Scams Against Seniors

Explore the three disastrous effects of scams on seniors—psychological, physical, and financial—showing how fraud causes extreme discomfort, health issues, and substantial money loss.

Identify prevalent scams against seniors and learn to respond by hanging up on phone calls and ending interactions quickly. Stay aware of patterns tied to financial moments to protect yourself.

Identify sextortion emails that falsely claim they captured you watching explicit material and demand payment in cash or bitcoin, using fear rather than real access.

Discover how online car ads lure buyers with unusually low prices and urgent selling promises. Recognize red flags such as prepaid gift card requests and delayed communication.

Identify home improvements scams by insisting on verifiable identification and contact details, avoiding cash deposits, and delaying decisions after unsolicited doorstep offers.

Discover how romance scams target seniors online by grooming through fake profiles, promising love, and requesting money for travel or relatives, with tips to verify dating services and avoid loss.

Recognize the computer support scam's tactics—phone calls, pop-ups, or online prompts claiming viruses—to target seniors, and protect yourself by avoiding unsolicited contact and relying on trusted local services.

Learn how the jury scam targets seniors with a fake court notice to obtain personal data such as social security numbers, Medicare numbers, and birth dates.

Explain how the stem cell scam targets seniors with desperate hopes, using quack doctors promising miracle cures and high prices; consult your physician or seek a second opinion.

Explore how cryptocurrency scams exploit seniors through initial coin offerings, hype, and unregulated investments, and learn to avoid fraud by sticking to known investments and assessing the risk.

Learn how subscriber scams open accounts in your name and rack up charges, and protect yourself by guarding personal details and reporting lost or stolen phones to your provider.

Be wary of door-knockers and demand properly credentialed ID before donating, and verify charity legitimacy, especially after disasters; consider direct subscriptions from publishers to avoid scams.

Explore how the overseas lottery prize scam targets seniors via phone, email, or text, demanding fees under urgency and asking for personal information.

Learn the nine actions to defend seniors against scams, from staying suspicious and protecting your identity to verifying callers and seeking proof before spending.