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Senior identity theft: How it works and 5 ways to stop it

Your best defense is to be prepared.

Written byMP Dunleavey

Fact-checked byDoug Ashburn

A photo illustration shows a concerned older woman using a laptop while three wolves watch her closely, symbolizing the threat of identity theft targeting seniors.

Know the signs of potential fraud. Seniors often have the most to lose.

Call it what you will—incidents of elder fraud, senior identity theft, and elder financial exploitation are on the rise. Although younger adults report higher incidents of fraud than the elderly, seniors are more vulnerable because they typically have so much to lose: personal savings, retirement money, home equity, and more.

In 2022, the number of fraud complaints from adults aged 30 to 39 was higher than the number reported by those 60 and up (94,506 versus 88,262 complaints).
Younger adults suffered losses of $1.3 billion. Older adults suffered losses of $3.1 billion—a shocking 82% jump since 2021, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

When you factor in all types of scams, total losses for older adults in 2022 were closer to $28.3 billion, according to data analyzed by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago and AARP.

Key Points

Top scams targeting seniors include fake investment opportunities, imposter scams, and bogus prizes such as lotteries and sweepstakes.
Look for red flags, such as pressure to act fast and requests for personally identifying information (PII).
If you are the victim of a scam, don’t hide it in shame; share your story—with the police, the FBI, and advocacy groups.

So although it’s vital for everyone to know how to prevent ID theft, it’s especially important for older adults to understand how scammers set their traps—and how to avoid becoming a victim.

The psychology of a scam

You don’t have to know much about senior ID theft or elder fraud to have heard about the incredible array of methods that criminals use to steal personal data, money, or both. But behind the details, most setups employ a one-two punch that’s as old as the hills:

Present a high-stakes scenario that gets the target victim upset or excited.
Lay out a plan of action that tricks the victim into sharing personal data or paying a fee/sending money.

Whether it’s someone from a software company’s “tech support team” who needs to access your computer immediately about “a security breach,” or your new “sweetheart” urging you to invest in a “surefire” crypto opportunity, scammers create a sense of urgency that can push almost anyone over the edge.

Looks legit—but is it?

Spoofing and other forms of identity theft are getting more sophisticated. But you can reduce the probability—and impact—of becoming a victim if you know what to look for. Learn how to spot a spoofing attack—whether via email, text, or social media.

The financial toll of common scams

Millions of people are the victims of scams. It’s not necessarily a function of age, cognitive decline, or even being less adept at some kinds of technology. Instead, it’s more about emotional vulnerability.

To the degree that an older adult may have experienced a stressful event (such as the death or illness of a loved one), they might be more vulnerable to crimes that depend on emotional manipulation. But again, the primary reason older adults need to be vigilant—and their families also need to be on the alert—is that the financial risk is typically higher.

Frequency and financial impact of three common scams, all ages, 2022
Type of scam	No. of reported incidents	No. of incidents claiming a loss	Median loss
Investment	107,642	78,931 (73%)	$5,000
Imposter	762,598	160,119 (21%)	$1,000
Prizes	148,562	18,526 (12%)	$950
Source: Fraud Reports, Federal Trade Commission, 2022

Investment scams. As you can see from the table, this is the biggest scam category in terms of total financial losses reported to the FTC. There are innumerable variations on investment fraud, but a particularly nefarious one pairs a romantic ploy with a crypto investing gambit.
Imposter scams. These scams are convincing because they involve someone claiming to be a relative, a government agent, a romantic interest, or a computer technician, to name a few. Typically the scammer says they (or you) are facing some kind of crisis—and they ask you to send money or to share personal data.
Lotteries, prizes, and sweepstakes scams. The fraudster dangles a big cash prize; all you have to do to “win” the jackpot is pay a substantial fee.

Five red flags that signal it’s likely a scam

How can you protect yourself from identity theft (and financial theft via fraud)? First, learn to recognize some of the red flags common to most scams. These include:

Pressure to act fast. Typically, you’re not given time to consult with friends or family.
A threat. You’ll “miss out”; you’ll “lose the prize”; or your account will be hacked, etc.
Something feels wrong. An email, text, or call seems to come from a familiar source (your real estate agent, the IRS, someone from Medicare/Medicaid), but the inquiry is off base or there are typos in the email, text, or website.
Request for personally identifying information (PII). You might be asked to share credit card or bank account details, or even your Social Security number.
A deal that sounds too good to be true. As the saying goes, “it probably is.”

Remember, it never hurts to ask for a name, a number, more details, or more time to think things through. You can always say, “I’ll get back to you.” The biggest red flag of all is when a scammer doesn’t want to share their information or let you take the time you need.

Five ways to prevent elder fraud and identity theft

Next, it’s important to take steps to harden the target, as they say in law enforcement.

Share scam stories. Sharing your experience, or stories you’ve heard, can be a powerful deterrent. Scams are more likely to fail when people are forewarned. If people can spot the telltale signs of fraud, they can dodge a scam before they’re duped.
Combine biometrics with passwords. These days we all have so many passwords that it’s easy to get lazy (or careless) and repeat the same codes on different accounts and devices. When available, using biometrics (e.g., a fingerprint or face ID) along with a password offers an extra layer of security.
Freeze your credit reports. It’s worth getting free copies of all three credit reports at annualcreditreport.com (the site sanctioned by the government to offer free reports) to keep an eye on your accounts. But that will only show you if unauthorized accounts were already opened in your name. A stronger step is to freeze your credit. This prevents criminals from using your personal data to gain access to your credit without your permission. You can unfreeze and refreeze your credit reports—say, if you have to apply for a loan or need a credit check—and although it’s a bit of a hassle, it may be worth the peace of mind.
Bank online. Many people wrongly assume that online banking will make you more vulnerable to being hacked. But financial institutions are invested in keeping your data and money safe, and they tend to keep up with the latest and greatest security features.
Accept that software update. Software updates seem to show up at inconvenient moments, but if your computer or phone prompts you to update your operating system or software, just do it. Those updates can include high-tech protections that you’ll be glad to have.

The bottom line

Elder fraud is on the rise, as are the scams that victimize adults at every age and stage of life. Older adults may suffer more from these crimes financially, because they often have more to lose—and no recourse once their money is lost. If you’re 75 and lose a chunk of your retirement savings, there’s likely no way to make that back.

Luckily, most scammers use a fairly simple formula to emotionally manipulate their victims. In fact, the best way to thwart cyber criminals and other con artists is to notice when a scenario has you upset (“My grandchild is in danger!”) or really excited (“I’ve won $10,000!”)—and hit pause. Don’t click, don’t agree to any terms, and contact someone else who can help.

You can register the incident with the Federal Trade Commission, share it with National Adult Protective Services, and/or contact AARP, which has a robust Fraud Watch Network as well as a help line where humans answer the phone: (877) 908-3360.

Special thanks to Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention programs at AARP, for her assistance with this article.

References

[PDF] The Scope of Elder Financial Exploitation: What It Costs Victims | aarp.org
[PDF] Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Report 2022 | ic3.gov
[PDF] 5 Top Scams Targeting Our Nation’s Seniors Since 2015 | aging.senate.gov

This article was most recently revised and updated by MP DunleaveyThis article was most recently revised and updated by Doug Ashburn