write a lot about scams because I hate to see good, hardworking people have their money and personal information stolen by criminals who would be better served using their talents for something worthwhile and legal. There are thousands of different scams being worked in Illinois and across the nation, and many of them are...Read More

By Jack SchwedAn 85-year-old Wayland resident was home on March 18 when a laptop notification alerted her of a security breach and provided her a number to call for technical support. However, rather than being connected with a legitimate representative, the person on the other line was a scammer who told her to wire $63,200...Read More

Half of UK businesses have been targeted by fraudsters impersonating senior leaders in the past year, as the increasing visibility of senior executives online is making them more vulnerable. According to new research from global insurance broking and risk management firm Gallagher, senior leaders’ roles, movements and personal details are giving fraudsters the information they...Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › A harsh, gritty close-up of the financial aftermath of a romance scam, exposing the human cost of these predatory schemes.Bradenton Today The Bradenton Police Department announced that Benjamin Yakah, a Minnesota man, has been convicted of grand theft for scamming a 79-year-old Bradenton widower out of $31,000...Read More

Authorities in Florida and Massachusetts have successfully recovered $5.4 million in cryptocurrency from scammers. James Uthmeier, Florida Attorney General, said his office called the successful recovery a historic and monumental operation against crypto scams. The fraud cases involved a romance-turned crypto investment scam affecting victims in Florida and Massachusetts. According to the attorney general’s office,...Read More

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Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › Scams targeting the elderly expose the need for greater protections and awareness around home repair fraud.El Paso Today Two El Paso men were arrested and charged with deceptive business practices in separate cases after investigators said they were targeting elderly victims involving home and vehicle repairs. In...Read More

BEMIDJI — Minnesota Aging Pathways will host a presentation on fraud prevention and scams from 1 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, at the Bemidji Senior Center, 216 Third St. NW. The presentation will include information on fraud prevention, as well as how to detect and report fraud and scams. “Fraud and scams are...Read More

A presentation geared to help seniors learn how to prevent home improvement and construction scams will be held at the Pasadena Senior Center on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. Attendees may register to attend both in-person or via Zoom. The “Senior Scam Stopper’ seminar, presented by the Contractors State Licensing Board (CSLB) and the...Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › As tax season heightens the risk of financial scams targeting seniors, experts advise caution when receiving unsolicited calls about money matters.Midland Today With tax season in full swing, experts are warning seniors to be on the lookout for scammers trying to take advantage of them. Scammers often...Read More

Seniors’ financial literacy is more important now than ever before as scams against older Americans become ever more sophisticated, experts testified Wednesday at a hearing before the Senate Special Committee on Aging. “In 2024, fraud and scam cost older Americans nearly $5 billion. These criminals are not amateurs,” Committee Chairman Sen.Rick Scott (R-FL) said. “They...Read More

Contact:Simona CombiPublic Relations Manager571-527-3982simona.combi@ncoa.org March 31, 2026, Arlington, Virginia—Research conducted by the National Council on Aging (NCOA), the national voice for every person’s right to age well, reveals that older Americans face an unprecedented wave of online scams. Once they understand the advertising practices of social media platforms, they demand reform. To understand older adults’ perceptions about...Read More

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Two El Paso men were arrested for deceptive business practices targeting elderly victims, according to a news release by the El Paso County Constable’s Office for Precinct 4. Jaime Montoya The first man, 53-year-old Jaime Montoya, was booked into the El Paso Detention Facility on an outstanding warrant for probation...Read More

Police in New Westminster are warning the public about a “chimney scam” after a senior was targeted by fraudsters. An “observant and compassionate” resident contacted police out of concern that her 90-year-old neighbour might be the victim of a scam. Police stopped by the senior’s residence to learn more about what occurred on March 25th....Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › AARP’s free fraud prevention workshops aim to equip Las Vegas retirees with the knowledge to avoid becoming victims of financial exploitation.Las Vegas Today The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is hosting a series of free workshops throughout the Las Vegas valley during April to help senior...Read More

Senior citizens in Hall County should be wary of scammers using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency schemes. The Oakwood Police Department said these scams normally begin with a phone call, text message or email that appears to come from a trusted source, such as a bank, government agency, or even a relative in distress.  Victims are...Read More

TALLAHASSEE – A panel of Florida state senators advanced legislation Wednesday that would make it harder for fraudulent telemarketers to mask their true identities, a move aimed at reducing scams targeting senior citizens. Sen. Ileana Garcia, a Miami Republican, sponsor of SB 1516, told her colleagues that spoofed numbers or other deceptive caller ID practices...Read More

It started with a phone call claiming to be from the bank – something many would trust without hesitation. What followed is a reminder of just how convincing and costly these scams can become. The Guelph Police Service is investigating after alert store staff halted a fraud attempt, saving the victim $1,000. Tuesday afternoon the...Read More

Seniors tend to own their homes and have strong credit and ample savings, according to the FBI — all factors that make scams targeting seniors increasingly common. They’re also less likely to report fraud and tend to be less familiar with technology. The result? They’re are a favorite target for fraudsters. Seniors lose more money...Read More

Legislation to put new rules on ATM-like kiosks has failed in the past two sessions. OLYMPIA, Wash. — Centralia police said a woman recently lost more than $1,400 to a scammer posing as a sheriff’s deputy who convinced her to deposit cash into a cryptocurrency kiosk — the latest in a wave of fraud schemes...Read More

WELLSBORO, Pa. (WENY) — A free seminar aimed at helping senior citizens protect themselves from fraud is scheduled for next week in Tioga County. The event will cover common types of scams involving fraud, cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence. Participants will also learn how to safeguard their finances and identify suspicious activity on their accounts, as...Read More

WASHINGTON–The Defense Credit Union Council Tuesday sent a letter to Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Rick Scott and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand ahead of the hearing, “Empowering Seniors Through Financial Literacy: Tools to Protect Savings, Prevent Fraud, and Promote Independence.” In the letter, DCUC stressed the growing threat of financial fraud targeting older Americans, including...Read More

The Hamilton Police Service Crimes Against Seniors Unit has arrested and charged a woman in connection with a fraud targeting an elderly victim through a “bank investigator” scam. The victim received a phone call from an individual impersonating a bank investigator, who claimed the victim’s account had been flagged for money laundering. The caller instructed...Read More

More than 1 million older adults lost almost $2 billion in the past year due to fraud schemes targeting them, according to the Department of Justice’s annual report on elder abuse and fraud. The DOJ’s “Annual Report to Congress on Department of Justice Activities to Combat Elder Fraud and Abuse” report to Congress outlines its...Read More

To stream CBS19 on your phone, you need the CBS19 app. Download the CBS19 app The FBI says seniors lose more than $3 billion yearly to fraud, with AARP finding nearly 1 in 10 adults over 50 targeted by online romance scams. ...Read More

Elder fraud impacts millions of Americans, and the number of people affected continues to grow, accruing up to $3 billion in financial losses annually, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The organization R.O.S.E., which stands for Resources/Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly, specializes in educating seniors on how to avoid financial scams. Brian Watson, Community...Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › A harsh flash photograph of the fraudulent home repair contract at the center of this elderly exploitation case exposes the stark, gritty realities of financial crimes targeting vulnerable seniors.Waterloo Today Two individuals, Iscca L. Fulton of Waterloo, Illinois and Robert Boswell of Connersville, Indiana, have been charged...Read More

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier was in Ocala on Tuesday to discuss the work of the state’s new cyber fraud enforcement unit, which focuses on recovering funds lost to online scams. One of the most common cases the unit encounters involves scams targeting senior citizens on dating websites. Uthmeier shared an example of a recent...Read More

Attorney General James Uthmeier says investigators have broken up a cyberfraud operation that bilked a senior citizen out of $450,000. Uthmeier in a news conference detailed an investigation that found an online scam where the victim lost that money “in a matter of weeks.” Uthmeier added that as the Marion County Sheriff’s Office looked into...Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › A senior citizen’s personal experience with fraud attempts highlights the need for greater education and support to protect vulnerable populations.Pueblo Today A Colorado Springs senior named Elinor Makings reached out to local news station KOAA5 with concerns about receiving suspicious emails that claimed fraudulent activity on her...Read More

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SCAMS | Pennsylvania Attorney General holds meeting ON THE AG’S EFFORTS TODAY TO EDUCATE SENIORS ABOUT THESE SCAMS. FOR THE SENIOR CITIZENS WHO ATTENDED THIS EVENT IN HARRISBURG, IT WAS A RARE OPPORTUNITY, A CHANCE TO GET ADVICE ON HOW TO PREVENT SCAMS FROM THE STATE’S TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER....Read More

Updated Dec. 18, 2025, 6:17 p.m. ET Phony promises to triple your retirement savings and other wild schemes engineered by scammers can stir up all sorts of financial woes for seniors. According to a new report from the Federal Trade Commission, older adults reported losing far more money to investment scams than to any other...Read More

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A Colorado Springs senior who feared she was being targeted by fraud is now finding relief. News5 first met Elinor Makings in March when she reached out with concerns about suspicious emails. Watch News5 coverage of those suspicious emails below: Since then, she says the emails haven’t stopped coming. “They’re...Read More

Image Source: Pexels If you think privacy threats are just about hackers in dark rooms, think again. Today’s risks are smarter, more personal, and often designed specifically to target older adults. In fact, Americans over 60 lose billions each year to fraud, with identity theft and scams evolving rapidly thanks to new technology. Many of...Read More

EUGENE, Ore. – A local bank has alerted the Eugene Police Department about a rise in wire transfer scams targeting older residents. According to the bank, victims are often coached by scammers to claim they are sending money for home repairs or to a relative. EPD advises caution when asked to perform a wire transfer....Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › A free seminar aims to arm North Ridgeville residents with the knowledge to avoid becoming victims of the fraud schemes that have cost the city millions.North Ridgeville Today The North Ridgeville Senior Center is partnering with PNC Bank to host a free fraud awareness seminar open to...Read More

The victim received a phone call from an individual impersonating a bank investigator who claimed the victim’s account had been flagged for money laundering NEWS RELEASE HAMILTON POLICE *********************** The Hamilton Police Service Crimes Against Seniors Unit has arrested and charged a woman in connection with a fraud targeting an elderly victim through a “bank...Read More

