It’s heartbreaking how often older adults are targeted by scams. Maybe you’ve heard stories from friends, or perhaps you’ve even received one of those too-good-to-be-true phone calls yourself. The fear of losing hard-earned savings, or worse, your sense of trust, can weigh heavily.
The truth is, scams aimed at seniors are on the rise, and they’re getting more convincing every year. From fake IRS calls to phishing emails and even “grandparent” emergencies, these schemes prey on vulnerability and kindness.
But here’s the reassuring part: once you know the warning signs and common tactics, you can spot them quickly and protect yourself or your loved ones.
This article will walk you through the most common scams, how to recognize them, and what steps to take if you or someone you care about becomes a target.
Quick Rundown: How to Spot and Avoid Senior Scams Before They Steal Your Peace of Mind
- Scams Are Rising: Fraudsters target seniors with fake IRS calls, lottery claims, Medicare tricks, and tech support scams.
- AI Makes It Worse: Voice-cloning and video scams can mimic loved ones, making fake emergencies more convincing.
- Guard Personal Info: Never give out Social Security, Medicare, or banking details over the phone or email.
- Verify Every Request: Hang up, call back on a trusted number, or check with family before sending money.
- Safer Payments: Use credit cards for online purchases, they offer fraud protection unlike gift cards or wire transfers.
- Report & Protect: Notify the FTC, local police, or AARP Fraud Watch if you suspect a scam.
Let’s start by looking at the most common scams that target seniors today…
Why Do Scammers Target the Elderly?
People defraud so many older adults due to two words: Easy. Target.
I know that might sound mean, but it’s true.
Seniors struggle with technology for all sorts of reasons. For some, there’s simply too much of it progressing at too fast of a rate.
Others have more tech savviness, but aging makes it hard to remember how the new stuff works.
Scammers understand this. They know they can hoodwink a senior in a way they can’t younger adults, who are too skilled in today’s tech, so they choose the lower-hanging fruit.
Most Common Types of Elder Scams
It also doesn’t help that seniors can fall victim to so many types of scams.
Perhaps some of these sound familiar because you’ve heard about them on the news or social media, or maybe you know someone (a friend or a neighbor) who has been fooled.
Credit Card Scams
Never, ever, ever hand over your credit card information to someone or company that you do not know and/or trust.
As digital banking continues to transform the way we manage money, the convenience of online payments and contactless transactions has also opened new doors for fraudsters. Credit card scams have become increasingly sophisticated, with con artists exploiting technology to deceive even the most cautious consumers.
The statistics are equally alarming. In 2022 alone, nearly half of all credit card users reported multiple incidents of fraud, with losses most commonly falling under $50 – but still amounting to billions in total.
❓What’s the safest way to pay for things online as a senior?
💬 Use credit cards instead of debit cards or wire transfers. Credit cards offer better fraud protection, and many allow you to dispute unauthorized charges. Avoid sending gift cards or money orders, these are the preferred payment methods for scammers.
AI Scams
Artificial intelligence is a divisive topic. Some believe it has the propensity for good; others aren’t so sure.
One of its most evil uses is in scamming.
Today, scammers have the technology to recreate a person’s voice and face (via video call), manipulating them into asking for anything.
So, it could seem like your niece is calling you and begging for $10,000 to get out of a bind, but it’s not her. It’s a scammer.
In the meantime, you’re out the money, and your niece has no idea what happened.
TIP: ALWAYS, ALWAYS call the person who is supposedly calling you and asking for money (your niece, in this example) or get in touch with someone close to them to confirm whether the request for money is legitimate before you wire or send them any money.
❓Can scammers really sound like someone I know on the phone?
💬 Yes, they can. Using AI voice cloning, scammers can now mimic the voice of your loved one with just a short audio sample from social media or voicemail. Always verify the caller’s identity by hanging up and calling your loved one directly using a trusted number, never trust the number on the caller ID alone.
Grandparent Scams
In a similar vein is the grandparent scam. A “grandchild” will call you, distraught over being arrested or getting in a crash, or some other situation that necessitates a lot of money. They ask you to wire it over.
You’re in such a tizzy over the horrible news that you don’t think straight and rush to help. Then boom, scammed.
*TIP: Again, ALWAYS confirm that the request is legitimate before wiring money (and do this by calling the person at the phone number you have on file for them (or call another relative to confirm) – don’t just hang up and redial the same phone number that your alleged “grandchild” called you from. That will just call back the scammer.)
Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams
This one really hurts, because who wouldn’t be tempted by claims of free money?
What may seem like a legitimate agency emails or calls you, mentioning you’ve won a cash prize, either from the lottery or in a sweepstakes.
