Aug 3, 2025
When 73-year-old Evelyn received an unexpected text from someone claiming to be a tech billionaire in desperate need of help, she was flattered — and convinced she was helping somebody trustworthy in need.
Over the course of two weeks, the scammer convinced Evelyn to purchase and send $8,000 in Apple gift cards — money she’d painstakingly saved from her modest Social Security checks and a small pension.
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Evelyn’s daughter, Sarah, discovered the scheme only when her mother tearfully admitted to her actions after growing suspicious of repeated requests.
Evelyn lives alone and struggles with loneliness, which makes her especially vulnerable to promises of gratitude and friendship — even from strangers. Her kind soul and wish to be helpful was preyed upon by a bad actor — a routine becoming familiar with law enforcement.
Rise in elder fraud online
Elder fraud online has surged in recent years, with scams targeting emotional vulnerabilities and leveraging new technologies.
In 2024, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded over $4.88 billion in losses across 147,127 complaints by Americans aged 60 and older — the highest of any age group in both categories. Losses in this group increased by 43% and number of complaints by 46% compared to the previous year.
“Reporting is one of the first and most important steps in fighting crime so law enforcement can use this information to combat a variety of frauds and scams,” FBI director Kash Patel said in a news release.
The most costly scams reported by those aged 60-plus were investment scams ($1.8 billion), tech support scams ($982 million) and confidence or romance scams ($389 million).
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Immediate steps to help
If you find yourself in Sarah’s shoes and realize your elderly loved one has lost thousands to a scam, here’s what you can do:
- Report the fraud immediately: Call your local police department to obtain a case number and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Early reporting helps investigators spot patterns and may boost the chances of recovering the funds.
- Contact the gift-card provider: Reach out to the issuer’s fraud department to cancel any unused cards and inquire about reversing the redemptions. It should also be noted that no reputable agency will ask for gift cards as payment.
- Lock down financial accounts: Change all online-banking and email passwords and enable two-factor authentication. Ask Experian, Equifax and TransUnion to add a fraud alert to your loved one’s credit file to prompt an extra layer verification on financial accounts.
- Place credit alerts or a freeze: If necessary, consider freezing your loved one’s credit card accounts to help prevent scammers from taking out loans or opening accounts in their name.
- Review and document everything: Gather emails, texts, transaction receipts and a timeline of events. Clear documentation makes it easier for law enforcement and financial institutions to trace the scam.
- Offer compassionate support: If a loved one admits to being defrauded, they’re probably feeling embarrassed and vulnerable. Approach the conversation with empathy. Focus on recovery, not blame, and reinforce that you’re there to help every step of the way.
By taking these swift actions, you may help your loved one reclaim financial security and confidence.
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Monique Danao is a highly experienced journalist, editor and copywriter with 8 years of expertise in finance and technology. Her work has been featured in leading publications such as Forbes, Decential, 99Designs, Fast Capital 360, Social Media Today and the South China Morning Post.