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Aging Untold) — Crysta Willis received a call that appeared legitimate on her caller ID. Someone claiming to be law enforcement told her that her grandson had been in an accident and needed bond money immediately. “Usually a scam says ‘potential scam,’ or something like this, but it was actually somebody’s name with...Read More

(KNSI) – The St. Cloud Police Department is aiming to arm senior citizens with the knowledge needed to spot a scam and fraud. Local Crime Prevention Specialist Emily Voigt says no one should have to learn this lesson the hard way, and so she has prepared a free two-hour class specifically designed for older adults...Read More

HARTFORD, CT — The Connecticut Judicial Branch is warning residents of two separate scams targeting residents.  The first scam falsely claims that the recipient of a text has received a traffic citation and that the recipient has failed to pay a fine. In some instances, the name of a Connecticut state court judge is utilized....Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › A new Kansas law aims to curb cryptocurrency scams targeting vulnerable residents by regulating the state’s crypto kiosks.Topeka Today Kansas has passed a new law aimed at protecting seniors and other vulnerable residents from cryptocurrency scams. The legislation, which was pushed by lawmakers in Topeka, regulates cryptocurrency...Read More

Dear Savvy Senior,  My adult kids keep warning me about scams, but it’s hard to know which calls and messages are dangerous. What scams are most commonly aimed at seniors right now?  — Almost 80  Dear Almost,  Your kids’ concerns are well founded. Financial fraud is a massive – and rapidly growing – problem for older Americans. In 2024 alone, scams cost...Read More

JASON SETNYK A strong turnout of seniors filled the Seaway Senior Citizen Centre during Fraud Prevention Month, as community partners delivered timely information on how to recognize and avoid scams. The session, led by the Cornwall Police Service and Victim Services of Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry & Akwesasne, focused on common fraud tactics ranging from phone...Read More

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — The 190 young doctors who fell victim to a suspected scam at Tunku Azizah Hospital (HTA) were not simply careless or naive, said senior doctors in the health service. Instead, they point to a more complicated reality of inexperienced trainees navigating unfamiliar systems, the authority of administrative staff, and a...Read More

As those numbers rise, because the population is aging and predators are growing increasingly resourceful, banks and investment firms are becoming the first line of defense. Zoranm/Getty Images The first call came just before Thanksgiving last year. She didn’t recognize the phone number, but she answered anyway. “The person said he was an officer of...Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › The annual fraud summit in Kalispell brings together community members of all ages to learn about the latest scams and how to protect themselves.Kalispell Today My Glacier Village, a local organization, is hosting its fifth annual fraud summit on Saturday at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell,...Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › A new bipartisan bill aims to shut down the virtual currency kiosks that have become a common tool for scammers preying on vulnerable seniors in Stillwater and across Minnesota.Stillwater Today A bipartisan Minnesota Senate bill co-authored by Sen. Karin Housley of Stillwater would ban virtual currency kiosks...Read More

BARTONVILLE (25News Now) – Police say once scammers get someone’s money, it can be very hard to get it back. The Village of Bartonville is helping older students learn how to avoid becoming victims, at it’s annual Safety for Seniors event Saturday. The village has hosted this event for more than 20 years, as seniors...Read More

Senior potluck to feature police talk on scams, music and food – South Tahoe Now Skip to content Home » Senior potluck to feature police talk on scams, music and food Click Here For The Original Source. ——————————————————– .......... . .Read More

If you need help with the Public File, call (407) 291-6000 At WKMG, we are committed to informing and delighting our audience. In our commitment to covering our communities with innovation and excellence, we incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance our news gathering, reporting, and presentation processes. Read our article to see how we...Read More

Latest FTC report shows older adults lose the most money to scams SCAMMERS OFTEN TARGET OLDER CONSUMERS. AND ACCORDING TO THE LATEST SCAM REPORT FROM THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, SCAMMERS ARE GETTING TO THEIR TARGETS MORE OFTEN. EIGHT ON YOUR SIDE CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR BRIAN ROCHE SHOWS US THE NUMBERS. HERE’S THE HEADLINE FROM THIS LATEST...Read More

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Shutterstock/ Lightspring One in four Americans report receiving deepfake voice calls in twelve months Spam calls are increasing rapidly, averaging nearly ten unwanted calls weekly AI allows scammers to clone voices with minimal effort now New research...Read More

One family is speaking out after a 78-year-old retired Texas widower was scammed out of $2 million — part of a widespread scheme authorities say has targeted seniors across the state. Robert Brown was caught up in what police are calling a major “gold bar scam” that has taken $55 million from victims statewide, according...Read More

A woman accused of stealing the identifies of five senior victims to obtain more than $100,000 in fraudulent loans from Citibank has been arrested by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Candice Dale Patrick, 47, was arrested Feb. 25 on suspicion of grand theft money/property. She was being held on $1 million bond. All...Read More

By Dan Murphy Whenever most of us go to our supermarket to buy gift cards, one of the standard questions asked is “Are you buying this gift card for someone else?” Most of us wonder why the question is asked. The reason is that a 10-year-old scam targeting seniors is alive and well, and here...Read More

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Senior fraud is a growing problem in the Wabash Valley. Savvy scammers are swindling seniors, sometimes out of their life savings. In 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that more than $16 billion was lost to scams, with the majority of victims being seniors. However, there is some good...Read More

Online banking and digital payments have made life easier, but they have also increased the risk of cyber fraud and financial scams, especially targeting senior citizens. To address this growing concern, the Reserve Bank of india (RBI) is planning stronger safety measures to protect users from online fraud. Why RBI Is Strengthening Fraud Controls Digital...Read More

KALISPELL — My Glacier Village is hosting its fifth annual fraud summit on Saturday at Flathead Valley Community College, and this year’s free event is open to the entire community. The summit will cover current scams, warning signs, scammer tactics, and what to do if someone is targeted. Common evolving scams include relationship scams, banking...Read More

Six arrested in $3M ‘gold bar’ scam A Friendswood woman was one of six elder Texans scammed by people who allegedly told them to buy gold to “protect” their assets. FOX 26’s Sherman Desselle explains the scheme and spoke to a local coin store salesman for more insight. HOUSTON – Six people have been arrested...Read More

A new AARP report has found that an estimated 38 percent of American adults (about 103 million people) have had money stolen due to fraud or sensitive information obtained and used fraudulently. The numbers are even higher among adults age 50 and older, with 41 percent saying they’ve been victims, compared with 35 percent of...Read More

David Broadway, previously convicted of fraud in Indiana, faces new Ohio charges including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. TOLEDO, Ohio — A man previously reported by 11 Investigates for allegedly scamming older adults across multiple states has pleaded not guilty to new felony charges in Ohio. According to court records, David Broadway entered...Read More

April 9 : India’s central bank is planning to introduce delays in high-value digital transactions and extra checks for payments made by senior citizens as part of broader measures to curb a surge in online fraud, a discussion paper released on Thursday showed. The suggestions come as digital payment fraud has risen sharply in India,...Read More

If you’ve got aging parents in New Jersey, this one might hit a nerve. Because somehow… we only ranked #25 in the country for elderly care. Seriously? NJ Lands At #25, And It Feels Low A new study from Compare the Market ranked all 50 states using a Senior Healthcare Quality Index that factored in...Read More

The internet, email and many others forms of digital communication and transactions have provided us today with conveniences that were once not conceivable. But like with any other technological advancement, artificial intelligence being at the forefront today, bad actors and criminals can use it for nefarious and illegal means. Anyone can be the target of...Read More

A disturbing case of cyber fraud has emerged from Maharashtra’s Thane district, where a senior citizen was duped of over ₹1.5 crore in a sophisticated “digital arrest” scam—highlighting the growing menace of fear-based online extortion targeting vulnerable individuals. The case underscores how cybercriminals are increasingly using psychological pressure, impersonation, and fabricated legal threats to manipulate...Read More

Imagine answering the phone and hearing your grandson’s voice pleading for help — only to discover it’s not him at all. Increasingly, reports are pouring in of “voice cloning” scams, where artificial intelligence (AI) can mimic someone’s speech so perfectly that even close family members cannot tell the difference. This new wave of fraud is...Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › As crypto kiosk scams targeting seniors escalate, the harsh reality of the damage done is exposed in this stark, investigative visual.Olympia Today A new bill in Washington state is aiming to crack down on crypto kiosk scams that have increasingly targeted and victimized senior citizens. The legislation,...Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › A town hall event in Pittsburgh aims to arm seniors with the knowledge to avoid the growing threat of online fraud schemes targeting older adults.Today in Pittsburgh Several Pennsylvania state lawmakers held a town hall event in Pittsburgh to help seniors recognize and avoid common scams, as...Read More

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A Nashville senior is warning others after he says he was scammed by what appeared to be a professional piano moving company. Robert Russell is out $150 after giving Piano Movers Pro, a company he found online, a deposit over Venmo to move a piano in February. But when the day...Read More

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed Congressman Josh Gottheimer’s (D-5) bipartisan Senior Security Act. Gottheimer’s legislation will help stop financial predators from scamming seniors out of their savings by creating a federal Senior Investor Task Force within the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to strengthen protections and safeguards for senior investors. Watch...Read More

Gurugram: Two IAS officers were placed under immediate suspension Thursday in Haryana for their alleged role in diversion of public funds to private banks, ThePrint has learnt. Haryana chief secretary Anurag Rastogi issued the order suspending Pardeep Kumar of the 2011 batch and Ram Kumar Singh of the 2012 batch. Kumar was serving as director,...Read More

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – As Valentine’s Day approaches, new national research from AARP reveals a significant digital threat to older Americans.  Nearly one in ten adults aged 50 and older have been targeted by an online romantic connection who ultimately asked for money or promoted a cryptocurrency investment.  The study finds that these scams are...Read More

Listen to this article Estimated 3 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. A non-profit in Newfoundland and Labrador is helping seniors navigate possible financial scams with a new focus on digital guidance and...Read More

