We'll walk you through every step — reporting, protecting yourself, and recovering. Before you send anything: pause and call a trusted family member first. Victims who talk to someone they trust before sending money are 95% less likely to lose funds.
Start Here → First 24 HoursThis page exists because someone in our family was targeted — drained of her savings by scammers who exploited her grief. We built this so the next family has somewhere to go.
Time matters. Follow these steps in order. If you are doing this for a family member, walk through it together.
This is the most time-sensitive step. Every hour matters for reversing transactions.
When someone answers, say these words:
"My name is [your name]. I need to report that I've been the victim of a scam. Please freeze my account immediately and flag all recent transactions I did not authorize."
Then ask:
Write down: The representative's name, employee ID, case number, and the exact time you called. You will need this for disputes.
The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center is the primary federal database for fraud. Your report helps investigators identify patterns and recover funds.
What you will need before you start:
Key fields on the IC3 form:
The FTC shares reports with over 3,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide. Takes 5 minutes. Your report directly funds consumer protection efforts.
On the FTC form:
File this if the scam involved a bank, wire transfer, credit card, or any financial product. The CFPB can compel your bank to respond within 15 days.
Select "Bank account or service" or "Credit card" depending on how you paid. Describe that you were defrauded and your bank has not reversed the charge. The CFPB will forward the complaint directly to your bank and require a response.
State AGs can investigate and prosecute scammers operating locally. Many run consumer protection programs specifically for elder fraud.
A written record protects you. You'll need it for bank disputes, insurance claims, and follow-up with law enforcement.
Your data never leaves your browser. We generate a PDF you keep — nothing is sent to any server.
Everything you enter below stays in your browser. The PDF is generated locally — your information is never transmitted.
Scams targeting older adults — documented, categorized, and kept current. Each entry includes red flags so you can recognize it before it's too late.
A caller impersonates a grandchild in crisis — arrested, in a car accident, or hospitalized abroad — and begs for immediate wire or gift card payment before a family member can be consulted. A second caller posing as a lawyer or bail bondsman reinforces the urgency.
An evolution of the grandparent scam where after the victim agrees to pay, a local accomplice arrives at their home to collect cash, gift cards, or even jewelry — often within hours of the initial call.
Callers claim Medicare is issuing new cards and needs to verify the recipient's Medicare number, Social Security number, and bank account to process the replacement — there is no new card, and Medicare will never call to ask for this information.
A booth at a health fair, pharmacy, or senior center offers 'free' genetic cancer screening or back braces covered by Medicare — but the real goal is harvesting Medicare numbers to bill for durable medical equipment or lab tests never ordered by a doctor.
A browser pop-up mimics a Microsoft or Windows security alert, fills the screen, and plays an alarm sound warning that the computer is infected — the number displayed connects to scammers in India or Eastern Europe who charge hundreds to 'fix' problems that don't exist.
A three-call scam where a fake tech support agent finds 'hacking,' a fake bank fraud department confirms it, and a fake federal agent instructs the victim to move savings to a 'safe government account' — which is the scammer's account.
A romantic connection made on social media or by 'wrong number' text slowly builds trust over weeks, then introduces a cryptocurrency investment platform where victims watch fake gains accumulate — until they try to withdraw and find they must pay 'taxes' or 'fees' that vanish too.
An 'advisor' convinces seniors to repeatedly surrender and repurchase annuities to generate commissions — each surrender triggers heavy penalties for the senior while the agent collects a fresh commission.
A profile on a dating site or Facebook presents as a widowed U.S. military officer stationed abroad — the relationship deepens quickly, then money requests begin: medical emergencies, shipping fees to send gifts, or plane tickets home that never materialize.
An automated call claims the IRS has filed a lawsuit or arrest warrant and that the recipient will be arrested within hours unless they call back immediately to settle the debt — the IRS does not call about arrest warrants and does not demand immediate payment by phone.
