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