PENNSYLVANIA — In 2004, federal data revealed that older Americans reported $12.5 billion in losses from internet scams, a 25 percent increase from the year before. Here in Pennsylvania, more than 4,000 scam-related complaints were filed, with residents losing more than $76 million to scammers in 2025 alone., state officials said. That number is likely...Read More

Global cybersecurity leader Nord Security and personal finance icon Suze Orman unveiled a comprehensive solution to protect older Americans from the growing epidemic of online scams LONDON, April 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As fraud schemes become more sophisticated and financially devastating, NordProtect – Nord Security’s all-in-one identity and online protection service – has partnered...Read More

Reading Time: < 1 minute Elder fraud and senior scams are a billion-dollar industry. Criminals target older adults through technology, impersonating government officials, investment schemes and using scare tactics to trick seniors out for their money. The scammers are relentless, and their coordinated attacks are designed to take advantage of the most vulnerable. San Diego...Read More

GREENVILLE, S.C. (InvestigateTV) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning seniors about a scam that has cost South Carolinians nearly $10 million this year. “We know there are multiple people in the Upstate that have experienced this or people who have attempted to scam them out of their hard-earned money,” FBI Public Affairs Specialist,...Read More

Similar to how scammers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to impersonate CEOs to defraud businesses, they’re also mimicking regular people to prey on their elderly loved ones. Case in point: an AI-enhanced grandparent scam that cost an 86-year-old grandmother in Philadelphia $6,000 last year. The woman received a phone call from a person she thought...Read More

According to William Mailer, Chief Behavioural Scientist at CBA, scammers are exploiting normal workplace behaviours and pressures rather than technical gaps alone, often mimicking real suppliers, colleagues or executives and using authentic‑looking email addresses – a hallmark of business email compromise scams. “Business email compromise scams are designed to feel routine and familiar; they mirror how we normally work and communicate often using familiar corporate language. By targeting...Read More

Cryptocurrency investment fraud is on the rise, according to the FBI. James Martin/CNET Online scams are lucrative for criminals, and AI is making it easier to swindle US targets, according to the FBI’s latest Internet Crime Report. Each year, the FBI publishes statistics from its Internet Crime Complaint Center, and this year’s report broke the $20 billion barrier...Read More

Photo provided Dear Savvy Senior,My adult kids keep warning me about scams, but it’s hard to know which calls and messages are dangerous. What scams are most commonly aimed at seniors right now?– Almost 80 Dear Almost,Your kids’ concerns are well founded. Financial fraud is a massive – and rapidly growing – problem for older...Read More

by Kandiss Edwards December 15, 2025 Seniors have been consistently targeted by a wide range of scams. New data from the Federal Trade Commission show that reported financial fraud losses among older Americans increased sharply in 2024, totaling billions of dollars. A wide range of scams has consistently targeted seniors, the FTC revealed in a report...Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › A recent wave of gold scams targeting senior citizens has exposed the vulnerability of elderly consumers to sophisticated financial fraud schemes.Kentwood Today A 25-year-old New Jersey man has been arrested and charged with extortion for allegedly scamming an elderly couple in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana out of hundreds...Read More

Scam texts and phone calls are becoming increasingly common, with seniors often among the top targets. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is now working to help older adults recognize the warning signs before they lose money.Barbara and Greg Epley recently found themselves in the middle of a scam while trying to sell furniture online. They...Read More

We’re all probably aware that scammers, or scam artists, or fraudsters, or the old-fashioned named “con men,” are after anyone who has a few dollars in their pockets. Scammers really don’t discriminate, but if you’re a senior or retiree, the unfortunate reality is that you’ve got a much bigger target on your back than most. And the...Read More

Des Moines – Sanjeev Kumar, age 41, of Owensboro, Kentucky was sentenced in Jasper County on February 2, 2026, for his role in a large-scale fraud operation targeting an Iowa senior citizen.  Kumar pled guilty to the charge of Facilitating a Criminal Network (Class B Felony) and was sentenced to a prison term not to...Read More

Lincoln police responded Monday to a reported fraud in progress involving an elderly couple who were allegedly targeted in a vehicle repair scheme.Investigators said the suspects worsened damage to the couple’s truck instead of fixing it. The vehicle had been spray-painted, and a suction cup and primer were used, causing additional damage, according to police....Read More

Tax day is just about a week away. As that deadline approaches, scammers could be looking to take advantage of the last-minute pressure.”For every new day, there’s a new scam,” Heather Deare, director of civil legal services at the Rural Law Center of New York, said. The April 15 tax deadline is coming up fast,...Read More

The judge talked about the rise of fraud cases in the United States, an uptick his said now totals more than $15 billion in losses during 2025. Crenshaw County Sheriff Terry Mears and Luverne Police Sgt. Earl Thompson relayed facts about local cases of actual fraud crimes and provided prevention tips for seniors to consider.  ...Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › An X-ray view of a medical device reveals the hidden vulnerabilities that scammers exploit to defraud Medicare.Albany Today The New York StateWide Senior Action Council, a 54-year-old non-profit organization, has announced its Medicare Fraud of the Month for April: Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) scams. These scams involve...Read More

A 22-year-old man from Pompano Beach was arrested last week and faces several charges after allegedly scamming an elderly victim out of tens of thousands of dollars in an elaborate Deerfield Beach bank fraud scheme, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said Thursday. How the Deerfield Beach bank scam unfolded BSO detectives said they were tipped off by...Read More

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — Montgomery County police and the FBI announced Monday that arrests have been made in an international fraud scheme following a years-long investigation into a scam that originated in call centers in India. The announcement was made along with the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s office. According to the FBI, approximately 660...Read More

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has a warning for local seniors about scams. The sheriff’s office partnered with CenterWell Senior Primary Care on Tuesday to expose the tactics scammers are using to target seniors. The goal was to empower seniors with the tools they need to stay protected as scammers grow...Read More

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The crackdown on fraud in Minnesota will serve as a blueprint for a new Department of Justice office focused on protecting taxpayer funds from scams, President Donald Trump‘s pick to serve as the nation’s “fraud czar” explained in his nomination hearing Wednesday.  “The work in Minnesota has...Read More

Lt. Gov. Jay Collins visited Jacksonville to illustrate the state’s commitment to older Floridians at a senior living facility. Operation Senior Shield, an initiative to help seniors stay ahead of scammers, was the topic in front of a room full of young-at-heart residents of the Sunshine State. Collins described it as a “tool to combat senior...Read More

Federal watchdog warns of a sharp rise in scam emails posing as Social Security statements. Fraudsters are using official-looking logos, language, and links to steal personal data. Officials urge Americans to delete suspicious messages and access accounts only through SSA.gov. Everyone should be on the lookout for scams — especially retirees. Scammers target seniors because they are...Read More

As we near Tax Day, law enforcement agencies are warning against scammers who pretend to be government agents and target seniors. Monroe County Sheriff’s community engagement deputy Nathan Clarke joined ARC Rochester on Tuesday to tell us more. Click here to file a complaint about an Internet crime. Investigators are searching for Jaime Ortiz, 44,...Read More

U.S. Sens. Andy Kim Andy Kim (D-NJ), Susan Collins (R-ME), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Dave McCormick (R-PA) have introduced legislation to stop financial predators from scamming American seniors. © Shutterstock The legislation, the Senior Security Act, would protect seniors’ savings by creating a Senior Investor Task Force within the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that...Read More

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Scammers are targeting shoppers during the holiday rush, with senior citizens facing the highest risk of falling victim to fraud schemes. The Better Business Bureau says holiday scams both in person and online are more active as Christmas approaches. Russell Parham, manager for governance, risk and compliance for Augusta University, said...Read More

Image courtesy Canva Congressman Derek Schmidt has joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to introduce legislation aimed at improving how the federal government coordinates efforts to combat scams, especially those targeting seniors. The National Strategy for Combating Scams Act seeks to streamline cooperation among the many federal agencies responsible for addressing different forms of fraud,...Read More

Fairfield police say two separate investigations into financial scams targeting elderly residents have led to arrests, with victims collectively losing more than $457,000. According to the Fairfield Police Department, both instances involved victims being persuaded to withdraw large sums of money and convert their assets into gold, which was then handed over to individuals posing...Read More

Lane V. Erickson / Shutterstock.com Quick Read The Social Security Administration sent out an urgent warning. According to the SSA, scams are on the rise. Retirees need to be aware of signs of scams so they don’t fall victim. A recent study identified one single habit that doubled Americans’ retirement savings and moved retirement from...Read More

A Woodland Hills teenager recalls how her grandparents nearly got scammed, and now the 16-year-old has turned that experience into a learning platform, specifically for seniors. From fake calls to phony texts, with AI adding to the confusion, Girl Scout Annabelle Miller already understands how sophisticated scammers can be.   “This guy pretending to be...Read More

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The FBI is sounding the alarm after seniors in San Diego County reported losing at least $108 million in elder fraud scams in 2024. “Just in the last two weeks, I’ve had two victims, both of them reported over $2 million stolen from them,” said Michael Rod, a supervisory special agent...Read More

LARGO, Fla. – A report from the Federal Trade Commission showed a spike in reported losses from fraud among seniors. The FTC released its Protecting Older Consumers 2024-2025 report last month. Law enforcement officers in the Tampa Bay area are now warning of a rise in scams targeting seniors. READ: DOJ seizes stolen database targeting Americans in...Read More

(Photo credit: Pexels/cottonbro studio) Everyone has been told not to share personal information with strangers or give money for a scenario that seems too good to be true. Yet during 2024, scammers stole $12.5 billion from Americans, according to the Federal Trade Commission. It actually is even worse, because some victims are just too embarrassed...Read More

(Pew Research Center illustration; photo via Getty Images) How we did this Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand Americans’ experiences with and views of online scams and attacks. For this analysis, we surveyed 9,397 adults from April 14 to 20, 2025. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the...Read More

Online and text message scams are on the rise. Tim Harrington lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, and told the Scripps News Group in Tampa he started noticing them a few years ago. “It’s just gotten progressively worse since. Like it’s, it’s completely out of control,” said Harrington. Former law enforcement officer turned cybersecurity expert and...Read More