A caller claims your Social Security number has been 'suspended' due to suspicious activity or involvement in a crime, and that you must pay a fine or provide personal information to reactivate it — Social Security numbers cannot be suspended.
Emails mimicking Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, or the federal Medicare program prompt seniors to verify coverage or update payment information — clicking the link harvests Medicare numbers, Social Security numbers, and banking details.
Scammers pose as tech support, then a bank fraud department, then a government official — each confirming your accounts have been hacked. You're told to withdraw cash or buy gold to 'protect' it. A courier then arrives at your home to collect it, using a passcode to seem official. The money is gone instantly.
A caller or sometimes an in-person visitor claiming to be from the electric, gas, or water company threatens immediate service shut-off unless a past-due balance is paid within the hour by prepaid card — the number they provide routes to the scammer, not the utility.
A caller or mailer announces the victim has won a Publishers Clearing House prize and must pay taxes, customs fees, or processing charges upfront to receive winnings — the real PCH never requires payment to claim a prize.
After a storm, hurricane, or flood, unlicensed contractors canvas neighborhoods offering quick repairs, collect a large deposit, and disappear — or do shoddy work that causes further damage and then demand full payment.
How to recognize a scam in progress — including what to watch for in a parent or loved one who may not see the warning signs themselves.
Once a scam has occurred, your personal information may be circulating. Identity monitoring watches for your information appearing in new accounts, data breaches, and the dark web — and alerts you immediately.
Citizen Seniors may earn a commission if you purchase through these links at no extra cost to you. We only recommend services we believe genuinely protect seniors and their families. Check each provider's site for current pricing and plan details.
Your experience could protect another family. All submissions are reviewed before publishing. We'll email you a link so you can check the status and update your report anytime — no account required.
If you were scammed, there’s a good chance you haven’t told anyone. Research consistently finds that about two-thirds of victims stay silent — not because they’re indifferent, but because they’re mortified. That silence is exactly what these organizations count on. They know it. They build it into the script.
Here’s what that silence costs: the FBI estimates only 1 in 24 cases of elder fraud is ever reported. That means for every case investigators can act on, 23 others disappear into shame. Patterns go undetected. Arrest warrants never get issued. The same operation calls the next family on the list. Your report — even a partial one, even if you caught it before sending a dime — is a data point that might be the one that breaks a case open.
You were not outsmarted. You were targeted by people who do this full-time, who train on psychology, and who have refined their scripts over thousands of calls. They win sometimes. That’s not a character flaw — it’s a numbers game they run against everyone.
If you’re carrying the weight of this and need someone to talk to, the AARP Fraud Victim Support Helpline is free, confidential, and staffed by people who understand exactly what you’re going through: 1-877-908-3360.
Call your bank first to freeze your account and dispute transactions. Then file with the FBI IC3 (ic3.gov), FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov), and your state Attorney General. Document everything while it is fresh — dates, phone numbers, what was said, and how you paid.
The FBI's IC3 recorded $4.885 billion in losses from 147,127 complaints filed by older adults in 2024 — a 46% increase in complaints from 2023. The average loss per older adult victim was $83,000, compared to $19,000 for all ages combined. Only 5% of cases involved losses over $100,000 — but that 5% accounted for 68% of all dollars lost.
Recovery depends on how you paid. Wire transfers and gift card payments are rarely recovered. Bank fraud reported within hours may be partially reversed — which is why calling your bank immediately matters. Credit card charges can sometimes be disputed. Reporting creates a record that occasionally leads to restitution in larger cases.
Investment fraud ($1.8B in 2024), tech support scams ($1B), and romance scams ($389M) account for the largest losses. The grandparent scam, fake Medicare calls, and IRS impersonation are also extremely common for older adults specifically.
No. These are professional criminal operations designed to defeat anyone's defenses — not just seniors. Reporting your experience helps investigators and warns other families. The shame belongs to the people who designed the scheme.