2025 Scam Alert: Protect Seniors from Six Emerging Fraud Schemes

Every year scammers get more creative. In the first three months of 2025, Americans over 60 lost more than 745 million dollars to fraudnewsweek.com. That’s nearly 200 million dollars more than at the same time last yearnewsweek.com. In 2024, older Americans lost almost 4.9 billion dollars to scams, a 43 percent jump from the previous year marylandmatters.org. The average victim lost around 83,000 dollars marylandmatters.org. These staggering numbers show how serious the problem has become. This guide will help you understand why scams are increasing, what the top six schemes look like in 2025, and how you and your loved ones can protect yourselves.

Understanding the scale of the problem

Fraud isn’t just something you see on the news. It happens everywhere. In Maryland, the reported losses for residents over 60 went from 9.8 million dollars in 2020 to 46.9 million in 2024, and 16.4 million in the first quarter of 2025 marylandmatters.org. Across the nation, the FTC recorded more than 44,000 fraud complaints from Marylanders in 2024 with total losses of 202 million dollars marylandmatters.org. These numbers mirror the trend across the United States. Scammers often target older adults because they may have savings and trust people easily. Advocates remind us that scammers use victims’ emotions as weapons, creating urgency and fear so they’ll act without thinking marylandmatters.org. The more we know about these numbers, the better we can protect our community.

Why scams are increasing

Why are scams getting worse? Several reasons:

Technology is everywhere. Scammers can reach thousands of people by phone, text, email or social media with almost no effort.
Artificial intelligence tools. AI now lets criminals clone voices and build realistic fake websitesstates.aarp.org. They can pretend to be anyone or anything with a few clicks.
More digital transactions. Since the pandemic, many of us shop online and handle finances through apps. Some seniors are still learning these systems and might not recognize a fake site.
A growing pool of victims. The baby boom generation is retiring, which means more older adults with savings that scammers want.
Scammers adapt quickly. When one scam is exposed, criminals tweak their methods. It’s a constant game of cat and mouse.

Understanding these drivers helps us prepare for new threats.

Business and government impersonation scams

This scam starts with a call, email or text from someone who claims to work for a bank, retailer or government agency. They might say, “Someone is using your accounts,” “Your information is linked to criminal activity,” or “There’s a security problem with your computer”consumer.ftc.gov. Once they have your attention, they insist you must move money to a “safe” account or pay with gift cards to fix the problem.

Consider Jane, a retired teacher from Maryland. A caller said he was from Amazon’s fraud department and warned her that her account had been compromised. He convinced her she needed to wire her savings immediately. Jane trusted him and sent 25,600 dollars marylandmatters.org. She later learned it was a scam.

How to protect yourself:

Slow down. Scammers want you to react quickly.

Hang up and call back. Use the official phone number on your bank card or the agency’s website.

Never send money or personal information in response to an unexpected call, text or email. Real businesses and agencies never ask for payment by gift cards or cryptocurrency.

AI voice cloning and deepfake scams

Artificial intelligence has opened new doors for criminals. They can clone a voice after hearing just a few seconds of audio. Imagine getting a call and hearing your daughter’s voice, sobbing that she’s in trouble and needs money immediately. It happened to a woman who got a call that sounded exactly like her in‑laws; someone then claimed her relatives were held for ransomncoa.org. Experts say this technology will only get more convincingaarp.org. Deepfake videos are also dangerous. Criminals may send a realistic video of a celebrity or fake news clip urging you to invest in a “new crypto opportunity.”

Protective steps:

Set up a family “code word.” If someone calls asking for help, ask for the code word. If they don’t know it, hang up.
Call back directly. If you receive a strange call or message, call the person back using a number you know.
Be skeptical of celebrity endorsements or urgent video messages asking for money.

Cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLA) are automatic increases in Social Security benefits. For 2025, the adjustment is 2.5 percent nasdaq.com. You don’t have to apply for it or pay a fee. Yet scammers send letters, emails or texts saying you must fill out a form, pay a fee or risk losing your benefits. Some messages link to fake Social Security websites that steal your information nasdaq.com. In February 2025, the Social Security Administration warned about an email telling recipients to download a “security update tool,” which was a scam nasdaq.com. Others threaten to suspend your Social Security number if you don’t act nasdaq.com.

Here’s what you can do:

Ignore unsolicited emails or calls about your benefits. The Social Security Administration mainly contacts you by mail.
Never click on links in an email that claims to be from the SSA. Type ssa.gov directly into your browser.
If you’re unsure, call the SSA using the number from your benefit statement.