MARATHON COUNTY, Wis. (WSAW) – People in Marathon County, mostly seniors, are losing up to $180,000 to scammers who convince them to deposit cash into cryptocurrency machines and send digital money to scammers. The scams start with phone calls where scammers tell victims they have a warrant out for their arrest or missed jury duty...Read More

(Screenshot by Jo Lutz for the Daily Press)Grant County Sheriff Raul Villanueva warned residents of rampant online and phone scams targeting senior citizens. He also introduced a public comment portal for his department, accessible via the Grant County sheriff’s Facebook page or using a QR code posted on patrol vehicles and at the Sheriff’s Office....Read More

“One of us has to go to North Carolina,” Joe told me. “Like, as soon as possible.” I sighed, my anger and anxiety rising. We were in the thick of the pandemic, and COVID vaccines weren’t yet available to the public, so it seemed wildly unsafe to travel to a 78-year-old man’s home, particularly around...Read More

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today sued Athena Bitcoin, Inc. (Athena), one of the country’s largest operators of Bitcoin Automated Teller Machines (BTMs), for charging undisclosed fees on deposits that it knows are often the result of scams, and for failing to implement adequate anti-fraud measures. When users discover they have been scammed and seek...Read More

Fighting Senior Scams Together In my conversations with neighbors, I often hear concerns about scams and fraud targeting seniors. Many of us have seen these scams impact our loved ones, and while they may seem like just a nuisance, they can also carry serious financial and emotional consequences. Senior Scam Stopper Seminar Scammers are also...Read More

Scammers are getting smarter and seniors are often their main targets. That’s why Assemblymember Dawn Addis and local leaders hosted a Senior Scam Stoppers event on Wednesday to help residents spot fraud before it’s too late. Addis’ office says they’ve seen a rise in cases where people click fake links or lose money to bogus...Read More

Oklahoma Department of Securities addresses scams targeting seniors Securities officials address what Oklahoma seniors need to know STATE LEADERS THEY ARE LOOKING TO PROTECT OLDER OKLAHOMANS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO FRAUD AND SCAMS THAT ARE TARGETING OLDER FAMILY MEMBERS OR LOVED ONES. THIS MORNING, WHAT THE TOP SENIOR SCAMS ARE IN OKLAHOMA RIGHT NOW....Read More

YEAGERTOWN — Financial scams aimed at older adults have become one of the most persistent and damaging crimes affecting communities today. Seniors across the country report receiving a steady stream of suspicious phone calls, text messages, emails and social media contacts. Many of these messages appear legitimate at first glance. Some mimic government agencies. Others...Read More

The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of 11 people, mostly Southern California residents, involved in a complex fraud scheme where property titles of elderly victims were allegedly stolen for the sake of securing millions of dollars’ worth of loans. Nearly all defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, while...Read More

SPONSORED: As technology becomes more essential to daily life, many older adults face a growing challenge: navigating devices, apps, and online risks that seem seem to evolve every week. One young entrepreneur is stepping in to bridge that gap for seniors across the Puget Sound region. Your Senior Tech,...Read More

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Kentuckians lost more than $72 million last year to fraud, according to sources, with adults over the age of 60 reporting fraud more than any other age group. Chase Bank and Lexington Police met at the Lexington Senior Center Tuesday to address that statistic ahead of what officials call a busy...Read More

Those committing elder fraud are only going to get more sophisticated. It’s up to us to protect our financial – and psychological – well-being. Photo: Getty Images. Elder fraud is on the rise, with scammers stealing $3.4 billion from older U.S. adults in 2023 alone. That figure was 14% higher than the previous year, and...Read More

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. › A harsh, unforgiving flash illuminates the tattered remains of a fraudulent investment statement, symbolizing the devastating impact of this scam on vulnerable elderly victims.Union City Today A 60-year-old Union City man named Antonio Petrosino, also known as Anthony Petrosino, has admitted to defrauding several elderly victims out...Read More

Vea esta página en español Spot and Prevent Elder Financial Abuse Each year, older adults in this country fall victim to financial abuse, costing seniors an estimated $27 billion. Financial exploitation can take many forms such as theft of money or property by a family member, caregiver, or scammer. It is vital to take precautions...Read More

Financial fraud is a problem that affects millions of Canadians every year, with older Canadians increasingly becoming the target of potential fraudsters. In 2024, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) received 108,878 fraud reports totaling $638 million in losses. Many of the most common scams law enforcement officials are seeing today – including the so-called...Read More

Financial scams targeting seniors in San Diego County are becoming more sophisticated and more costly. In just the first half of 2025, 747 older adults in San Diego County have fallen victim to scams, losing nearly $70 million. The county started keeping track of the amount of money seniors were losing to scams in 2022...Read More

September 18, 2025 — Press Release NCLC Senior Attorney Provides Testimony to U.S. House Subcommittee on Payment Fraud, Prevention WASHINGTON –  Today, Carla Sanchez-Adams, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), provided testimony to the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee during a hearing titled, “Fraud in Focus:...Read More

Scams targeting the elderly in San Diego County resulted in losses of more than $130 million over the course of a single year, San Diego County’s multi-agency Elder Justice Task Force announced Tuesday. Officials released the statistics Tuesday as part of an ongoing outreach campaign regarding increasingly sophisticated internet and phone scams that are leading...Read More

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentuckians lost $72 million to scams last year, according to federal data, with the majority of reported victims over 60 years old. That’s why Chase partnered with the Lexington Senior Center for an educational seminar to help protect vulnerable community members from fraud. Susan Higdon, a senior who attended the...Read More

Plano, Texas — In many ways, Tejasvi Manoj of Plano, Texas, is an average 17-year-old. “You’ve got to balance, like, all of your classes, and then you have college applications as well,” Manoj told CBS News.  But she’s spending much of her senior year of high school with a different type of senior, visiting older...Read More

Reports to the FTC show a growing wave of scams aimed squarely at retirees’ life savings. These scammers pretend to be from known and trusted government agencies and businesses. And, in an ironic twist, recent scams use fake security alerts and other false alarms to prey on older adults’ vigilance about protecting their money and...Read More

10’000 Hours | Digitalvision | Getty Images Criminals are increasingly pilfering the retirement and other financial accounts of older Americans via so-called “imposter” scams, the Federal Trade Commission reported Thursday. The frauds tend to go like this: Scammers conjure a fake crisis and pose as trustworthy sources — perhaps a representative for a bank or...Read More

School for the Digital Future Lecturer Margaret Sass has released a free online course and companion book to help seniors recognize and avoid scams that use artificial intelligence. The course is available through BroncoLearn with the support of Jackie Throngard. The Course, AI Scam Protection for Seniors, offers practical tips to stay safe online without...Read More

 After Tejasvi Manoj, 17, learned that an online scammer had almost stolen $2,000 from her 85-year-old grandfather last year, the Texas high school student decided she wanted to do something to help other older adults navigate the internet safely. So she developed an app that helps users detect scams. Now Manoj is a bit of...Read More

A senior Marine veteran from Oceanside said scammers took his dignity when they swindled him out of nearly $35,000 through an elaborate phone call scheme. Tom Eberhardt received a call from a woman claiming to be an Apple representative telling him his account had been compromised in connection with racketeering and money laundering activities. “I...Read More

Every year, seniors in Utah lose $92 million to financial exploitation, according to figures from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services. Across the U.S., FBI internet crime data show elders were bilked out of $16.6 billion by fraudsters in 2024 — a 33% increase from the previous year. The reported losses are likely...Read More

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – A new study from the A-A-R-P shows seniors lost $2.4 billion to scammers in 2024. That’s a 43-percent increase from the year before. And this year, $745 million was lost in just the first fiscal quarter. Meanwhile, more than 147,000 complaints were filed to the F-B-I in 2024. To take a...Read More

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — A seminar this week looks to keep seniors safe from scammers. This Thursday, September 25, the Senior Fraud and Financial Exploitation Prevention Roadshow will be a free educational presentation, put on by the Idaho Department of Finance. It aims to provide information on current scams and what resources to contact...Read More

Since 2024, seniors across the United States have been defrauded of more than $1 billion, underscoring the growing sophistication of modern scams. Criminals are no longer just cold-calling victims with far-fetched promises. Instead, they’re using technology, psychology and artificial intelligence to infiltrate lives and bank accounts with alarming precision. Old Tricks, New Packaging Many of the...Read More

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday is warning seniors and their families about a trending Medicare scam in which durable medical equipment — that was not prescribed or ordered — is sent to patients, so the scammers can then bill the patient or Medicare. Durable medical equipment includes oxygen equipment and wheelchairs prescribed or ordered...Read More

In August 2025, multiple scam alerts were issued in Australia. Users reported scammers managing Facebook groups promoting “active senior trips.” ThreatFabric researchers analyzed the campaign and identified several groups, managed by fraudsters, targeting various regions and using multiple disguises. Moreover, a new Device-Takeover Android Trojan, which we named “Datzbro”, was discovered as part of the...Read More

Fraud schemes and scams aimed at older Americans are not unique to the digital age. They’ve been around from “the days of the medicine man,” as Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, AARP’s founder, testified in 1963 before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. Since our founding in 1958, AARP has been in the forefront of...Read More

Anthony, an older man from California, told ABC7 Los Angeles last October that he had been scammed out of $25,000 by means of a voice generated by artificial intelligence. Anthony, who declined to give his last name, got a call from his son, as he believed, who told him that he’d gotten into a car...Read More

Reports of scammers targeting older adults is on the rise, so an area nonprofit wants to boost protection efforts. The Better Business Bureau of Central Illinois [BBB] has seen a more than 70% increase in new scam reports year-to-date. That’s roughly 100,000 as of October — compared with 58,000 at this point last year. “Scammers...Read More

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! DENVER – Scams targeting older Americans are surging, and federal officials are warning that the tactics are becoming harder to detect. The Federal Trade Commission says scammers are posing as IRS agents, police officers or other officials – often over the phone or online – to steal...Read More

According to the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, people aged 60 and over in the US lost a combined $4.8 billion to fraud in 2024 alone. Criminals use a variety of tactics to gain trust and in certain circumstances compromise people’s online accounts, often with the goal of targeting their close contacts for scams.  This...Read More

