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 the signs of a scam right away — the text originated from a random Outlook account, it was oddly worded, and the payment link used a .com and not a .gov website.
Not everyone can identify a scam so easily. Scammers recently stole $120,000 from a Florida senior using a tech support scam. The victim received a pop-up notification directing her to contact technical support because her computer had been hacked. Upon contacting the number, she was told her bank accounts were compromised and that to protect her savings she needed to withdraw and deliver cash to a person in a Publix parking lot. The victim complied, believing she was protecting her savings, but she was actually handing her money over to criminals.
Reports like these are troubling, but increasingly common in today’s world where we rely heavily on technology to manage day-to-day tasks. Seniors are a frequent target. According to the Federal Trade Commission, individuals over age 60 have lost a staggering $2.4 billion due to fraud — an increase of 400% between 2020 and 2024. One study estimated that 1 in 5 seniors have been the victim of a financial scam. Scammers target seniors for a reason. They often have accumulated savings, may be less familiar with rapidly evolving technology, and are usually more trusting.
As a bankruptcy judge, I frequently witness individuals whose financial well-being has been destroyed through some calamity. Whether it is lack of financial planning, poor decision-making, or a medical emergency, their misfortune can be difficult to witness. But I find it particularly hard to witness a person’s financial livelihood destroyed by someone else’s fraud. This kind of tragedy hits seniors hardest because these savings are meant to sustain them and are not easily replaced. How can we help seniors protect themselves? The solution starts with education designed to inform and empower our senior community.
Most scams utilize similar tactics — unsolicited emails, text, or calls that appear official, but demand immediate action to avoid dire consequences. Time is a scammer’s worst enemy. When victims are rushed, they make poor decisions. Scammers will also demand payment in cash (and cash apps like Venmo) or cryptocurrency making it difficult to trace. The best advice is to pause, think about the request, and consult with either a trusted family member or the business or agency through a separate, official contact method.
Many resources are available to seniors. The Business Law Section of the Florida Bar through its Financial Literacy Task Force has launched a new initiative — Senior$mart$ — which harnesses the knowledge of volunteer attorneys and judges to arm our senior population with the tools to secure their finances. A typical Senior$mart$ presentation addresses topics ranging from reverse mortgage pitfalls to budgeting and securing financial accounts. Most importantly, it educates seniors on how to recognize and protect against common scams.
I easily recognized the scam text I received because I knew what to look for. Too many others do not realize they are victims until it is too late. As a community, we can stop these scammers and protect our seniors by arming them with the right tools.
Lori V. Vaughan is a United States Bankruptcy Judge who helped lead the development of Senior$mart$, a Florida Bar Business Law Section program that educates seniors on protecting their finances from fraud.
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