Older adults lost nearly $4.9 billion to fraud in 2024, a 43 percent jump from the year before (FBI IC3, 2024). That number only counts crimes that were reported. The Federal Trade Commission estimates the real total could be as high as $81.5 billion (FTC, 2025).
These are not small or unusual crimes. They happen every day, to smart and careful people. And they are designed to be convincing.
This guide explains the seven scams that target older adults most often, why they work, and what you can do to stay safe.
Key Takeaways
- Adults over 60 lost $4.9 billion to fraud in 2024, with an average victim loss of $83,000 (FBI IC3, 2024).
- Tech support, government impersonation, and romance scams are the most frequently reported types targeting older adults.
- Real government agencies, real companies, and real banks will never demand urgent payment by gift card or wire transfer.
- If you've been targeted, or think you have, you don't have to figure it out alone.
Why Are Older Adults Targeted More Often Than Other Age Groups?
Adults over 60 submit more fraud complaints and suffer higher losses than any other age group (FBI IC3, 2024). Scammers choose their targets carefully, and older adults check many boxes they look for.
Older adults are more likely to own their homes and have retirement savings. They're often home during the day and available to answer calls. And they grew up in a time when phone calls and official-looking letters carried real authority. That trust is not a weakness, but scammers exploit it.
There's another factor that doesn't get enough attention. In 2024, 72 percent of elder fraud cases were made easier by the victim's personal information being available online (Incogni, 2026). Scammers buy data from brokers to know your name, your address, and sometimes even your bank.
What we hear: When people reach out to ClearGuide, many say the same thing: "I didn't think it could happen to me." It happens to sharp, experienced, cautious people. That's how these scams are built.
1. Tech Support Scams: The Most Costly Scam for Adults Over 60
Tech support scams cost adults 60 and older $900 million in 2024, making them one of the most financially damaging fraud types tracked by the FBI (IC3, 2024). Older adults are significantly more likely to lose money this way than younger age groups.
How it works: A pop-up appears on your screen. It says your computer has a serious virus. It gives you a phone number to call immediately. You call. A friendly person walks you through "fixing" the problem, but they're really gaining access to your computer and your bank account.
Sometimes the scam starts with a phone call instead. The caller says they're from Microsoft, Apple, or your internet provider. They say there's a problem with your account.
Red flags:
- A real tech company will never contact you out of the blue about a problem
- No pop-up error message requires you to call a phone number
- Real support teams never ask you to pay with gift cards or wire transfers
What to do: Close the browser tab or window. Don't call any number shown in a pop-up. If you're worried your computer has a real problem, call a trusted advisor directly, not a number from the screen.
According to the FBI's 2024 Internet Crime Report, tech support fraud losses have risen nearly 87 percent since 2022, with scammers increasingly using remote access tools to drain victims' accounts without them realizing it (FBI IC3, 2024).
2. Government Impersonation Scams: When "The IRS" Calls
Government impersonation scams cost older adults $375 million in 2024, a 47 percent jump from the year before (FTC, 2024). These scams are particularly effective because they create immediate fear.
How it works: Someone calls claiming to be from the IRS, Social Security Administration, Medicare, or a local police department. They say you owe money, your benefits are about to be cut off, or there's a warrant for your arrest. They demand payment immediately to resolve the issue.
The caller may know personal details about you: your name, your address, sometimes even the last four digits of your Social Security number. This makes them sound legitimate.
Red flags:
- Real government agencies contact you by mail first, not by unexpected phone call
- No agency will threaten arrest unless you pay immediately by gift card or wire
- If a caller says your Social Security number has been "suspended," that's a scam. Social Security numbers can't be suspended.
What to do: Hang up. If you're concerned there's a real issue, call the agency directly using the number on their official website. Never call back a number the caller gave you.
The FTC documented a more than four-fold increase in reports of impersonation scammers stealing $100,000 or more from older adults between 2020 and 2024 (FTC, 2025). Combined losses from those who lost over $100,000 jumped from $55 million to $445 million in that same period.
3. Grandparent Scams: "Grandma, I Need Help Right Now"
Grandparent scams work because they target something real: a grandparent's love for their family. The scam uses urgency and emotion to make you act before you think.
How it works: You get a call from someone who sounds like your grandchild. They say they're in trouble: a car accident, a medical emergency, an arrest. They beg you not to tell your children. Then someone else gets on the line, often pretending to be a lawyer or police officer, and tells you to send cash right away.
With AI voice-cloning technology now widely available, scammers can create a voice that sounds almost exactly like a real family member. This makes these calls far more convincing than they used to be.
Red flags:
- The caller asks you to keep the call secret from your children
- Payment is requested in cash, gift cards, or wire transfer, not through normal channels
- The situation feels urgently emotional and rushes you to decide quickly
What to do: Hang up. Call your grandchild directly on a number you already have saved. Or call another family member to verify. A real emergency will still be a real emergency two minutes later.
Something worth knowing: Scammers often gather family details (names of grandchildren, recent trips, local connections) from public social media posts before they call. Reviewing your privacy settings on Facebook and other platforms is a meaningful line of defense.
4. Romance Scams: When an Online Friendship Costs You Everything
Over 6,740 people aged 60 and older reported romance scam victimization to the FBI in a single year, and older victims lose nearly twice as much money as younger ones (FBI IC3, 2024). These scams are among the most emotionally painful because they involve manufactured trust.
How it works: Someone contacts you through a social media site, a dating app, or even email. They're warm, attentive, and interested in you. Over weeks or months they build a real-feeling relationship. Then comes a crisis: a medical bill, a business problem, a travel emergency. They ask for financial help.
They never meet in person. There's always a reason.
