Signs someone you care about is being targeted

Why older adults are targeted

People 60 and older reported more than $7.7 billion in losses to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2025, up 59% from the year before, with an average reported loss of about $38,500. These figures cover every payment method, not only Zelle, and include only losses people chose to report.

Scams succeed because of rehearsed scripts, pressure, and isolation—not a lack of intelligence. Savings and a steady income make older adults an attractive target for professional criminals.

Scams that commonly reach older adults

• Investment opportunities from a new online acquaintance or advertisement. This was the largest reported loss category for people 60 and older in 2025.
• Tech or customer support calls and pop-ups that claim a computer, account, or subscription problem.
• An online romance or friendship that gradually turns into requests for money.
• Government impersonation: a caller claiming to be from a federal agency, threatening arrest or the loss of benefits.
• A family emergency: a “grandchild” or relative in trouble who needs money right away. The FBI warns that voices can now be convincingly cloned.
• “Your bank” calling to say the account is compromised and money must be moved to keep it safe.

Changes worth noticing

• New secrecy about phone calls, an online friend, or a “business opportunity.”
• Unusual withdrawals, transfers, or payment-app activity, especially to people you do not recognize.
• Requests to buy gift cards, withdraw cash, send cryptocurrency, or use a payment app for someone they have never met.
• New remote-access apps, or a “support agent” who asked to control the computer or phone.
• Anxiety, fear of getting in trouble, or embarrassment after calls or messages.
• Instructions from someone else not to tell family members or the bank.

Start the conversation gently

Lead with curiosity rather than blame: ask who contacted them, what they were told, and what they were asked to do. Shame keeps people quiet, and silence gives a scammer more time.

If money is at risk right now, offer to call the bank together using the number on their card or statement. If money has already been sent, the guide on what to do next walks through each step.