Naturally, they’ll ask for your account details and payment information to deposit your winnings, but the money never comes. If anything, you lose money like this!
Funeral Scams
Although most of us don’t like to think of our own funerals much, as you get older, it’s natural to begin planning to buy plots of land and tombstones.
Some especially unscrupulous scammers will try to make you pre-pay on your own funeral, robbing you of thousands or more!
Tech Support Scams
This one can start innocently with help on how to get your phone or computer issue resolved. Before you know it, they’re asking you to pay for this or that, all in the name of “support!”
Medicare Scams
A Medicare scam attempts to rob you of your health insurance identification information, such as your Social Security number and/or Medicare card number.
TIP: Medicare will never randomly call you to ask for that info, so if you get such a call, it’s not from them!
Veteran Scams
Did you serve in the military? Maybe your spouse did? If so, you must be extra wary of veteran scams.
These scams affect those currently and formerly in the military, including their families.
A scammer will try to get you to buy discounted veterans services by pretending to be with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Government Imposter Scams
These calls can seem really scary, as someone will sound like a government official, such as someone from the IRS, but they aren’t really affiliated with the government. This is just a ruse scammers use to get your financial information.
TIP: Although there are some circumstances in which the IRS will call a person, the IRS says, “The IRS initiates most contacts through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service.”
And even if they do actually call you, it won’t happen out of the blue. They say, “Even then, taxpayers will generally first receive several notices and letters from the IRS in the mail.”
Can Scammers Get Your Information If You Barely Use the Computer?
My mom-in-law only uses her computer to read her email and play bridge games.
So she has never entered personal information on any online account.
Yet, when I type in her name and the state she lives in, the third search result on Google is her. Along with the city she lives in, her current age, her birthdate, her political party, her address, her current neighbors, her children’s names, and other relatives.
It’s all there.
All this information is there for me to view for free – with just one simple search. So yes, scammers can find out a lot more about you than you think.
❓Is there a way to check if my personal information is already online?
💬 Yes. Try searching your name and city in a search engine, you might be shocked by what appears. You can also use services like BeenVerified, Spokeo, or DeleteMe to see what’s publicly available and to request removal. The less information out there, the harder it is for scammers to target you.
Tips For Staying Safe Against Elderly Scams
Beef Up Your Passwords
Here are some tips on how to make the best possible passwords for your online activities.
- Never use a full word or phrase. Examples would be “iloveyou” or “apples.”
- Never use a series of numbers. Examples would be “223344” or “6789.”
- Mix your passwords with capitalized letters, numbers and symbols. Example: tbRa91@VrpSn6&GxPL.
- The more nonsensical the password can be, the better.
- Longer passwords are better than shorter ones.
Read our article, What Is A Good Way For Seniors To Remember Passwords, for more information about choosing online passwords.
Password managers are also an excellent way to securely save your digital estate.
I recommend purchasing and installing a password manager program like Easeenet.com to keep your passwords and documents as secure as possible.
An Extra Step Beyond Passwords
An additional step that you can take to protect your accounts (besides having strong passwords) is to take advantage of two-step verification services many programs offers.
Once you sign up for this, the program will text or call you with a code every time you sign in. You will then enter that code to gain access to the program.
Although this is a great way to boost your online security – I do have to say it can be annoying, especially if you don’t have your phone nearby when you are trying to sign in!
Don’t Open Messages From People You Don’t Know
Simply put, if someone messages you out of the blue via email or a phone text, ignore it. This will help you avoid dangerous links.
❓What are signs that an email or text message might be a scam?
💬 Watch out for misspellings, urgent language (“Act now!”), unfamiliar links, or unexpected attachments. Scammers often pretend to be banks, delivery services, or the IRS. If something seems off, don’t click, go directly to the official website or call the company yourself.
Don’t Trust Services You Didn’t Solicit
For example, if you win the lottery, you have to fill out a claim form and personally claim the winnings. The lottery division won’t contact you because – if you think about it – how do they know who has the winning ticket?
The same goes for tech support. IT experts are so busy they don’t have time to call random people and ask for services. You have to call them to request help.
❓Can someone scam me through my home phone or landline?
💬 Absolutely. In fact, many scammers still use robocalls and live impersonation calls targeting seniors through landlines. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately. Consider using a call blocker or registering your number with the National Do Not Call Registry.
The bottom line is that you typically shouldn’t trust a phone call or message that comes out of nowhere and wasn’t something you initiated.
If you have been scammed, go here next to read about what to do, including reporting the scam (along with pertinent phone numbers to call), plus securing your online presence.