Red flags:
- The person claims to live far away or to be working abroad
- They profess strong feelings very quickly
- They ask for money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers
- Video calls are always cancelled or the picture is blurry
What to do: Search the person's profile photo using a reverse image search (Google Images or TinEye). Scammers often steal photos from real people. Never send money to someone you haven't met in person.
Romance scam losses among adults over 60 totaled approximately $357 million in 2023, and older victims consistently show median losses nearly double those of victims under 60 (FBI IC3, 2023). The emotional investment makes these scams especially hard to recognize from the inside.
5. Lottery and Prize Scams: "You've Won, But We Need Your Bank Details"
Prize and lottery scams cost Americans $102 million in 2024, with older adults representing the most common target (FTC, 2024). The FTC consistently finds adults over 60 more likely to lose money to this type of fraud than any other age group.
How it works: You get a letter, email, or phone call saying you've won a prize, lottery, or sweepstakes. To claim your winnings, you need to pay taxes, a processing fee, or a customs charge upfront. You pay. The winnings never arrive.
Sometimes the scam continues with more fees, more delays, more demands.
Red flags:
- You can't win a contest you didn't enter
- Real prize winnings are never paid out after you send money first
- Official-looking logos, seals, and language don't make a letter real
What to do: Don't pay any fee to claim a prize. Real sweepstakes never require upfront payment. If you're unsure, call a trusted family member or advisor before doing anything.
6. Phishing Emails and Texts: Fake Messages That Steal Your Information
Email was the most common way scammers contacted victims in 2024, ahead of phone calls and text messages (FTC Consumer Sentinel, 2024). Phishing messages are designed to look exactly like real ones.
How it works: You receive an email that looks like it's from your bank, Amazon, Medicare, or a government agency. It says there's a problem with your account. It asks you to click a link and sign in. The link goes to a fake website that captures your username and password.
Text message versions of this scam (called "smishing") follow the same pattern. You might get a text saying a package can't be delivered until you confirm your address, with a link to click.
Red flags:
- The sender's actual email address looks slightly wrong (for example, amazon-support@gmail.com)
- The message creates urgency: "your account will be closed in 24 hours"
- The link URL looks unfamiliar when you hover over it
What to do: Don't click links in unexpected emails or texts. If you think there's a real issue with your bank or a service you use, open a new browser tab and go directly to their official website. Call their number from their real website, not the one in the message.
For the second consecutive year in 2024, email was the primary contact method reported in fraud complaints to the FTC, with phone calls second and text messages third (FTC Consumer Sentinel, 2024). Recognizing a suspicious message before clicking is one of the most reliable forms of protection available.
What Should You Do If You've Been Targeted, or If It Already Happened?
First: this happens to careful, intelligent people. It is not a sign of weakness. These scams are professionally designed and constantly refined.
If you're in the middle of a suspicious situation:
- Stop the contact immediately. Hang up, close the window, don't respond.
- Don't send any more money, even if the person says it will fix the situation.
- Tell a trusted family member or friend right away.
If money was already sent:
- Contact your bank or credit card company as quickly as possible
- Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- File a report with your local police
- Report internet-based crimes at ic3.gov
Reporting matters. Most fraud goes unreported because people feel embarrassed. But your report helps law enforcement track patterns and protect others.
What ClearGuide hears often: Many people aren't sure if what happened to them counts as a scam. When in doubt, report it anyway. The FTC's fraud reporting system is designed for exactly this. It doesn't require certainty, just what you experienced.
If your computer was accessed remotely, or if you're not sure whether your accounts are safe, talking to a trusted tech advisor is a reasonable next step. ClearGuide connects you with vetted experts who explain things in clear, everyday language. No judgment, no jargon.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do scammers get my phone number or email address?
Scammers often buy contact lists from data brokers, companies that collect and sell personal information. Your phone number or email may appear on these lists after a data breach, a past online purchase, or a public record. Opting out of data broker sites reduces your exposure over time.
Will the government or police actually call me about a problem with my account?
Rarely, and never urgently. Real agencies like the IRS and Social Security Administration almost always send mail first. They don't call demanding immediate payment. If you receive an urgent call claiming to be from a government agency, hang up and call the agency directly using their official website's phone number.
What payment method do scammers usually ask for?
Gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, and peer-to-peer payment apps (like Zelle or Venmo) are most common. These methods are hard to trace and nearly impossible to reverse. A request for gift card payment is one of the clearest warning signs of a scam.
Is it too late to do anything if I already sent money?
It depends on how you paid and how quickly you act. Bank wire transfers can sometimes be recalled if you call within the first few hours. Gift cards are much harder to reverse but still worth reporting. Contact your bank first, then file a report with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
How can I help protect a parent or grandparent from scams?
Having a direct, calm conversation is the most effective step. Share one or two specific examples. Agree on a family code word they can ask for if someone calls claiming to be a relative. Make sure they know they can always call you first before sending money or sharing information with an unexpected caller.
The Bottom Line
Scams targeting older adults aren't random. They're methodical, professional, and built to exploit trust. But they also follow recognizable patterns, and once you know the patterns, they're much easier to spot.
The single most protective habit is this: slow down before you act. Real problems allow time to verify. Scammers always create urgency because urgency stops you from thinking.
If something feels wrong, it probably is. You're allowed to hang up. You're allowed to take time. And you're allowed to ask for help.
Key points to remember:
- Real companies and agencies never demand gift card payment
- Urgent calls about grandchildren, your computer, or your Social Security number are almost always scams
- Reporting fraud, even if you're unsure, helps protect others
- You don't have to figure it out alone
If you're not sure whether a tech situation is safe, or if you want a trusted second opinion, ClearGuide can connect you with someone who can help, in clear everyday language, with no pressure.