Scams
Phone scams targeting older adults
Six kinds of scam calls cause most of the damage. Each page explains how the call works, the red flags, what to do, and real cases with official sources.
Grandparent scams and fake family emergencies
How grandparent scams work, including AI-cloned voices and cash couriers, the red flags in the call, and how families can stop them.
$15,000 handed to a «legal courier» by a Florida mother after a call in a voice she was sure was her daughter’s (2025)
Government impersonation scam calls
Scammers pose as Social Security, the IRS, Medicare, the FTC, U.S. Marshals or police. How these calls work, the red flags and what to do.
41% of older adults’ phone-fraud losses went to government impostors
Fake bank fraud department and «safe account» scams
Callers pose as your bank’s fraud team, ask for a texted code or tell you to move money to a «safe account». How it works and how to stop it.
$55 million+ lost to «phantom hacker» style scams from May to December 2023, by FBI count
Tech support and fake refund scams
A pop-up or call says your computer is infected or you’re owed a refund. How tech support scams take money from older adults and how to avoid them.
$1.04 billion lost by people 60+ to tech and customer support scams in 2025, the second-largest category
Prize, lottery and sweepstakes scams
A caller says you won a prize but must pay taxes or fees first. How prize and sweepstakes scams work and why you never pay to collect a prize.
$136 million lost by people 60+ to lottery, sweepstakes and inheritance scams in 2025
Gift cards, Bitcoin ATMs, gold and cash couriers
Scammers demand payment by gift card, Bitcoin ATM, gold bars or cash handed to a courier. Any caller who asks for these is a scammer.
$257.5 million lost by people 60+ through cryptocurrency kiosks in 2025, in 6,188 complaints
Also: how to protect a parent · all scam cases · scam statistics