Q: I’m trying to protect my parents from scammers – what are some scams targeting older people?
A: Older adults are often a prime target for scammers, and it’s not just by chance. They tend to have larger nest eggs, are more trusting, and may be less familiar with technology.
Many scams use fear, urgency, greed, or confusion to trick people into handing over money or personal information.
In some cases, cognitive decline combined with social isolation makes them more prone to falling for large-scale scams.
‘Pig Butchering’ – The Long Game
It’s one of the most lucrative scams involving a structured process to build a relationship with a potential victim—much like romance scams—and eventually convincing them of a solid cryptocurrency investment.
It generally starts with a random text message or social media message designed to start a conversation. If the victim responds, the initial back and forth seems benign and appears to be someone genuinely trying to make a connection.
Once the relationship has evolved, the scammer mentions that they have discovered a great way to safely make money with cryptocurrency with ‘evidence’ of their gains.
They encourage the victim to try it with a small amount of money to see for themselves, but the ‘platform’ is fake and controlled by the scammers.
The ‘confidence’ game is played over a long stretch of time, leading to larger and larger ‘investments’ in crypto by the victim. Eventually, it leads to the scammers vanishing with all the ‘investments’ made by the victim.
Tech Support Scams
This one has been around for a long time and generally involves a phone call or pop-up on the screen. The goal is to convince you that your computer has a dangerous problem and allow remote access or payment for unnecessary (and fake) services. If you didn’t initiate the call or request support, hang up or close the browser window—legitimate companies don’t operate this way.
Government Impersonation Scams
Scammers often pretend to be from the IRS, Social Security, or Medicare and may threaten arrest, loss of benefits, or legal action unless you act immediately.
The Grandparent Scam
This one can use voice cloning AI tools to make it sound like you’re getting a call from someone claiming to be your grandchild—or a police officer on their behalf—saying they’re in trouble and need money urgently. The story usually involves an arrest, accident, or stolen wallet. Scammers beg you not to tell anyone in the family, which is a big red flag.
Sweepstakes or Lottery Scams
“You’ve won!” is a tempting headline—especially when a prize is involved. The catch? You must pay taxes or fees upfront. These scams often arrive by phone, email, or even physical mail and rely on the victim being unfamiliar with how real sweepstakes work. Legitimate winnings never require upfront payment.
Teach Them the Red Flags
Teaching them to watch for red flags and to always pause before responding will help them to avoid becoming victimized.
I preach the ‘guilty until proven innocent’ approach to all forms of digital communications.
Urgency and pressure to act quickly, along with requests for payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency, are clear indications of a scam.
Strange phrasing or poor grammar are also signs of a foreign entity generating the communication.
Finally, encourage them to always have others review before engaging or responding to anything that requires personal information or payment of any kind.
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