A Practical Guide to Spotting the Most Common Senior Scams
Scammers are creative, but they often rely on a handful of proven scripts. By familiarizing yourself with these common scenarios, you’ll be much better prepared to recognize them if you or a loved one is ever targeted. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most prevalent schemes.
The Grandparent Scam
This scam is particularly cruel because it preys on a grandparent’s love for their family. It is a classic example of social engineering that creates a powerful sense of urgency and fear.
How it works: You receive a frantic phone call from someone who sounds distressed, saying, “Grandma? It’s me.” They immediately say they’re in trouble—they’ve been in a car accident, arrested, or are stranded in a foreign country—and need you to send money right away. To make the story more believable, they may have found your grandchild’s name and other details on social media. They will almost always beg you, “Please don’t tell Mom and Dad. They’ll be so angry.”
What is the grandparent scam’s biggest red flag? The insistence on secrecy and urgency. They want you to act on emotion, without taking the time to verify the story. They will also demand payment in a way that’s hard to trace, such as through a wire transfer, by purchasing gift cards and reading the numbers over the phone, or by sending cash through an overnight delivery service.
How to avoid it: Resist the urge to act immediately. Hang up the phone and call your grandchild directly on a number you know is theirs. If you can’t reach them, call another family member. Verify the story with someone you trust before you even consider sending money.
Government Impersonation Scams
These scams work by using intimidation. The scammer pretends to be an official from a powerful government agency to scare you into complying with their demands.
How it works: You get an unsolicited call, text, or email from someone claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), or Medicare. They might claim you owe back taxes and will be arrested if you don’t pay immediately. Or they may say your Social Security number has been suspended due to criminal activity and you need to pay a fee to resolve it. Medicare scammers might offer “free” medical supplies or genetic testing and ask for your Medicare number to “verify” your eligibility, which they then use to commit billing fraud.
Red flags: Government agencies almost always initiate contact through official U.S. mail. They will not call you to demand immediate payment, nor will they threaten you with arrest over the phone. Furthermore, they will never ask you to pay a debt using gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a wire transfer. Your Social Security number cannot be “suspended.”
How to avoid it: Hang up. If you’re concerned there might be a legitimate issue, find the official phone number for the agency on its government website and call them directly. Never give your Social Security number, Medicare number, or bank information to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly.
Tech Support Scams
This scam preys on our reliance on technology and our fear of viruses and hackers. Scammers target people who may be less familiar with computer security.
How it works: You might see a startling pop-up message on your computer screen with a loud alarm, warning that your computer is infected with a virus and you must call a specific phone number for help. Or, you might receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from a well-known tech company like Microsoft or Apple, stating they’ve detected a problem with your computer.
The goal: They want you to give them remote access to your computer. Once they are in, they may install malicious software to steal your personal information or charge you hundreds of dollars for a “repair” that was never needed.
Red flags: Legitimate tech companies will never contact you out of the blue about a problem with your device. All unsolicited tech support offers are scams. Frightening pop-up warnings that prevent you from closing your browser are also a clear sign of a scam.
How to avoid it: Do not call the number on the pop-up. If you can’t close the browser window, shut down your computer completely by holding down the power button. Never give a stranger remote access to your computer, and never pay for tech support services with a gift card or wire transfer.
Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams
This scam leverages the universal dream of winning a large sum of money without any effort. It exploits excitement and greed.
How it works: You’re notified by phone, mail, or email that you’ve won a major prize, like a lottery, a new car, or a vacation. The news is exciting, and the prize seems real. But there’s a catch: before you can receive your winnings, you must first pay a fee to cover “taxes,” “insurance,” or “shipping costs.”
Red flags: The biggest red flag is any request to pay money to receive a prize. Legitimate sweepstakes do not require winners to pay fees. If you have to pay, it’s a scam. They may also pressure you to act quickly (“You must claim your prize within 24 hours!”) or keep your winnings a secret.
How to avoid it: If you didn’t enter a contest, you didn’t win. Never pay a fee to collect a prize. Do not give your bank account information to anyone claiming you’ve won a lottery.
Romance Scams
Romance scams cause both financial and profound emotional damage. Scammers create fake online profiles on dating sites and social media to find their victims.
How it works: The scammer builds a deep emotional connection with you over weeks or months. They will seem like the perfect partner, sharing stories and professing their love. Just as you feel you’ve found someone special, a “crisis” will occur. They will suddenly need money for a medical emergency, a plane ticket to visit you, or to get out of a business deal gone wrong. They promise to pay it all back.
Red flags: The person is often supposedly working overseas, which explains why they can never meet in person. Their online profile may seem too good to be true. The relationship moves very quickly. Most importantly, they will eventually ask you for money.
How to avoid it: Be cautious when building relationships with people you only know online. Be wary of anyone who quickly professes love but has constant excuses for not meeting in person or via video call. And above all, never, ever send money to someone you have not met in person.
