Top 10 scams targeting seniors

The most common scams targeting seniors

Many seniors have significant savings, own their homes, and have good credit — traits that make them attractive targets. They also tend to be trusting and polite, which scammers deliberately exploit.

These vulnerabilities are compounded by the fact that seniors are less likely to report fraud. Some don’t know how to file a report. Others feel ashamed at having been scammed, or worry that family members will question their ability to handle their own finances. Even seniors who do report struggle to recall the details investigators need.

That reluctance to report gives scammers room to operate. The tactics range from fake phone calls to fraudulent investment platforms, but the goal is almost always the same — to take money or personal information before the target realizes what’s happened.

The sections below cover the current scams targeting seniors and what to watch for in each.

1. Health insurance fraud

Health insurance fraud is one of the most common schemes scammers use against older Americans. They impersonate Medicare representatives, insurance adjusters, or healthcare providers to obtain potential victims’ Social Security numbers (SSNs), Medicare numbers, and bank details. Common scenarios involve calls that offer free medical equipment, new Medicare cards, genetic testing kits, or supplemental insurance.

Medicare fraud is also among the most common mail scams targeting seniors. Scammers send official-looking letters, complete with government seals and Medicare-style formatting, to request the same details by mail. Through either channel, the goal is the same — once scammers have your information, they can submit fraudulent claims in your name, drain your benefits, and leave you with unpaid bills for services you never received.

2. Counterfeit prescription drugs

Counterfeit prescription drug scams typically start with an online pharmacy offering steep discounts on expensive, hard-to-afford medications. Seniors on fixed incomes are a primary target — the lower price is deliberately designed to appeal to people who struggle with prescription costs.

The drugs that arrive are often expired, diluted, or completely fake. In the worst cases, they contain harmful or dangerous substances. Beyond the health risks, these pharmacies also collect your payment details and personal information, which scammers can use for follow-up fraud.

3. Funeral and cemetery scams

Funeral and cemetery scams prey on people at their most vulnerable — right after the death of a loved one. These scams take several forms, and each one exploits grief to extract money.

• Overcharging at the funeral home. Some dishonest funeral homes add unnecessary services, inflate prices for required items, or charge for bogus services you never requested.

• Obituary scams. Scammers read death notices and obituaries to identify recently bereaved families. They then show up at their home or contact the family by phone. They claim the deceased had outstanding debt that must be settled immediately. The urgency is deliberate — families in shock are less likely to push back or verify claims. Always ask for written proof of any debt before paying.
• Prepaid funeral plan fraud. Scammers may pose as funeral planning agents, sell prepaid plans, collect the money, and fail to safeguard the funds needed to honor the agreement later. If you’re considering a prepaid plan, verify the provider with the appropriate state regulator and confirm that your payments will be held in a protected trust or backed by insurance.
• Cemetery plot reselling. Scammers contact seniors and claim they want to buy their cemetery plot — often at an attractive price. Before the sale can proceed, they ask for an upfront fee to cover paperwork or deed transfers, then disappear with the money. Some send a fake certified check for more than the agreed price and ask the seller to refund the difference. The seller is left out of pocket when the bank reverses the payment.

4. Fraudulent anti-aging products

The anti-aging market is enormous, and scammers exploit its scale to their advantage. They sell fraudulent products through infomercials, social media ads, and unsolicited emails. These products promise dramatic results that no legitimate product can deliver — wrinkle reversal, hormone restoration, memory improvement, or significant weight loss.

These products are ineffective at best and potentially dangerous at worst. Some contain undisclosed ingredients — among them prescription-strength compounds that can interact with medication. Others sign customers up for recurring subscriptions that are difficult to cancel.

5. Investment scams

Investment fraud is the costliest of all financial scams targeting seniors, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In 2025, people aged 60 and older reported $3.5 billion in investment fraud losses to the IC3 [1]. Many victims don’t report at all, so actual losses are likely much higher.

Scammers typically promise high returns with little or no risk. The scammer — often posing as a financial advisor, a successful investor, or even a trusted friend — encourages you to move money into a private investment, a cryptocurrency platform, or a “members-only” fund. You may see fake account statements showing impressive gains, which build confidence and encourage larger deposits.

Eventually, when you try to withdraw money, the scammer invents reasons why you can’t — unpaid taxes, fees, or verification requirements. The money is gone.

6. Home and mortgage scams 

Home and mortgage scams target seniors who own their homes — often outright. Scammers see that property as a financial opportunity.

• Equity theft. Scammers convince senior citizens to sign documents that transfer equity or ownership under the guise of a loan or refinancing agreement. The legal language is deliberately confusing, and seniors often don’t realize they’ve signed away their home until it’s too late.
• Contractor fraud. After a storm or natural disaster, fraudulent contractors knock on doors offering to repair damage at a discounted price. They may claim the work is covered by an insurance program, collect a large upfront deposit, then disappear — or deliver substandard work at an inflated price.
• Reverse mortgage scams. Scammers misrepresent how reverse mortgages work and pressure seniors into taking one out, then direct the funds into a fraudulent investment. Others impersonate housing counselors and charge fees for services that are legally required to be free.
• Foreclosure rescue scams. If you’re behind on mortgage payments, scammers offer to negotiate with your lender for a fee. They take the money, do nothing, and you lose both the fee and, eventually, your home.

7. Sweepstakes and lottery scams

Sweepstakes scams targeting seniors are more common than many people realize. Scammers tell you that you’ve won a prize — often a large cash amount, a car, or a vacation — in a contest you never entered. The catch is that you must pay taxes, processing fees, or customs charges before you can collect your winnings.

Once you pay, the scam artist either disappears or invents new fees to extract more money. Some targets are strung along for months before they realize no prize is coming.

These scams arrive by phone, mail, text message, and email. The messaging often looks official — complete with fake government seals, real-looking check images, and language with an urgent tone. The message often warns that your prize will expire soon.

8. The grandparent scam

The grandparent scam is one of the most emotionally devastating schemes used against older adults. A scammer calls and pretends to be a grandchild in serious trouble — arrested, in a car accident, or hospitalized abroad. The scammer begs for money and asks you not to tell other family members.

Sometimes, a second caller joins the call. They pose as a lawyer, bail bondsman, or police officer to make the situation feel more official. Together, they create a sense of urgency that makes it hard to think clearly.

This scam has become harder to detect because of AI. Scammers now use AI phishing to mimic a real family member’s voice from a short audio clip pulled from social media. They also create deepfakes — video or audio sent through messaging apps to make the emergency appear genuine.

9. Romance scams

Romance scams typically begin on dating sites, social media platforms, or online forums. Scammers create fake profiles — often using stolen photos of attractive, successful-looking people — and invest weeks or months building a relationship before asking for money.

The emotional bond scammers build makes these scams particularly difficult to recognize. They are attentive, consistent, and skilled at identifying what the target needs emotionally.

In 2025, people aged 60 and older lost $584 million to confidence and romance scams [1].

Once the scammer has built trust, they introduce a crisis — a medical emergency, a business deal gone wrong, or a plane ticket to finally meet in person. The requests start small and grow over time. Scammers often ask targets to send money through unusual payment methods, such as gift cards or cryptocurrency. 

10. Tech support scams

Tech support fraud ranks among the most damaging phone scams targeting seniors — and it doesn’t always start with a phone call. Scammers make contact through fake pop-up alerts on your computer, unsolicited emails, or direct calls. The message is always the same — your device has a virus, and you need to act immediately.

In 2025, people aged 60 and older reported over $1 billion in tech support scam losses — second only to investment fraud [1].

Once you call the number provided, a fake technician asks for remote access to your device to “fix” the problem. Remote access lets the scammer browse your files, steal account credentials, install malware, or transfer money directly from your accounts. Some scammers also charge hundreds of dollars for the bogus repair. 

