Scams aimed at older adults
General elder fraud warning signs
What are the common scams aimed at older adults, and what do I do if I paid?
Scam signs include rush, secrecy, and payment by gift card, crypto or wire. If you paid, call your bank right away and report it at ic3.gov and to local police.
Sometimes real, often faked. Do not use their link or number. Look it up yourself.
Draft: we're still checking this page. The quotes below are word for word from their sources.
What to do
On the phone right now?
- Stop. Hang up or close the message. Don't tap anything.
- Check. Call a number you already have, like the one on your card or bill.
- Talk to someone you trust before you pay anyone.
If anyone is in danger right now, call 911.
If you already paid
- Call the company you paid through right away: your bank, card company, gift card company, or the wire or Zelle service. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
- Call the Justice Department's National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If it happened online, report it at IC3.gov too.
General information, not legal or financial advice. If you've lost money, contact your bank and report it.
How it works
1 They reach you by
- Phone call
- Text message
- Social media
- Letter or postcard
- In person
- Computer pop-up
- Website
- Video call
2 They pretend to be
- A family member
- Police or government
- Tech support
- A new love or friend
- Prize company
- A charity
- Your bank
- Investment expert
- Someone else
3 They ask for
- Money
- Gift cards
- Wire or Zelle
- Personal details
- Control of your computer
- Cash or gold by courier
- Crypto
- Secrecy
- A code sent to you
- Tap a link
What they may say
“Hi Gram, do you know who this is?”
Warning signs
- They tell you to buy gift cards and read them the numbers. No real agency or company asks to be paid that way.
- They send someone to your home to pick up cash or gold. Real agencies and banks do not collect money that way.
- They want payment in cryptocurrency, or tell you to use a Bitcoin machine. That money is very hard to get back.
- They tell you not to tell your family or your bank. That keeps you from getting help.
- They ask you to install an app so they can see or control your computer or phone.
- They ask you to read back a code that was texted to you. Anyone with that code can get into your account.
- They push you to send a wire transfer or Zelle payment. That money is very hard to get back.
- They contacted you, then ask for your Social Security, Medicare or bank numbers.
- They want you to use their link or their phone number. Look up the real website or number yourself.
- They say you must pay right now or something bad will happen. Real organizations give you time to check.
Why we say this
What are some classic warning signs of possible fraud and scams?
This guide lists the common warning signs of a scam. These include pressure to act fast, requests for money or personal information, and odd payment methods like gift cards or crypto. It also explains how to slow down and check before you act.
Scammers may also ask you to use unusual payment methods, like gift cards, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or payment apps.
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Never pay up front for a prize or offer. It’s a scam if you are told that you must pay fees or taxes first.
Beware when someone plays on your emotions or claims there’s an urgent situation.
Contact the person yourself to verify the story. Use contact information you know is theirs.
Call the financial institution, company, organization, or government agency using their official phone number or website to confirm if there is a real problem.
Elder Fraud: What to do if you or someone you know is targeted
This FBI page tells people 60 and older, and their families, what to do after a fraud. Call your bank right away to try to get wire transfers recalled, protect your credit, and report to IC3 and local police. It also links to a free Elder Fraud Hotline and a Chinese-language brochure.
Contact your bank and other financial institutions to safeguard your accounts. If wire transfers were sent, request a recall and a hold harmless letter from your financial institutions.
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Requesting a recall and obtaining a Hold Harmless Letter/Indemnification documents as quickly as possible may reduce or eliminate your financial losses.
Contact your local authorities and file a report with www.ic3.gov.
Do not be afraid to report a suspected crime.
Elder Fraud
The FBI lists the most common scams aimed at older adults. These include romance, tech support, grandparent, government impersonation, lottery, home repair and TV/radio scams. The page explains how to protect yourself and how to report a scam to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
Grandparent scam: A type of confidence scam where criminals pose as a relative—usually a child or grandchild—claiming to be in immediate financial need.
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Government impersonation scam: Criminals pose as government employees and threaten to arrest or prosecute victims unless they agree to provide funds or other payments.
Tech support scam: Criminals pose as technology support representatives and offer to fix non-existent computer issues. The scammers gain remote access to victims’ devices and sensitive information.
Sweepstakes/charity/lottery scam: Criminals claim to work for legitimate charitable organizations to gain victims’ trust. Or they claim their targets have won a foreign lottery or sweepstake, which they can collect for a “fee.”
Create a shared verbal family password or phrase that only you and your loved ones know.
Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a sense of urgency to produce fear and lure victims into immediate action.
Never give or send any personally identifiable information, money, gold or other precious metals, jewelry, gift cards, checks, or wire information to unverified people or businesses.
If you believe you or someone you know may have been a victim of elder fraud, file a complaint at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
Imposter Scams: Do You Really Know Who You're Talking To?
This guide covers four common imposter scams: grandparent, romance, investment and foreign lottery or sweepstakes. It also warns about fake government or police callers. The scammers build trust, then ask for money or personal details. The guide tells readers to check stories with real family and never pay to win a prize.
Scammers will contact you in multiple ways pretending to be a government or law enforcement agency. If they demand payment or your personal information, don't respond.
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Have you ever received a frantic call from someone posing as your grandchild? Scammers will call or email grandparents to make urgent requests for bail money, lawyer’s fees, hospital bills, or other fictitious expenses.
Before sending any money, verify the details of the story with the relative that the scam artist is claiming to be or other trusted family members or friends.
The scammers’ preferred methods of payment are wire transfers or reloadable prepaid credit cards.
Scammers will pretend to be interested in an unwitting person and, after building a rapport, ask them to send money or to cash a check or money order.
If you must pay to play, it’s a scam.
The Top 5 Financial Scams Targeting Older Adults
NCOA lists the scams that most often reach older adults: grandparent scams, fake bank messages, tech support pop-ups, government impersonators, and romance scams. All use trust, fear, and rush to get money or personal details. One example is a widow who lost $700,000 to a friend she met on WeChat.
They may say something like, “Hi Gram, do you know who this is?” Then, with that name at the ready, they impersonate the grandchild.
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Today, con artists can clone real voices of real relatives and use them to commit fraud.
People who run grandparent scams often ask to be paid through gift cards or wire transfers.
Some victims report that scammers showed up at their homes, posing as “couriers” to pick up the money.
Typically, a person’s computer or phone screen will freeze or go blank. A pop-up message will appear with a phone number to dial for help.
In one recent incident, a California widow lost $700,000 to a man who contacted her and cultivated what she believed to be a true friendship over the online app WeChat.
If someone asks you to send money immediately, share personal information, or keep the conversation secret, pause before responding.