Scams that target older adults are nothing new: we’ve been highlighting the various scams and frauds perpetrated against older people for years. But each year, the technology seems to get a bit better, the fraud seems to get harder to detect, and our radar to sniff out when we’re being scammed becomes more challenging to operate. While we all may feel confident that we will know when someone is trying to pull one over on us, the reality is that even the most savvy, if caught up in personal turmoil or multi-tasking and not paying explicit attention to what we’re hearing and seeing, can be hoodwinked into clicking on the wrong link or answering the questions of a dishonest actor.

First, let’s just lay out the scope of the problem. According to a recent poll, Americans receive more fraudulent scam messages than citizens of almost any other country. The average American has about 100 scam “encounters” per month (either through email, phone calls, snail mail, texts, social media, or some other method), while adults in Britain average 84 scam attempts per month, and in other countries, the numbers are much lower. And in the United States, older adults in certain states are more highly targeted than in other states. The highest number of older fraud victims is found in Arizona, with Indiana in second place and Nevada in 3rd (though apparently older adults in Washington, DC, lost the most money to fraud). Retirement locations that tend to attract older adults with significant wealth are obviously targets. Moreover, it makes sense that older adults, who are the fastest growing and wealthiest segment of the population (currently controlling 65% of total US wealth) would be a target, especially when they may be dealing with difficult life circumstances (loss of a spouse or social isolation) or are experiencing cognitive decline or may have difficulty keeping up with the latest technology.

So what are some of the most recent or novel scams out there about which you should be aware? Senior Planet recently highlighted a twist on the old “grandparent” scam, where instead of you thinking that one of your grandchildren is in trouble, the scammer focuses on an adult child of yours, using very specific details likely obtained from the dark web, and perhaps even using AI to realistically imitate the voices of your adult children. Speaking of AI technology, Reuters and Harvard recently joined forces to investigate whether AI can be used to devise new scams against older adults. No big surprise that AI platforms were willing to produce phony phishing emails to target older people, even suggesting ways that the emails could create more of a sense of phony urgency. And if you’ve been scammed by an email or text making you think you’re dealing with an official from the Social Security Administration or from a Medicare provider, be aware that those scams continue on. For example, the Social Security Administration is warning recipients not to click on a link in an email telling them that they can now download their Social Security statements. And in this new season of Medicare open enrollment, don’t believe the emails, calls, or texts telling you to provide information or money to get a new “Medicare” card.  

Perhaps one of the newest scams or fraudulent attempts to get at your private information and perhaps even your money is through “online quizzes” that you may be taking while on one of your social media feeds. Perhaps you’ve been lured into responding to a quiz on Facebook about some pop culture references or nostalgia from your childhood. Seems innocent enough, perhaps even fun, and something to share with your social media friends. However, experts advise you to steer clear of these quizzes, as they are really traps designed to extract personal data from you, either to be sold to advertisers or worse, to be used in cyber crimes. You may not realize that once you click on these quizzes, you may be unwillingly giving the scammers access to your personal data, and if you share the quizzes with others, it’s possible your entire online network could have its data compromised. 

So what happens if you are wise enough not to click on any unsolicited links or emails, or perhaps steer clear of online social media altogether? Are you safe from scams “in real life?” A new book wants you to have your skeptical antennae up even in the real-life relationships you make, arguing that con artists abound, even suggesting that you probably interact regularly with a con artist but just don’t know it because you’ve yet to be targeted. Writing in his book “Anatomy of a Con Artist: The 14 Red Flags to Spot Scammers, Grifters, and Thieves”, Johnathon Walton makes the case that anyone can be vulnerable to a con artist because these professional fraudsters prey on your emotions, not your intellect. They get you to drop your guard, put away your logic and suspicions, and ultimately offer up something of great value that you otherwise would not hand over. To read more about his assessment and the strategies he suggests to prevent yourself from being scammed, hold onto your wallet and read here. And for a comprehensive set of resources about all the ways you can be scammed- and protect yourself online- take a look at the offerings available from Senior Planet.