Other scams targeting seniors

Several other scams specifically target older adults and are worth knowing about:

• Government impersonation scams. Government impersonation is one of the fraud tactics the FBI reports most frequently among scams targeting seniors [1].  In these scams, a caller poses as an FBI agent, a prosecutor, an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) representative, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, or a Social Security Administration (SSA) official. Sometimes the caller claims to represent one government agency while working alongside another.
• Family and caregiver scams. Not all elder fraud comes from strangers. Caregivers or family members with access to a senior’s finances, mail, or accounts may divert funds, forge signatures, or make unauthorized purchases. Financial exploitation by trusted individuals is widely underreported.
• The pigeon drop. The pigeon drop typically happens in person. A stranger approaches you in a public place — a parking lot, a park, or a shopping center — and strikes up a conversation. They claim to have just found a large sum of money, an expensive ring, or another item of high value, and offer to split it with you. But before you can collect your share, you must put up your own money as a “good faith” deposit. Once you hand over the money, the scammer disappears.
• Bank and lender impersonation scams. A caller claims to be from your bank or the company that issued your credit card and tells you your account has been compromised. To “protect” you, they ask you to confirm your identity and financial information.
• Foreign money transfer scam. A stranger calls and asks for your help transferring a large sum of money out of another country — often Nigeria, Sierra Leone, or Iraq. The story is long and detailed. The scammer explains why the rightful owner can’t move the money and promises a reward if you deposit a check into your bank account. The check is fraudulent, and the bank will reverse the deposit after you’ve already sent your own money.

• Auto warranty scam. In this telemarketing scam, a caller poses as a representative from a car dealership, automaker, or insurance company and warns you that your vehicle’s warranty is about to expire. They pressure you to extend it immediately and collect your personal and payment details under the pretense of enrolling you in a new plan. No coverage is ever provided.
• Charity scams. Fake charity scams surge after natural disasters, during the holiday season, and in response to high-profile news events. Callers use emotionally charged stories and create a sense of urgency to push you to donate before you can verify the organization.
• The fake accident ploy. The fake accident ploy is similar to the grandparent scam, but with a key difference. Instead of impersonating a family member, the caller claims to be a police officer, hospital administrator, doctor, or lawyer. The caller contacts you on a family member’s behalf. They say the family member has been in an accident, is hospitalized, or has been arrested and needs money immediately — usually through wire transfer or gift cards.

How to spot a scam targeting seniors

Scammers make contact through phone calls, emails, text messages, mail, fake websites, and in-person approaches. No method of contact is inherently safe. Once you know what scammers’ tactics look like in practice, they become easier to recognize. Watch for these red flags:

• Unsolicited contact. A call, email, or visit you weren’t expecting, especially one that asks for money or personal information, is a warning sign. Legitimate organizations don’t contact you out of the blue to request sensitive details. A door-to-door offer, an unexpected mailing, or a cold call from a company you’ve never dealt with are all reasons to slow down.
• Pressure to act immediately. Scammers deliberately create a sense of urgency because fear overrides careful thinking. If a caller, email, or pop-up insists you must act now or lose out on a prize, a refund, or a way to avoid arrest, that pressure is a warning sign. A legitimate offer, fine, or opportunity can wait until you verify it.
• Requests for secrecy. If a caller asks you not to tell family members, your bank, or the police about the situation, stop the interaction. Scammers ask you to keep the situation secret so you don’t have the chance to check with a family member, a friend, or your bank — anyone who might recognize the scam.
• Suspicious payment requests. No legitimate organization will ask you to pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency, or precious metals. A request for payment in these forms is a reliable indicator of fraud, regardless of how official the caller sounds.
• Requests for personal information. Be cautious when someone asks for your SSN, Medicare number, bank account details, or ID documents, especially when the contact was unsolicited. Verify who is asking and why before sharing.
• Fake authority cues. Scammers often use badge numbers, case numbers, official-sounding agency names, and spoofed caller IDs to appear legitimate. A caller who claims to represent the IRS, FBI, Medicare, or your bank is not automatically who they say they are. Hang up and call the organization directly at a number you find independently.
• Suspicious pop-ups and tech support requests. A locked screen or alarming pop-up warning that your device has a virus, often with a number to call, is a scam setup. Disconnect from the internet, shut down the device, and don’t call the number shown on the screen.
• Stories that don’t add up. If a caller’s story involves multiple agencies, shifting details, or an unusual combination of emergencies — a family member in trouble, a prize you’ve won, or an investigation with your name in it — search the contact details and the story online before you respond. People who have been targeted often post warnings online about known scams and scammers.

