Older adults are common targets for various scams, because numerous risk factors make criminals consider them particularly vulnerable. Seniors may live alone or be relatively isolated in their communities, making it harder for them to ask others if proposals seem legitimate. Many older people are less familiar with computers than younger individuals, so they’re likely to have poor cyber hygiene or not recognize internet scams.

Here’s how older adults can stay safer and how you can protect them.

How Can Seniors Avoid Scams?

The best way for older people to avoid scams is to never immediately trust anything at face value. They should resist any efforts from a potential scammer to make them decide something right away. Criminals frequently concoct distressing scenarios, trying to convince targets they must act now to prevent unfortunate consequences.

However, it’s best if a senior insists they want time to decide without pressure. Then, they can use this time to ask friends for input, perform research, or think things over more carefully.

Conversely, staying safe requires realizing things are not always what they seem. Some scammers try to appeal to older people by offering exciting money-saving offers or ways to increase their investments. Someone who's surprised because a deal appears so much better than what they’ve heard about before has reason to pause and be wary.

Common Types of Scams That Target Seniors

Senior man looking at his phone

Unfortunately, a full assortment of potential scams makes senior security more challenging. Awareness is the first step to staying alert to possible tricks.

Tech Support Scams

Many older people are less tech-savvy than younger generations. That’s one of the main reasons they often experience a telephone-based scam where someone claims to fix a computer issue the person didn’t know existed.

The targeted individual may hear that their computer could crash without warning unless they go through the steps the supposed tech support representative on the other end of the phone recommends. But as is common with Windows tech support scams, there are demands to pay the caller to have the problem “fixed,” and the victim may even get talked through the steps of installing spyware or other malicious programs.

Romance Scams

Older people are often especially prone to loneliness, which can make them particularly interested in trying to start new relationships during their golden years. However, as they look for love, they often find scammers instead.

As The San Francisco Standard reported, the victims of these scams are often immigrants targeted by scammers who know their native languages. Once they know the senior well enough, they present a story about why they need substantial money. Older people who feel compelled to act because someone they love is in a tough situation often find themselves swindled.

Phishing Scams

A phishing scam can take many forms, but impersonation is at the heart of the trickery. A person could get an email from someone claiming to be from a parcel delivery company, the IRS, a bank, or the like. Scammers try to convince them they must provide personal and confidential information to avoid a problem.

Scammers often get victims’ details through their social media profiles, such as through different types of Facebook phishing scams. That’s why one of the often-recommended strategies is not to mention any details a scammer could use when making a public social media post or talking to a stranger in a private chat. That goes for everyone, not just older people.

Online Shopping Scams

Older people face many circumstances that make it more attractive to shop online rather than in physical stores. They can do it at any time of day or night without worrying about potential challenges like carrying heavy bags. Many e-commerce sites are also very user-friendly, so even infrequent computer users can usually shop without issues.

As a report from the Federal Trade Commission showed, younger people are more likely to fall for online shopping scams than older adults. However, people over 60 still comprise most of the affected group. Victims often click on social media ads that take them to fake storefronts. In such cases, consumers order things that never arrive or are completely different from what was expected.

Ways to Avoid Scams

In addition to the preventive measures covered earlier, people should contact companies directly when applicable. Perhaps a senior receives an email from Amazon that asks for additional personal information to confirm an email. The best thing to do is contact an Amazon representative to discuss the correspondence.

Organizations such as banks frequently remind customers that they never ask for private details through email. However, people under pressure often want to act before thinking things through.

Confiding in trustworthy loved ones is also a big part of senior security. People in an older person’s family or circle of friends often hear of scams more frequently and can quickly advise them to ignore suspicious attempts.

What to Do if You Think You’ve Been Scammed

Elderly man on his phone

Even people who know how to stop scammers can find themselves in devastating situations. The first step is to contact local law enforcement and credit card companies or banks, if applicable. Describe what happened and see what the professionals recommend. You may need to get replacement credit cards or close bank accounts compromised by a phishing scam.

There is a U.S. Department of Justice fraud hotline for anyone 60 or older. It’s a free resource where people get personalized advice. The caseworkers deal with senior scams daily and can point people in the right direction.

It’s also important that scam victims avoid falling into embarrassment-driven despair. Dealing with the aftermath feels terrible, and the outcomes are often life-changing. However, scammers are extremely good at what they do, knowing the right things to say to get what they want. Some even spend weeks or months learning all they can about a victim.

Get support from people you trust, and consider seeking professional help if a scam you or a loved one experienced is causing ongoing problems in your life. It’s especially beneficial when going through debilitating periods of depression, self-doubt, or anxiety.

Scams Are Extremely Common

Scams have been a consistent theme throughout human history. Unfortunately, the internet has only made it easier for criminals to orchestrate extremely believable schemes and send fraudulent content to thousands of people at once.

But the above information can help if you’re an older person trying to avoid scams. Similarly, talking about senior scams with someone you love is also valuable. Although anyone can fall for scams, that’s less likely to happen when people are well-educated about the different methods.