Most scams sound harmless at first. Someone offers a quick, painless DNA test that could help detect diseases early, and they say it’s “completely free.” But across the country, senior centers are once again reporting a surge in these so-called free genetic testing offers, and experts say it’s a dangerous scam making a comeback this...Read More

A combination of old and new scam tactics has flooded the elderly in recent years – AI voice-generated phone calls, fraudulent calls demanding immediate payment, lottery and sweepstakes calls and more. (Adobe Stock) Financial scams targeting older adults have reached a high level of sophistication, posing significant risks to this vulnerable demographic. A recent Scientific...Read More

Listen to this article Estimated 4 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. A Winnipeg woman says elderly people and those living on low income must increasingly watch out for fraudsters after she fell...Read More

  Salisbury, Md. – Online scams have dramatically increased among older adults in the United States. According to the FBI’s most recent Internet Crime Report, older Americans lost nearly $4.9 billion last year with an average loss of $83,000. Experts say that scammers commonly target older adults by asking for gift cards, faking charity appeals,...Read More

A multi-agency investigation led by the FBI San Diego Field Office made 19 arrests today as part of an investigation into an alleged international criminal network believed to have scammed senior citizens out of more than $400 million, authorities reported. A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of...Read More

Scammers will target anyone. Young people are often lured by shopping scams and fake job offers. People in their 30s and 40s fall for impersonation and investment scams. Seniors are targeted with just about everything. The FBI says Americans over 60 lost nearly five billion dollars to scams last year. Much of it started on...Read More

Don’t answer the phone and don’t open the door for anyone you don’t know. Those were the two main messages from a workshop for seniors on how to prevent scams. The event took place at the Clark W. Redeker Newark Senior Center on Wednesday, Oct. 29. It was organized by Senator Aisha Wahab’s Office and...Read More

Older adults lost $2.4 billion to fraud schemes in 2024, driven largely by reported individual losses of more than $100,000 to investment and romance scams, as well as impersonations, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s annual report to Congress. The FTC’s Protecting Older Consumers 2024-2025 report, released earlier this month, revealed that in 2024, older...Read More

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s Lieutenant Governor is launching a new initiative that aims to protect seniors from scams. Florida is home to more seniors than almost any other state, and senior scams are claiming more victims and more dollars every year. Americans over the age of 60 lost nearly $5 billion to scams in 2024,...Read More

The calls start about 7 a.m. and continue until 6 or 7 p.m. On a recent afternoon, Steven Kurutz flipped through his phone’s call log. They were coming about every 14 minutes: 10:39 a.m., 11:03, 11:06, 11:25, 11:37, 11:55, 12:06, 12:18. When Mr. Kurutz, 80, answered, a recorded message asked about his Medicare coverage. “My...Read More

A multi-agency investigation led by the FBI San Diego Field Office made 19 arrests Wednesday as part of an investigation into an alleged international criminal network believed to have scammed senior citizens out of more than $40 million, authorities reported. A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of...Read More

CHICAGO (WLS) — Holiday scams targeting thousands of people every second. ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch Every year the ABC7 I-Team finds the biggest holiday scams. This holiday season criminals are finding new ways to trick you: all because of artificial intelligence. AI is making it extremely difficult to spot...Read More

Image Source: Pexels Scammers have gotten smarter and smarter over the years. Unfortunately, the targets of many scams are vulnerable adults. Recent data shows older Americans are losing billions each year, with reported fraud losses jumping from about $600 million in 2020 to $2.4 billion in 2024. Even more alarming, some seniors are losing tens or...Read More

Florida’s lieutenant governor came to Jacksonville on Tuesday to announce a new free alert system to help prevent scams against senior citizens. Operation Senior Shield will teach senior citizens to avoid telephone or internet scams that cost them thousands of dollars, sometimes their entire savings, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins said during a news conference at...Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida leaders announced on Tuesday Operation Senior Shield (OSS), a statewide initiative to combat scams and financial exploitation targeting older adults. The launch comes as law enforcement reports a troubling rise in sophisticated fraud schemes that have cost Florida seniors hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the news release. Lieutenant...Read More

Several years ago, Paul Griffo helped a member of his church who was scrambling to wire money. The man had received a call that his son had been arrested in a foreign country with drugs in his car and needed bail money. “He’s obviously upset … in that state of emotion,” recalls Griffo, who promptly...Read More

The FBI says older Americans lost $4.8 billion through fraud in 2024, with reports of theft through fraud jumping 43% in just one year.  “Elder fraud is a huge concern for us,” Michael Ratta, special agent in charge of the FBI’s New York criminal division.  Couple lost $500,000 to alleged con artist Carlos Velazquez, 78,...Read More

Florida’s lieutenant governor on Tuesday announced a new free alert system to help prevent scams against senior citizens. Operation Senior Shield will teach senior citizens to avoid telephone or internet scams that cost them thousands of dollars, sometimes their entire savings, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins said during a news conference in Jacksonville. People who sign...Read More

Bradenton Manatee County seniors are falling victim to scams daily — and the results can be disastrous, Bradenton police say. Fraud investigators say it’s a trend that’s getting worse across the nation, and it can leave retirement-age residents at risk of losing their entire life savings in the blink of an eye. The Bradenton Police...Read More

Doral police say a 25-year-old Homestead man turned a bogus phone call into a $30,000 payday from an 83-year-old woman, at least until detectives caught up with him. Investigators identified Kendall Roman Rivera as the suspect in what they describe as a phone impostor scheme that pressured the victim to pull cash from the bank...Read More

Takeaways Financial abuse of older adults is increasingly digital and results in billions of dollars in losses annually. Digital tools such as password managers and two-factor authentication, which are often already built into phones, email, and financial accounts, can help actively prevent, detect, and respond to this abuse. The most effective protection...Read More

KINGSTON — Scammers armed with cutting-edge technology had a big year in 2025, stealing money from Pennsylvanians — including many older residents who lost their hard-earned savings, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said on Thursday. Sunday was at the Friedman Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Kingston to talk about “senior scams” and offer advice...Read More

Key Takeaways Older adults can be targets of health care fraud due to trust in authority figures, lack of digital literacy and social isolation. To avoid being the victim of a health care scam, be a skeptic and verify links and requests directly. Never click on links, reply to suspicious texts or emails or share...Read More

According to the University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation 2023 National Poll on Healthy Aging, 1 in 3 older Michiganders became scam victims in the previous two years, while 84% of Michiganders aged 50 to 80 said they want to know more about how to protect themselves. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)...Read More

Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio’s newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning. San Antonio’s Department of Human Services is committing to increase its support for senior citizens at risk of scams and neglect after a request by a council member was filed last month. During a Public Safety...Read More

FILE: Exterior of the Edward J. Schwartz United States Courthouse in downtown San Diego. (FOX 5/KUSI) SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A man pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom in San Diego on Thursday to a multi-million dollar senior fraud and money laundering scheme. Officials said Jiandong Chen, aka “Little Tiger,” participated in a $27...Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. (25News Now) – A proposed bipartisan act is aiming to protect senior citizens from becoming targets of financial scams. The proposed bill, known as the Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception (GUARD) Act, would target complex financial fraud. One major scam the act addresses is called “Pig Butchering.” Pig Butchering is where criminals...Read More

Scams targeting the elderly in San Diego County resulted in losses of more than $130 million over the course of a single year, San Diego County’s multi-agency Elder Justice Task Force announced Wednesday. Officials released the statistics Tuesday as part of an ongoing outreach campaign regarding increasingly sophisticated internet and phone scams that are leading...Read More

When Miray Kaplangi, 29, visited her grandparents in Istanbul, they would often pull out their smartphones and ask her to help them adjust their settings or check their bank balance online, small tasks that carried big anxieties. Like many seniors, they had heard plenty of horror stories about people falling victim to online scams, making...Read More

PORTAGE, Mich. — The Portage Zhang Senior Center makes it a priority to protect older neighbors from scammers, offering ongoing education and partnering with local law enforcement to keep neighbors informed. Rose Liddell knows how to handle scammers. “Absolutely not. I don’t give any information out, ever. Click! End of conversation,” Liddell said. The senior...Read More

Senior citizens are losing money to online scams at an alarming rate, and it will take a collective effort to reverse the trend. At the 2026 RSAC Conference in San Francisco last month, experts proposed curbing elder fraud through systemic intervention. Let’s take a look at these fraud-fighting proposals and learn how everyone can protect...Read More

A phone call that feels completely normal is costing hotel guests across the United States hundreds of thousands of dollars. It comes through the room phone, sounds like the front desk, and often includes real booking details, which makes it easy to believe in the moment. Banks and fraud experts have started flagging a rise...Read More

A recent story of a California woman scamming seniors is shining a light on a troubling trend for U.S. seniors. According to NBC-4 Los Angeles (1), Candice Dale Patrick, 47, targeted the personal information of five residents over 70 in a fraud scheme that spanned from September 2021 to April 2024. Allegedly, Patrick used these...Read More

Senior phone call scam A recent story of a California woman scamming seniors is shining a light on a troubling trend for U.S. seniors. According to NBC-4 Los Angeles (1), Candice Dale Patrick, 47, targeted the personal information of five residents over 70 in a fraud scheme that spanned from September 2021 to April 2024....Read More

The head of the State Office for the Aging told lawmakers Tuesday a new tool that will launch in 2026 will help reverse an uptick in the number of older adults who fall prey to financial exploitation. The financial exploitation of New Yorkers over age 60 is a rising issue that state lawmakers want to address...Read More

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Nevada, New Hampshire, and Arizona had the largest surges in fraud reports from seniors in the nation, up 52% year-over-year, according to a www.theseniorlist.com/ study. The study is titled, “Holiday Scams Put Seniors at Risk: How to Shop Securely and Stay Safe Online.” It shows how fraud is impacting seniors in...Read More

Curt Springstead remembers the day in 2014 when he went to his mailbox and found about 25 letters congratulating him on opening new bank accounts — only he wasn’t the one who did it. Someone had stolen his identity and used it to open numerous accounts. Springstead spent the next three years battling banks for...Read More