How to report a scam targeting seniors

Reporting can limit the damage and, in some cases, help recover funds. If you or someone you know has been targeted, follow these steps:

• Contact your bank or financial institution immediately. Ask them to freeze your accounts, stop pending payments, or reverse recent transactions, if possible. The sooner you report, the better your chances of reducing financial loss.
• Report to the National Elder Fraud Hotline. Call 1-833-372-8311. The Office for Victims of Crime monitors the hotline and connects you with a case manager who can guide next steps.
• File a complaint with the FBI’s IC3. Go to ic3.gov to report internet-based fraud. The IC3 uses complaints to identify patterns, investigate criminal networks, and — in some cases — freeze funds before they leave the country.
• Report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Submit a complaint at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The FTC uses reports to investigate fraud and take action against con artists.
• File a report with your local police. A police report creates an official record of the crime. Banks, insurance providers, and investigators may all require one.
• Report identity theft if you shared personal information. If you gave out your SSN, bank details, or ID documents, report the identity theft at identitytheft.gov for a personalized recovery plan.

• Report mail fraud to the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). If a scammer contacted you by mail or used postal money orders, file a report with the USPIS at postalinspectors.uspis.gov.

How to prevent future risk

Prevention is far easier than recovery. A few consistent habits can help reduce your exposure to scams:

• Keep your devices secure. Keep your antivirus software, operating system, and security tools up to date. Use a reputable security program and enable pop-up blockers in your browser. 
• Use strong, unique passwords for every account. A password manager can help you handle your credentials, so you don’t need to memorize dozens of passwords and usernames. 
• Turn on 2FA or MFA. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your accounts. These security processes add a second verification step at login — such as a code sent to your phone — so that a stolen password alone isn’t enough to access your account.

• Set up security alerts and notifications. Security alerts notify you when your personal information appears in a data breach or leak. Credit activity warnings flag suspicious changes — a new account opened in your name, an unauthorized user added to your credit card, or a card used beyond its limit. Enable both so you know about suspicious activity as soon as it happens.
• Limit what you share online. Scammers pull your personal information from social media profiles to make their approaches more convincing. Keep sensitive information, such as your home address, email address, phone number, daily routine, and family details, off public profiles.

• Use credit monitoring. A credit monitoring service tracks your credit reports and alerts you when your credit score changes, a new account is opened in your name, or a lender runs a hard inquiry — a check on your credit file that can affect your score.
• Monitor your financial accounts regularly. Review your bank and credit card statements at least once a week. A financial account monitoring tool can do this automatically and alert you when a transaction or charge looks out of place — useful if you manage multiple accounts or find it difficult to check statements frequently. 
• Learn to recognize phishing. Email scams are one of the most common ways scammers make first contact. Taking the time to learn the different types of phishing and how to spot a phishing email before you click on one can help protect your accounts and your identity.
• Consider online fraud coverage. Even careful people can be defrauded. Online fraud coverage can help recover financial losses that banks and credit card companies aren’t able to reverse, particularly in cases involving wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, where recovery is otherwise unlikely.

References

[1]  FBI, “2025 Internet Crime Report,” IC3, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2025_IC3Report.pdf