Cryptocurrency and fake investment schemes

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are exciting but they also attract scammers. You may get a message or see an ad promising huge returns on a new digital coin. It might look like an official company announcement. However, the link takes you to an AI‑generated website that copies a real financial sitencoa.org. Once you invest, your money is gonencoa.org. Some frauds use deepfake videos of famous business leaders to lure victims.

How to avoid these schemes:

Remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Before investing, research the company’s registration with financial regulators.
Only invest through official websites you type in yourself or bookmarked in your browser.
Consult a trusted financial adviser before making any big investment.

Tech support scams

Tech support scammers take advantage of fear and confusion. You might see a pop‑up saying your device has been infected and giving a phone number to call. Or you get a call claiming there’s a problem with your computer or routerconsumer.ftc.gov. The person on the line asks for remote access to your device and demands payment.

Ways to stay safe:

Don’t click on pop‑ups that warn of infection. Close your browser window or shut down your device.
Legitimate tech companies do not post phone numbers in pop‑up messages or call you to fix your computer.
If you’re concerned, visit the company’s official website or contact them through their verified support page.
Never give remote access to someone who calls unexpectedly.

Romance and grandparent scams

Love and family are powerful emotions. Scammers know this and use them to their advantage. In romance scams, criminals build a relationship with someone online by chatting for weeks or months. They may send photos and share personal stories. Once trust is built, they start asking for money—usually for emergency medical bills, travel expenses or business investments. In 2023, people lost more than 1.1 billion dollars to romance scams ncoa.org.

Grandparent scams are equally heartbreaking. A caller or message says, “Grandma, I’m in trouble! Don’t tell mom or dad. Send money now!” ncoa.org. The person may cry or sound panicked. Thanks to AI voice cloning, the voice could sound very real ncoa.org. They often insist on gift cards, wire transfers or crypto because these are hard to trace.

What you should do:

Be cautious if a person you’ve only met online asks for money.
Call a family member to verify any emergency. If it’s real, someone else will know.
Create a family code word for genuine emergencies.
Don’t be embarrassed to report a scam. These scams often rely on victims’ shame to avoid detection.

Other common scams

Besides these main categories, scammers constantly invent new schemes. Some examples include:

Sweepstakes and lottery scams: You’re told you’ve won a big prize, but you have to pay fees or taxes to claim it ncoa.org. Legitimate lotteries never ask for upfront payments.
Ponzi schemes and bogus investment clubs: They promise steady or high returns if you recruit new investors. Eventually the scheme collapses and you lose your money.
Medicare and health insurance fraud: Fake providers offer free services or equipment and steal your personal data.
Robocall scams: Automated calls claim your car warranty is expiring or you owe taxes. They urge you to press a number or call back immediately. Don’t respond; instead, hang up and block the number.

Practical tips to stay safe

Protecting yourself from scams isn’t complicated, but it does require a few habits. Here are some things you can do:

Use strong passwords and change them regularly. Don’t reuse passwords across different accountsstates.aarp.org.
Enable two‑factor authentication (2FA) on your accountsstates.aarp.org. This adds an extra layer of security.
Block unknown callers and filter suspicious emails.
Check your bank and credit card statements regularly.
Shred documents that have personal information before throwing them awaystates.aarp.org.
Have a “fraud buddy.” Talk through suspicious calls or emails with a trusted friend or family member before acting marylandmatters.org.
Take a pause before responding. If someone pressures you to act quickly, be skeptical.
Report scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov).
Stay informed. Sign up for scam alerts from reputable sources like AARP or the FTC.

Some states are taking steps to address new scams. Maryland now requires virtual currency kiosks to register with the state marylandmatters.org, which helps prevent money laundering and fraudulent transactions.

Government and community responses

Government agencies and community organizations play an important role in combating scams. The FTC collects data, issues alerts and takes legal action against scammers. Advocacy groups like the AARP Fraud Watch Network provide hotlines and online resources for older adults. In Maryland, officials have supported bills like the Preventing Deep Fakes Scams Act and created a task force to study how AI affects financial scamsstates.aarp.org. These efforts help law enforcement keep up with evolving technology. But even the best laws and tools can only do so much if people aren’t aware of the risks.

Your community can help too. Local libraries, senior centers and churches often host workshops on digital safety and scam prevention. If you learn something new, share it with your friends and family. Awareness is our most powerful defense.

Conclusion

Scams in 2025 are more sophisticated, but you are more prepared than ever. By understanding how criminals use impersonation, AI technology, fake investments, phony tech support, romance and family emergencies, you can spot red flags and avoid falling for them. Remember: real companies and government agencies never ask for payment via gift cards or crypto. Don’t let fear or urgency push you to make a quick decisionncoa.org. Take a moment to verify the information through official channels and talk to someone you trust. Share this article with others—together we can reduce the billions lost to fraud and protect our loved ones from these emerging threats.