San Antonio’s urgent plan aims to shield seniors from soaring holiday scams by enhancing protections and education. SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio council member is pushing a plan to stop scammers from targeting seniors. This comes in the middle of the holiday season, with online shopping and donations at an all-time high — but...Read More

LINCOLN, NEB — Senior citizens in Lincoln are getting help navigating technology and learning how to avoid scams through a partnership between Aging Partners and University of Nebraska–Lincoln students. At Victory Park Senior Center, seniors bring in phones, tablets and laptops for one-on-one assistance from UNL students. The sessions focus on practical skills that are...Read More

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday — during Identity Theft Awareness Week — met with older Pennsylvanians in Dauphin and Luzerne counties to discuss trending scams, how scammers were successful in 2025, and how targets can protect themselves. The advancement of technology, including artificial intelligence, has resulted in more sophisticated scams — and bigger payouts...Read More

District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo filed a counsel consideration request Wednesday asking the city to strengthen protections against financial exploitation on older residents, including door-to-door, telephone and online scams.  The proposal directs city staff to evaluate strategies aimed at reducing elder financial exploitation — a growing public safety concern in San Antonio. According to state...Read More

NEW YORK (WBNG) — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling for reform and stronger safeguards to protect seniors from scams this holiday season. The senator said more than 4 in 10 Americans have lost either money or their personal information, and on average, seniors have lost $83,000 to scams. “For seniors, scraping by on social security...Read More

“Your Microsoft account has been compomised [sic]. Click this link to reset your connecton [sic].” Does this message look familiar, typos and all? We’ve all seen suspicious emails or calls attempting to steal personal information. One unfortunate drawback of our tech-enabled world is that scams are increasingly common. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint...Read More

Taking advantage of a generous New York state program to aid his ailing mother, Ballal Hossain signed up a dozen family members to work as her caregivers. Over six years, they were paid $348,000 to look after the elderly woman at a Manhattan apartment. Except the mom was in Bangladesh the entire time. Incredibly, Hossain...Read More

The web can be a rich source of information, connection, and community. Still, as with any public space, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings. Online scams that target older adults are shockingly common—and their number and sophistication continue to grow. In 2024 alone, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported that people age...Read More

Medicare fraud is one of the big scams that thieves love. Approximately $60 billion per year is stolen from taxpayers through Medicare theft and fraud. Your job is to be the intermediary and foil their attempts. Here’s how: • Treat your Medicare number as though it’s as valuable as a credit card or access to...Read More

A retired insurance adjuster in Mississippi lost the bulk of his life savings—to the tune of $500,000. An older widow in San Jose, California, believed she was talking to a new love interest online. But in reality, she’d been speaking with crypto scammers who defrauded her of nearly $1 million, leaving her nearly destitute. What...Read More

Welcome to Spot the Scam with our sponsor, Clearwater Credit Union. SVP of Payment Operations Brittany DeVries and Detective Ethan Smith with the Missoula Police Department joined NBC Montana Today anchor Jason Hurst to talk about the increase in romance scams targeting the elderly. Smith explained that scammers often target elderly or recently widowed individuals,...Read More

TLDR Online scams targeting seniors are on the rise, with fraudsters exploiting trust, urgency, and emotions to steal money and personal information. In recent years, Canadian seniors have reported millions in losses to scams such as phishing, tech support fraud, and the “grandparent scam.” Elder fraud can take many forms and is a growing problem...Read More

Two simultaneous raids on jewelry stores on Thursday in Irving and Frisco were the culmination of a year-long investigation by the Collin County Sheriff’s Office and federal authorities.  The jewelry store owners are accused of laundering gold originally purchased by elderly victims of fraud and handed over to couriers who are operating scams in the...Read More

The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office wants to make sure every senior citizen knows how to recognize a scam. Deputies will hold several free scam awareness classes at senior centers across Morgan County throughout the months of March and April. Those dates and locations include: ▪️March 10 at Lacey’s Spring Senior Center ▪️March 24 at Somerville...Read More

ATLANTA — The holiday season is not just a busy time for shoppers; it’s peak season for scammers, too. Now, the state government has a new way to fight back. Investment companies are now allowed by Georgia law to pause transactions for senior citizens that they suspect could be fraud and bring in state investigators....Read More

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — November through January is typically the biggest time of the year we see scams. Often, scammers are using the method of ‘pulling on the heart strings.’ Scams fall into a lot of variety; some are low-key tech – which can be a simple go-fund-me. They’re focused on charitable giving for a...Read More

South_agency | E+ | Getty Images For older Americans, financial fraud can be a very costly mishap. Last year, scams reported to the Federal Trade Commission by adults age 60 and older reached $2.4 billion, up 26.3% from $1.9 billion in 2023 and 300% from $600 million in 2020, according to the FTC’s annual report...Read More

There are countless stories of people, especially seniors, losing everything to scammers. Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy wants to change that. There are countless stories of people, especially senior citizens, losing everything to scammers. While some of the criminals operating overseas might never be caught, Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy says state lawmakers...Read More

A 41-year-old woman is charged with impersonating a police officer and financial fraud, accused by the Richland County Sheriff of scamming an elderly woman. RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — A 41-year-old woman is facing multiple charges after deputies say she scammed an 87-year-old woman out of more than $17,000 in an elaborate scheme that began at...Read More

Education Secretary Linda McMahon reveals that the department has found fraud in the student loan system and discusses the efforts to prevent it on ‘Varney & Co.’ Scammers are draining seniors’ life savings at staggering rates, a new Federal Trade Commission report shows, with older Americans reporting about four times more in fraud losses in...Read More

SAN ANTONIO – The number of scams targeting older adults continues to climb in San Antonio, and police say the number of reported cases only shows part of the problem. The San Antonio Police Department has recorded 330 crimes against seniors so far in 2025, and they believe there are likely more that have not...Read More

Plato, artificial intelligence and assisted living facilities don’t have much in common. But for Charlie Landers, a student at Western Reserve Academy, reading Plato’s “Republic” sparked an interest in the philosophy of human ethics and technology. This experience recently led him to create workshops designed to help Akron seniors avoid cyber scams.  Landers, 16, has...Read More

Know the signs of potential fraud. Seniors often have the most to lose. © D-Keine—E+/Getty Images, © ljubaphoto—E+/Getty Images; Photo composite Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Call it what you will—incidents of elder fraud, senior identity theft, and elder financial exploitation are on the rise. Although younger adults report higher incidents of fraud than the elderly, seniors...Read More

2. Recovery scams  Getting scammed is horrendous. Getting re-scammed may be worse. That’s what happens with recovery scams: Criminals promise to help victims recoup their losses and charge fees for their nonexistent services. “I think we’re going to see a lot of recovery scams,” Nofziger says of 2026, pointing to the continued growth of scams...Read More

Just a few short years ago, artificial intelligence (AI) seemed like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. But with AI language models like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot, voice assistants like Alexa; and image recognition software like Google Lens, AI is no longer an abstract idea—it’s here. Unfortunately, while AI has many positive...Read More

Older Americans are losing more money than ever to scams, according to a new Federal Trade Commission report to Congress, with losses climbing sharply over the past four years. The FTC’s 2024–2025 report on protecting older consumers shows total fraud losses among adults 60 and older have quadrupled since 2020 rising from about $600 million...Read More

For 30 years Neil* worked as a senior executive at a large banking group, undergoing regular training on fraud prevention. But a WhatsApp message that arrived when he was distracted at a wedding bypassed his years of financial expertise and cost him £3,000. Neil’s daughter, Alice, had moved to Australia a few days before and she...Read More

Scams are becoming harder to detect as new technology develops, making elderly people increasingly vulnerable, according to officials with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging (ENOA).Advances in artificial intelligence are allowing scammers to use computer-generated voices that sound like real people, making it difficult to tell the difference during phone calls or messages.“AI is getting...Read More

Cyber expert shares tips to avoid AI phishing scams Kurt ‘The CyberGuy’ Knutsson shares practical ways to avoid falling victim to AI-generated phishing scams and discusses a report that North Korean agents are posing as I.T. workers to funnel money into the country’s nuclear program. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Email scams...Read More

Dear Savvy Senior: My adult kids keep warning me about scams, but it’s hard to know which calls and messages are dangerous. What scams are most commonly aimed at seniors right now? — Almost 80 Dear Almost: Your kids’ concerns are well founded. Financial fraud is a massive – and rapidly growing – problem for...Read More

Getting scammed wasn’t on Phyllis Weisberg’s radar. She was a trusting soul who believed most people are good and honest. But after accepting “help” from fraudsters posing as tech support reps, the unsuspecting 90-year-old lost $20,000 to their scheme.. Phyllis is not alone in her experience—far from it. Data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complain...Read More

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Online scams are draining seniors’ retirement savings at an alarming rate, with San Diego County residents losing more than $130 million in just one year, according to the District Attorney’s Office. But two local high school brothers are fighting back with an innovative solution to help seniors stay safe online. Neil...Read More

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – A recently passed Louisiana law is making it harder for cryptocurrency scammers to steal money from seniors after at least four elderly victims were targeted in elaborate schemes. The scammers told seniors in Louisiana and Texas their bank accounts were hacked, and there were child pornography charges on the accounts,...Read More

Every week, 700 million people use ChatGPT as a virtual companion, a search engine, or a guide for the perfect recipe. In the United States alone, nearly 8 in 10 older adults [PDF] have used artificial intelligence (AI) in some capacity. Increasingly, for frail and depressed elders, AI chatbots and applications offer caregiving support, combat...Read More

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how scams target older adults, making fraud harder to detect and increasing the risk for seniors and their families, according to experts who work with scam victims. News 9 spoke to Becky Seda with the Senior Living Truth Series to learn how to protect seniors from scams involving A.I. Do...Read More

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) -Attorney General JB McCuskey’s Mobile Office made a stop at the Taylor County Senior Citizens, Inc. in Grafton. Brooke Albright, a consumer representative from the attorney general’s office, had the opportunity to meet with residents and community members about consumer-related issues including scams. “The goal of these events is to educate in...Read More

