The Senior Scam Report

Seniors are now prime targets for online and phone fraud, and the losses prove it. In 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation logged 147,127 scam reports and nearly $5 billion in stolen funds from Americans aged 60 and over, with complaint rates in states like Arizona and Indiana more than doubling since 2021.

As technology becomes increasingly embedded in our everyday lives, so does the associated risk of fraud. The risk is even more severe for seniors, and financial elder abuse abounds. In 2024 alone, people over age 60 reported $4.8 billion stolen. That’s the largest loss for any age group, more than double the losses of the cohort aged 30-39, who lost a total of $1.4 billion in 2024.

However, this risk could be lower for seniors in assisted living facilities, which provide plenty of safeguarding measures against scammers. From helping them manage their finances to assisting with phone calls and emails.

Where are older adults most likely to be victims of fraud, and which types are the most common?

We analyzed the data to find the victimization rates of reported fraud for those over 60, and the rates of losses in each U.S. state. We’ve also investigated the most common types of fraud in the US and compiled a list of tips on spotting suspected scams.

Last year, older adults reported over 147,000 instances of fraud. This is eight times more than people under 20 years old (17,993) and 1.3 times more than the second most frequently defrauded age group, 40- to 49-year-olds.  

As well as the financial burden of losing funds, fraud can also affect the mental and emotional health of seniors. Losing even a small amount of money to scammers could make older adults feel ashamed, embarrassed, or unable to trust others. These feelings can contribute to depression or anxiety. 

As seniors reported the most instances of fraud in 2024, it’s no surprise that the age group also lost the most during this time. People aged 60 and over lost $4.8 billion last year, nearly double that of 50- to 59-year-olds (who lost $2.5 billion). 

The total losses from fraud could be even larger than the $4.8 billion for seniors, as research indicates older victims are less likely to report being defrauded to the police, whether out of shame, pride, or not even knowing they’ve been scammed. Law enforcement officials may also be less inclined to deal with older fraud victims, especially if they have cognitive difficulties. 

Arizona wins the unfortunate title of Highest Proportion of Fraud Victims over 60. In 2024, there were 88.3 fraud complaints per 100,000 people aged 60 and over in Arizona. This could be due to the state's relatively high proportion of older people, with 18.8% of the population over 65. Arizona’s density of older adults outpaces more than half the country.

Indiana took second place, with 76.9 fraud complaints from people aged 60 or over per 100,000 people. To combat this issue, the Indianapolis FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association launched a community outreach event to educate older people on preventing fraud. 

In third place is Arizona’s neighbor, Nevada, with 70.6 fraud complaints per 100,000 people in 2024. According to a 2023 report into fraud in the state, imposter scams are the most common, with 6,790 cases, followed by online shopping fraud (3,097) and prizes, sweepstakes, and lottery scams (1,731).   

Indiana has seen the most significant increase in fraud complaints per 100,000 people over the past three years, with rates more than tripling (240.27%). This rise in cases could be attributed to Indiana’s aging population. By 2030, people aged 65 and over are projected to make up 20.1% of the state’s population, which could lead to even larger rates of scamming seniors. 

Arizona's already-high rate of fraud against seniors doubled since 2021. This increase could be due to the interest scammers have taken in one of the nation's largest retirement-aged populations.

Oklahoma has the third-highest senior scam rate, with a 96.46% rise in scamming over the past three years. Two-fifths (40%) of Oklahoma’s senior population lives alone. This social isolation could make them vulnerable to scammers, as they’re more likely to interact with strangers.  

Washington, D.C., tops the list of states and districts where people over 60 lost the most to fraud in 2024, with losses totaling more than $35.9 million per 100,000 people. This could be due to the district’s high personal income per capita, $108,233, which means older people may have more funds that scammers could defraud. 

In 2024, older people in Arizona lost $2,520,614 per 100,000 people. The state also has a high volume of fraud complaints, 88.3 per 100,000 people. The top scam categories for Arizonians over age 60 include government imposters, business imposters, and online shopping scams.   

Nevada seniors lost more than $2.5 million per 100,000 people last year. Officials have warned about some of the state’s most popular scams, including smishing, brushing, and QR fraud. QR fraud is when scammers put fake QR code stickers over real QR codes, often in public areas. Brushing is when criminals send cheap packages to an address to validate stolen personal information, then use a stolen identity to post fake online reviews. 

Washington, D.C., saw the most significant increase in fraud for the over-60s between 2021 and 2024, a massive 3,027.90% leap. While this suggests scammers are a step ahead of strategies meant to educate consumers on protecting themselves from fraud, we can’t rule out the scams designed to target federal employees because of their jobs, not because of their ages. The FBI reports that crypto scams, which end in high losses on average, account for nearly 90% of the overall losses in Washington, D.C.

Fraud losses for seniors in Nebraska have increased by 741.39% since 2021. This doesn’t necessarily mean the scam rates are going up – it could mean that Nebraska’s effort to make seniors more aware of scams is working, and that Nebraskans over 65 (or their loved ones) are reporting fraud more often because they’re able to recognize when they’ve been scammed.

The awareness effort continues: The state recently announced it would establish a licensing system for cryptocurrency ATM operators to crack down on scams involving these machines. 

New Hampshire rounds out the top three states with the highest increase of scams, with a 427.71% rise. The state recently exposed a high-profile scam affecting people over 60: quit claim deed fraud. This scam involves posing as a property owner and selling the property without the owner's knowledge.   

