By Sara Duris
Area Agency on Aging’s Info-Line for Aging & Disability has seen an increase in calls recently of people reporting suspicious phone calls, individuals seeking assistance due to being a scam victim, and family members concerned about loved ones giving money away. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), statistics reveal more people are falling victim to phone and online scams. The Global Anti-Scam Alliance reported that over $1.03 trillion was lost to scams in 2024, with expectations of continued losses in 2025 as scammers adapt to new technologies and societal trends.
One demographic particularly affected by this issue is older adults. Older homeowners with healthy financial savings, decent credit scores – and a trusting nature – often find themselves targeted by scammers. However, in a Retirement Living survey, 52.24% of seniors 65+ said they were not worried about being financially scammed. It’s important to be aware of suspicious phone calls, emails, and offers that seem too good to be true.
Scammers mimic communications from loved ones, romantic partners, tech support staff, government employees, bank staff, etc. They often seem very legitimate because they already have specific information about you or a family member. Scammers pressure you to act immediately and tell you to pay in a very specific way. These are red flags!
The holidays present more opportunities for fraudulent activities. AARP’s Fraud Watch Network™ recently published these six common holiday scams to look out for:
Online shopping scams. Criminals use fake posts and social media campaigns to impersonate major brands or tout products they never intend to ship. “We have seen an increase in consumers buying from social media without doing their research. Most social media ads are not vetted,” warns Amy Nofziger, director of victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network™. “Be careful when you see an item offered at below market price. If you do click on an ad, make sure it directs you to the page you want to be on.”
Charity scams. Sham charities exploit Americans’ goodwill during the giving season using fake websites and other tactics.
Card declined scams. Melanie McGovern, spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau (BBB), says the agency is seeing a relatively new scam: You pay for a purchase online and receive a message stating that your card has been declined. “The transaction did go through, but they’re trying to get more information out of you,” says McGovern. Entering another card into the system means that you’ll be charged on both cards.
Gift card scams. “Gift card draining is still very popular,” says Nofziger. This is when criminals steal gift cards in bulk from the racks, collect the information from the card, and return it to the in-store rack for unsuspecting buyers. “Once you load money on there, the criminal will drain the money off, even sometimes before you leave the store.” It’s safest to buy cards that are kept behind the counter, or directly from the retailer’s site.
Delivery scams. As holiday packages crisscross the country, scammers send out phishing emails and texts that appear to be from UPS, FedEx, or the U.S. Postal Service, notifying recipients about incoming or missed deliveries. Links lead to fake sign-in pages that request personal information, or to sites that may be infected with malware.
Travel scams. Some criminals send scam emails and texts offering deals such as free flights to get you to share credit card information or click on links that download malware. Also be wary of the many spoofed websites pretending to be legitimate hotels, airlines and other travel-related businesses.
The National Center on Elder Abuse offers these tips to avoid scams:
1. Hang up the call or ignore the message. Talk to someone you trust. If someone says you have a family member needing help, call your loved one to confirm they are ok.
2. Secure your money and personal information. Do not transfer money or buy gift cards.
3. Do not click links or attachments in emails.
If you are a victim of a scam, stop talking to the scammer. Notify financial institutions and safeguard accounts. Contact local law enforcement and file a police report. File a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov). Report Social Security-related scams to the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (oig.ssa.gov). Report other scams to the Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov). Keep financial transaction information and the record of all communications with the scammer for evidence.
If you have questions, please contact our Info-Line for Aging & Disability at 800-654-2810.
Sara Duris is the Professional Referral Specialist on the Information & Access Team at Region IV Area Agency on Aging. The Generations column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium.