NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Scams targeting Americans who are 65 and older are on the rise in three major Tennessee cities.
A report from the nonprofit Human Cybersecurity Knowledge for Seniors says that Tennessee saw $108 million in elder fraud losses in 2025, according to data that was submitted to the FBI. Those losses targeted 3,525 victims who were at least 60 years old, meaning that the average loss was more than $30,600.
The top three cities in the state where these crimes are happening are among those with the highest populations overall — Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville.
“Scams in these cities are escalating rapidly,” the report warns, saying that last year saw an increase of 39% in the number of victims and an increase of 75% in the amount of losses compared to 2024.
The highest increase involved investment scams, which tripled from $17.1 million in losses in 2024 to nearly $51.6 million in 2025. Lottery and sweepstakes scams, tech support scams, romance scams and extortion all saw increases year-to-year as well. The only category that saw a decrease was government impersonation scams, which saw a plunge of 73% last year.
And it’s a problem that’s only growing.
The number of victims and total losses have increased every year since 2021 in Tennessee, with the jump from 2024 to 2025 being the highest in that time period. Overall, there has been an increase of 284% in senior scams in Tennessee since 2021.
How to report elder fraud and senior scams
- Nashville
- Metro Nashville Police Department Fraud Unit
- 615-862-8600
- nashville.gov
- Memphis
- Knoxville
- Knoxville Police Department Investigations Division
- 865-215-7000
- knoxvilletn.gov
- Statewide
- FBI Memphis Field Office
- Internet Crime Complaint Center (for online scams, phishing, identity theft, tech support fraud)
- Tennessee Attorney General Consumer Affairs Division
- Tennessee Adult Protective Services (for abuse, neglect, financial exploitation)
- Tennessee Senior Medicare Patrol (for Medicare fraud and billing scams)
- Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability (elder rights services, legal aid, fraud prevention programs)
Copyright 2026 WSMV. All rights reserved.
Click Here For The Original Source.