Over 17,000 seniors fell victim to tech support scams in 2023, making tech support scams the most common fraud against seniors. These scams rely on psychological tricks and confusion, exploiting senior's lack of tech literacy. 

The next scam seniors most frequently fell prey to was cryptocurrency or cryptocurrency wallets fraud. There were 12,284 cases of crypto fraud involving people over 60 in 2023. Scammers often ask victims for cryptocurrency because crypto transfers have limited oversight, meaning funds can quickly be transferred overseas and are difficult to trace. 

In 2023, personal data breaches accounted for over 7,000 fraud cases against seniors. Older adults are often at a higher risk of this type of fraud, likely because they hold more leadership positions, lack digital literacy, and have weaker digital security habits than younger generations.  That means they're less likely to notice potential threats and less likely to know how to protect their sensitive information online.

Scams persuading people to invest in fake or worthless investments resulted in the highest loss per case in 2023, averaging $192,924. Seniors could be more at risk from this type of fraud due to the high levels of social isolation and loneliness they experience. This could make them more likely to trust others, making them more vulnerable to scams. 

Up next is business email compromise, or BEC fraud. This type of fraud involves scammers impersonating the emails of trusted individuals within a business to manipulate the target into making unauthorized payments. Seniors reporting this type of fraud, either on behalf of a company or personally, lost an average of $124,147 per case. 

Seniors caught up in scams facilitated by cryptocurrency or cryptocurrency wallets lost an average of $108,805 per case in 2023. Fraud involving cryptocurrency often takes the form of romance scams, where criminals assume a false identity on social media, dating apps, or encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp. Scammers then develop a relationship with a target, attempting to convince them to withdraw cash and deposit it into cryptocurrency ATMs, which the scammer then transfers into their own cryptocurrency accounts.  

Scammers are getting smarter, constantly finding new ways to use technology to steal your identity or financial information. As older people are often the target of fraud, we’ve compiled a list of tips to help your senior loved ones avoid scams and stay safe.  

It’s rare for legitimate organizations to contact you asking for sensitive information when you don’t expect it. If you don’t trust someone’s identity, cease contact. If they say they’re representing an organization, let the organization know someone is impersonating them.  

Scammers often try to entice you into handing over sensitive information by convincing you that you’re getting an incredible offer to make or save money. Remember, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

A common tactic fraudsters use is creating a fake sense of urgency, warning that something bad could happen or you’ll miss out on a deal. These are designed to take you by surprise, so you don’t have time to think things through. Legitimate organizations will always give you space to make an informed decision.  

If you’ve clicked on a suspicious email and noticed grammar and spelling mistakes, it's likely a scam. Fraudsters intentionally use poor grammar and spelling to identify gullible targets who are more likely to fall for scams. Legitimate emails are written and proofed by professionals, so mistakes are rare. 

Scammers often ask for payment through unusual means, such as cryptocurrency, iTunes gift cards, or wire transfers, which are difficult to trace or recover. If a suspected scammer asks for one of these methods, cut off any communication and notify the relevant authorities.   
For more ways to protect yourself or a loved one from online scams, check out our guide to internet safety for seniors.

• Allen, Jeremy M. et al (2025). How to navigate the risks and rewards of a technology-driven future. American Bar Association
• Arizona residents aged 60+ lost $12.5 million to fraud in 2025. (2025). Gila Valley Central
• Crypto scams. (n.d.). Moneysmart.gov
• Elder fraud dashboard. (2023). Tableau Public
• Elder fraud report. (2021). Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Fighting consumer fraud and identity theft in Nevada. (2024). Federal Trade Commission
• Holland, Rebecca. (2025). Hundreds of people in New Hampshire have had their property sold out from under them by scammers. Moneywise | Yahoo News
• Indiana seniors lose nearly $38 million to fraud. (2024). FBI.gov
• Internet crime report. (2024). Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • Total complaints and losses by age group: p. 8
  • State-level fraud and losses for 60+: pp. 32-33
  • Scam type by total complaints and average loss: pp. 9-10
• Morgan, Rachel E. et al. (2024). Examining financial fraud against older adults. National Institute of Justice. 
• Next level aging. (n.d.). Indiana Association of Area Agencies on Aging
• Population estimates. (2024). United States Census Bureau
• Reid, Sheldon. (2024). Elder scams and senior fraud abuse. HelpGuide.org
• Risk of social isolation. (2023). America’s Health Rankings
• Senior or vulnerable adult report. (n.d.). Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance
• Southern Nevada senior scams. (n.d.). Southern Nevada Senior Law Program
• What is business email compromise fraud? (2024). Comply Advantage
• Zhu, Kayla. (2025). U.S. States by share of older adults (65+). Visual Capitalist
• 2024 per capita personal income. (2024). Stats America

Data on the number of fraud complaints and losses by age group were taken from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Report 2024. We used the same source to find the total number of fraud cases involving people aged 60 and over and the amounts lost in each state. We then normalized this per 100,000 of each state’s total population using the United States Census Bureau’s 2024 Population Estimates.    

We used the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Elder Fraud Report 2021 to determine the three-year percentage change in over-60s fraud complaints and losses per 100,000 people in each state.

We sourced the number of cases, average losses per case, and total losses of elder fraud in 2023 for various scams from Tableau Public.