Fraud is constantly evolving, and staying informed is one of the most powerful ways to stay protected.   My Glacier Village invites the community to attend the fifth annual Senior Fraud Summit on Saturday, April 11 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Flathead Valley Community College Arts & Technology Building.   This free educational...Read More

Charles Gillen — a man who posed as a bail bondsman collecting money on behalf of an organized crime syndicate scamming senior citizens — will avoid further prison time after being sentenced in St. John’s on Monday. Chief Justice Raymond Whalen said it was more important for Gillen to be able to work to pay...Read More

Outside Tilak Jewelers in Irving Thursday afternoon was a swarm of local and state investigators. Inside, police were seen combing through display cases, collecting evidence in what the Collin County Sheriff’s Office calls an alleged large-scale fraud and money laundering scheme targeting elderly victims across Texas. This store and Saima Jewelers in Frisco are where...Read More

Seeing our loved ones age is not always easy, and now there is the added threat of ever-increasing financial scams that they may fall victim to. While fraudsters can and do target people of any age, seniors tend to be particularly vulnerable due to a combination of factors including less tech familiarity, greater amassment of...Read More

Understanding the gold scam warning signs can be the difference between protecting your nest egg and losing your savings. Dilok Klaisataporn/Getty Images Millions of retirees are struggling right now as they watch their purchasing power erode amid a slew of issues, including persistent inflation, market volatility and general economic uncertainty. And, in this kind of...Read More

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – As Valentine’s Day approaches, investigators are warning about romance scams that target older people through online relationships designed to steal money. Lieutenant Jerry Brewer with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office said these scams don’t happen overnight. A romance scam takes months, if not years, to play out, he said. “They...Read More

AIKEN — Roughly 40 residents filled the lobby at Cumberland Village on Feb. 12 for a seminar aimed at helping seniors recognize and avoid common scams. The event took place in a question-and-answer format rather than a formal presentation, with attendees actively engaging and taking notes as presenters discussed real-world scam tactics. Kelsey Bruner and...Read More

New white paper documents how criminals exploit trusted brands – utilities, Medicare, banks – to defraud the nation’s most vulnerable email users, and what families can do right now to stop it MIAMI, FL / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2026 / TrustNFT.io today released “America’s Most Targeted Inbox: How Email Phishing Scams Target Seniors,...Read More

Financial fraud is a massive and rapidly growing problem for older Americans. In 2024 alone, scams cost older adults an estimated $81.5 billion, according to the FTC. | Envato Elements Dear Savvy Senior, My adult kids keep warning me about scams, but it’s hard to know which calls and messages are dangerous. What scams are...Read More

By Paula Span KFF Health News The first call came just before Thanksgiving last year. She didn’t recognize the phone number, but she answered anyway. “The person said he was an officer of the Department of Criminal Investigations looking into drug trafficking and money laundering,” the woman recalled. He seemed to know a lot about...Read More

Upstox Securities Pvt. Ltd.: SEBI Registration No. INZ000315837 | NSE TM Code: 13942 | BSE TM Code: 6155 | CDSL Reg No.: IN-DP-761-2024 | CIN: U65100DL2021PTC376860 | Compliance Officer: Mr. Kapil Jaikalyani. Tel No.: (022) 24229920. Email ID: compliance@upstox.com | Registered Address: 809, New Delhi House, Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001 |...Read More

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas – Six people have been arrested in connection with a multi-million-dollar gold scam that targeted elderly people across Texas, according to the Friendswood Police Department. Investigators say the case began in December 2025, when an 81-year-old Friendswood resident was scammed into converting $766,000 into 177 one-ounce Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins after a...Read More

If it feels like online scams are everywhere lately, you’re not imagining it—and older adults are feeling it the most. New research from the National Council on Aging (NCOA) paints a clear picture: Scams aren’t just common—they’re becoming a regular part of life online. In fact, nearly three-quarters of older adults say they’ve either experienced...Read More

While playing cards with a group of friends recently, a text popped up in my messages. As I quickly scanned it, my mind focused on the threat of suspension of my driver’s license, revocation of my car registration and legal proceedings. Evidently, my expression showed puzzlement, and my friends asked what was troubling me. I...Read More

Older adults and the people they trust can take some measures to prevent being scammed, as well as to blunt the potential damage if a scammer is successful. Pause before reacting. If you receive an unusual, urgent message of any type, take a moment to reach out through a different and trusted means, in order...Read More

Two 21-year-old suspects were arrested Tuesday after sheriff’s deputies intervened in what authorities described as an attempted scam targeting an elderly Santa Barbara resident for tens of thousands of dollars. According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the case came to light around 11:30 a.m. on February 24, when deputies responded to a call...Read More

Dear Savvy Senior: My adult kids keep warning me about scams, but it’s hard to know which calls and messages are dangerous. What scams are most commonly aimed at seniors right now? — Almost 80 Dear Almost 80: Financial fraud is a massive — and rapidly growing — problem for older Americans. In 2024, scams...Read More

“Offenders knew that there was this prime vulnerable target all living together right here in this small area, and they were preying upon those residents there,” she surmises. The FSU researchers believe that fraud criminals targeting older people is likely a problem in retirement communities around the country. They’re testing that hypothesis in a joint...Read More

Grandma Mary answers the phone. “Grandma?” says a male voice. “Billy, is that you?” she says. “Yes, grandma it’s me, I’ve done something stupid and I need your help. I need $3,000 as soon as possible to make bail. Please don’t tell my parents. It’s just a big misunderstanding, I’ll explain everything later. Here, I’ll...Read More

A recent Fraud Prevention Night touched on some of the ways people can stay safe from fraud and scams in the southeast. The Estevan Police Service invited a number of financial institution workers to discuss some of the different topics related to scams. Cindy Thompson from Scotiabank highlighted senior citizens and how fraud can especially...Read More

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), ranking member on the Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced the bipartisan Senior Security Act on Thursday. This legislation would create a Senior Investor Task Force within the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer recommendations for strengthening protections and safeguards for older adult investors. The bill, which is endorsed by the...Read More

Senior financial crime leaders warn that while threats are increasingly global and sophisticated, domestic regulatory frameworks and information-sharing mechanisms are failing to keep pace. Australian financial crime executives have expressed concerns that they are being left to fight a rising tide of sophisticated, offshore-originated financial crime with one hand tied behind their backs, citing slow...Read More

Image: Public Domain Pictures That bright yellow crypto kiosk next to the lottery tickets and energy drinks isn’t just an eyesore—it’s a $333 million fraud factory. While your parents get targeted by phone scammers directing them to these convenience store machines, legitimate cryptocurrency infrastructure quietly powers institutional payment systems. Welcome to crypto’s two Americas: predatory...Read More

COLORADO (KOAA) — Scams and predatory tactics targeting the elderly across the United States and in Colorado continue to be a growing trend. The latest data available for scams in Colorado and the United States is from 2024. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is the hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime and is run by...Read More

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia hopes to shut down all of the country’s notorious online scam centers by the end of next month, the head of the Southeast Asian nation’s effort to combat the cybercrime said Wednesday. Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, in charge of the Commission for Combating Online Scams, told The Associated Press...Read More

The first call came just before Thanksgiving last year. She didn’t recognize the phone number, but she answered anyway. “The person said he was an officer of the Department of Criminal Investigations looking into drug trafficking and money laundering,” the woman recalled. He seemed to know a lot about her: the states where she and...Read More

Scams remain one of the biggest financial and emotional threats facing people over 50. The most common scams targeting older Australians in 2025 range from unauthorized bank withdrawals and fake online shopping deals to investment fraud and identity theft. According to the 2025 National Seniors Social Survey, conducted by National Seniors Australia, more than one in three...Read More

George Chryssanthou and his partner of 25 years, Electra Friedman, were hoping to move to Greece when Friedman retired after a long career as an art educator. Loading audio narration… Eighty-year-old Chryssanthou spent his teenage years in the country, while 83-year-old Friedman was born there. The plan was to use Chryssanthou’s nest egg to buy...Read More

BUNNELL, Fla. – Authorities say a 20-year-old man accused of helping carry out a scam that cost an elderly woman $120,000 has been arrested after investigators tracked him using surveillance video, bank records and cellphone data.  Officials say the case may be connected to other fraud schemes involving victims in multiple states. What we know:...Read More

Older Mainers are less likely than younger people to fall victim to scams, but when they do, the financial losses are often much greater.According to the FBI, 608 Mainers age 60 and older reported losing money to scams in 2024. Together, they lost $12,980,616 — and officials say the true number is likely higher because...Read More

Savvy Senior Older adults face financial fraud risks in 2024, with $81.5 billion lost nationwide Dear Savvy Senior, My adult kids keep warning me about scams, but it’s hard to know which calls and messages are dangerous. What scams are most commonly aimed at seniors right now? Almost 80 Dear Almost, Your kids’ concerns are...Read More

Financial scams targeting older adults have grown into a major problem in recent years. WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation Wednesday aimed at strengthening protections for older Americans targeted by financial scams, as lawmakers push to address growing losses tied to fraud. The proposal, led by Sens. Andy Kim, Susan Collins,...Read More

BEAUMONT — KFDM first told you about a disturbing story out of Jasper County where four people in Jasper County were arrested in connection with a financial exploitation case involving an elderly man. Investigators say the suspects were caretakers for the victim and are accused of stealing roughly $50,000 from him. Authorities say the case...Read More

How and why the scam works Publishers Clearing House is a household name: The sweepstakes company, based in Jericho, New York, was founded in 1953 and became famous through the years, surprising thrilled winners with life-changing cash payouts. It’s now under new ownership after filing for bankruptcy last year (causing complications for previous winners who...Read More

View in browser Widespread, devastating scams are still vastly underreported Key Takeaways Experience with social media scams is nearly universal among older adults, yet these incidents remain heavily underreported. Once older adults learn that social media platforms profit from scam ads, two-thirds hold them responsible for failing to prevent the spread of online fraud. Older...Read More

MOUNT VERNON — An elderly Knox County woman escaped becoming a victim of a scam thanks to a family member who recognized the red flags. However, many seniors are not as fortunate. “Fraud against seniors is rising every year along with internet crimes against children,” John Bartolucci of the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task...Read More

Financial scams are everywhere these days and no one is immune. And sometimes it leaves us older adults with no way to recoup our losses. Worldwide, people age 60 and over lose billions of dollars combined to fraud each year.1 Behind that shocking figure? Tens of thousands of very real people who have been robbed of their...Read More

We’d all like to believe we could spot an online scam a mile away. But the truth is that con artists and cybercriminals are getting craftier and more sophisticated by the day. It’s their full-time “job” to deceive, exploit, and swindle consumers. It happened to Alice Lin. As reported by KCAL News, the 80-year-old widow...Read More

Alicia Stanley, 35, is accused of scamming a 92-year-old woman in Glasgow, Kentucky, police stated in a news release. The 92-year-old told the Glasgow Police Department she received phone calls between March 3 and 5 from Stanley stating she had won the lottery,  according to the account shared by police. The senior was told she...Read More

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Maricopa County judge has sentenced a man for his role in a 2024 scam that prosecutors say stole tens of thousands of dollars from elderly residents across the Valley. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced Monday that 21-year-old Jixiong Zhang was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after...Read More

Frauds and scams are specifically targeting older adults these days and are being more and more difficult to detect with the advent of artificial intelligence tools. The group Minnesota Aging Pathways will offer help for Bemidji area seniors on the topic next week. The group is hosting a presentation on fraud prevention and scams from...Read More

FLINT, Mich.— A free seminar is coming to Flint to help protect seniors from scams and cyber fraud. Online scams are getting particularly more sophisticated due to the usage of AI, according to Attorney General Dana Nessel. Scammers can clone a person’s voice using audio data collected from public social media posts or videos. They...Read More

WASHINGTON TWP., N.J. (WPVI) — Police are warning residents about what they describe as an unusually bold scam targeting a senior citizen, in which a caller impersonating TD Bank not only spoofed the bank’s number but also sent someone to the victim’s home to collect cash. Police say the victim received a call Friday that...Read More

Business Law Section launches ‘Senior$mart$’ initiative to help seniors avoid scams Judge Lori Vaughan: ‘As you can imagine, a big portion of our presentation is how to recognize and avoid financial scams; they’re everywhere now. I feel like every time we identify something and get the word out, the scammers come up with a new...Read More

March 24, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET ALFRED, Maine — What color is the yield traffic sign? Well, folks of a certain age tend to say yellow. Except, of course, it isn’t. Tom Baran, AAA Northern New England’s traffic safety education specialist, said the yield sign shape – the familiar triangle – remains the same, but...Read More

NESBIT, Miss. (WMC) – DeSoto County has launched a new initiative to support the growing older adult population. On Wednesday, the county hosted the “Safety in the Numbers: Senior Safety Bingo Bash” at the Agri-Education Center in Nesbit. County leaders say local data between January 2024 and January 2025 showed older adults in the county...Read More

THE New Westminster Police Department is advising residents to remain alert after an observant and compassionate neighbour called police concerned her 90-year-old neighbour may be targeted by fraudsters. On the evening of March 25, officers attended the senior’s residence to learn more about what occurred. The resident shared that two men were soliciting in the...Read More

By Jim MillerSpecial to The Gazette Dear Savvy Senior, My adult kids keep warning me about scams, but it’s hard to know which calls and messages are dangerous. What scams are most commonly aimed at seniors right now? — Almost 80 Dear Almost, Your kids’ concerns are well founded. Financial fraud is a massive –...Read More

No, the Internal Revenue Service isn’t going to send you a text message asking you to pay with a gift card. No, your water company isn’t going to send a message to your phone demanding that you immediately pay the next year’s usage in advance because of “a new state law.” And, no, you can’t...Read More

Dothan, Ala. (WDNews) — A free event aimed at helping older adults stay safe from scams is coming to Dothan this summer. The SARCOA Fraud Summit is scheduled for June 11, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 1065 S. Brannon Stand Road. The event is designed to help seniors and caregivers recognize, avoid,...Read More

Common Senior Scams in the US Scams that target elderly people are far more common than you might expect. Thousands of seniors fall victim to financial fraud, government impersonation, romance scams, and tech support scams each year. Age-related changes, such as memory problems, and social factors, such as loneliness, may make seniors more vulnerable to...Read More

IOWA CITY, Iowa (Iowa’s News Now) — The Iowa City Senior Center is hosting a scam awareness event along with the Iowa City Police Department on Friday. The program will be focused on avoiding internet and phone scams on Friday, March 27 at 1 p.m. The event will be in meeting room 302 at the...Read More

City of Reno website A free event in Reno is aiming at a growing problem, helping seniors better understand how to spot scams before they become victims. The City of Reno’s Seniors EngAGED program, in partnership with AARP, is hosting the second annual Scam Jam Fraud Prevention Event for seniors. The event is scheduled for...Read More

Police say they are launching a new effort across the city aimed at stopping scammers before more people lose money. SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Police Department is warning seniors about a surge in cryptocurrency scams that can drain thousands of dollars in minutes, often with little to no chance of recovery. Police say...Read More

Stay calm and proceed with caution. © fstop123—E+/Getty Images Incidents of elder fraud and senior identity theft are on the rise. The number of adults over 65 who experienced at least one incident of fraud increased to 78% in 2022 from 69% in 2021, according to AARP. Although some types of scams target seniors by...Read More

A few days ago, I received a text from someone claiming to be with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. According to the text, I have unsettled traffic penalties and to avoid my license and vehicle registration being suspended immediately, I must pay them via the included link. How convenient! I spotted...Read More

March 26, 2026, 8:24 a.m. ET A senior citizen in Washington Township fell victim to a phone scam last week, according to authorities. Police said the victim receive a phone call with a caller ID of TD Bank, which happens to be her actual bank. Scammers convinced her to withdraw $7,000 from her bank account,...Read More

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Nearly a year after my first visit to the Delray Beach office where Sunshine Senior Solutions is headquartered, I went back. The paper sign that had been on the door was gone, and unlike the last time, no one answered when I knocked. WATCH BELOW: ‘Billions of billions of dollars going...Read More

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SAN ANTONIO – An attempted kidnapping-ransom scheme targeting a local senior was foiled with the help of a doorbell camera, the San Antonio Police Department said. On March 18, a man in his late 60s went to a Broadway Bank location on Huebner Road, prepared to withdraw money to prevent his wife from being harmed....Read More

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – State Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., R-Richland Township, will host a seminar with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General on the Top 10 scams targeting seniors and how to prevent them at 6 p.m. April 7 at the Frank J. Pasquerilla Conference Center, 301 Napoleon St., downtown Johnstown. The presentation will provide examples of red...Read More

Listen to this article Estimated 2 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. A 24-year-old man has been arrested after a Winnipeg senior fell victim to a “grandparent scam,” police say. The Winnipeg Police...Read More

The New Westminster Police Department (NWPD) is warning the public to be on the lookout after a senior citizen was targeted by fraudsters in a “chimney scam.” Police were called to the home of the 90-year-old woman on the evening of March 25. “The resident shared that two men were soliciting in the neighbourhood with...Read More

The Iowa City Police Department and the Iowa City Senior Center hosted a public scam awareness program explaining the new and inventive ways that scammers are attacking citizens, as reported scams and money lost from scams have increased over the last five years. The public event, presented by two representatives from the Iowa City Police...Read More

Romance scams are spreading beyond dating apps and becoming harder for banks to detect as criminals use deepfakes, scripted approaches and long-term manipulation, financial crime specialists said. New figures from UK Finance put reported losses from romance scams at £20.5 million in the first six months of 2025, across almost 3,000 cases. Analysis by TSB...Read More

It seems that scams are everywhere these days — in our texts, emails, and phone calls to start. And con artists continue to become more sophisticated in the age of AI, so much so that a recent survey suggested that they’re increasingly imitating your loved ones. Some also prey on people’s vulnerability and loneliness, pretending...Read More

This content is provided by a third party. More than 200,670 Australians reported scams in 2025, with over 58,700 in New South Wales alone. Scammers try to trick targets into handing over personal information and money. But what are the scam types, and how can you defend yourself against them? Romance scams According to the...Read More

Romance scams are common as Valentine’s Day approaches but you don’t have to be a victim. The FBI explains. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — We celebrate love but sadly there are scammers looking to break hearts and wallets with romance scams. Terrance Frank, the Assistant Special Agent In-Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque office, told KOB 4 that...Read More

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS (KAIT) — As Valentine’s Day approaches, a podcaster is warning others about romance scammers after her mother lost more than $200,000 to online dating fraud. April Helm’s 72-year-old mother met a man on the Plenty of Fish dating app, who turned out to be a scammer. Over several months, her mother sent the...Read More

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Better Business Bureau Serving Western VA warns online daters to stay vigilant year-round – that’s because romance scams persist beyond Valentine’s Day. Julie Wheeler, president of BBB Serving Western Virginia, discussed the ongoing threat of romance scams and how people can protect themselves while dating online. The Better Business Bureau tracks...Read More

February is the month of love, and even though Valentine’s Day has passed, scammers are still looking to take advantage of those looking for love this month. According to a press release from FBI Cleveland, these scams typically occur when scammers create a fake profile on a dating site or social media platform and trick...Read More

Online dating can be challenging enough, but scammers are using artificial intelligence to sound more charming and believable. Americans lost more than $672 million from romance scams in 2024, according to a report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A.I. has only made these scams more widespread. One in four Americans say they’ve encountered a...Read More

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) — Romance scammers are targeting older adults at significant rates, building trust over weeks or months before turning conversations to cryptocurrency investments. Love scammers weave a romantic connection instead of demanding urgent payment like many scams. Over weeks or months, they gain their victim’s trust, claiming to have common interests like...Read More

A Castle Rock woman was recently sent to prison for handling almost $3.5 million gained by overseas operatives through romance scams – after she had lost a large amount of her own money to the scam herself. Lori Ann Kimball, 52, sent money to a man she knew as “Joe Hart,” a person she met...Read More