Category: Community Service

The impact of elder financial abuse is profound. While abuse can come from known perpetrators like caregivers or family members, scams carried out by strangers are also a major threat. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission estimated that criminals stole as much as $61.5 billion from adults age 60 and over in 2023 alone. With World Elder Abuse Awareness Day coming up on June 15, it’s a timely reminder that we can take steps to prevent the financial exploitation of older adults.

Encourage older adults in your life to add a trusted contact to their financial accounts. This person won’t have access to make transactions but can be notified if there’s suspicious activity or if the account holder can’t be reached.

Freezing credit is an important way to prevent unauthorized accounts from being opened in their name. Additionally, help reduce exposure to phone-based scams by setting up robocall and text message blockers through their mobile carriers or reputable apps.

Small actions like these can go a long way to protecting the financial well-being of older adults and ourselves.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

If your phone’s been lighting up with messages saying you owe a road toll, you’re not alone. Criminals are blasting out fake texts pretending to be from government agencies or toll services. Their goal? To scare or rush you into clicking a link, handing over personal info or making a payment.

Here’s what you need to know: legitimate toll agencies don’t collect payment via text message, and they won’t threaten you over a missed toll.

If you get a message about unpaid tolls, do not respond or click on any links—even if it looks legit. Instead, check your account using the state tolling agency or transponder company’s legitimate website or phone number—not information from the message.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

QR codes are everywhere – from restaurant menus to package tracking. But where there is innovation, there are criminals exploiting them for fraud. QR codes are now being used by scammers to lead you to phishing websites, where they may steal sensitive details like banking info, login credentials and more.

Before acting on a QR code in the real world, check for signs of manipulation (a sticker over the original QR, for example). And you don’t have to use a QR code – if you’re at a restaurant, ask for the printed menu. Also, look at emailed or texted QR codes with suspicion; the point of them is to link you to a website when you’re not otherwise online.

Just like when clicking links, it is important to use caution when scanning QR codes to ensure the source is trustworthy.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

Criminals are always looking for ways to get your personal information to use in criminal activities. The good news is that there are many steps you can take to help protect your data and minimize its value to criminals. Here are three:

Create stronger passwords: Better protect yourself by using strong and unique passwords or passphrases or consider using a password manager to store and generate strong passwords securely.

Use multi-factor authentication: A second layer of defense to your accounts makes it harder for cybercriminals to gain access. Check account settings for two-factor authentication, two-step verification, or multi-factor authentication, and follow the setup instructions.

Keep your operating system updated: Sometimes those updates are to patch a known vulnerability; set yours – and your antivirus protection – to update automatically.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

Checks might seem like something from the past, but scammers often use fake checks in their crimes so they can exploit the time it takes for them to bounce. During that waiting period, scammers will ask you to act on those funds. But once the check bounces, any amount you acted on is gone. This tactic shows up in several scam types from fake job and work-from-home scams (the fake check is to purchase equipment from the “employer” or for you to wire or otherwise send funds to “vendors”), to a seemingly innocent overpayment you received where you’re asked to send part of the money back.

It’s important to know that, just because the check looks like it cleared, it doesn’t mean it has – it can take time for a bank to validate a check, but the federal rules are to make the amount available, usually within 24-48 hours. Use caution when accepting a check: ensure it is validated by your bank and reject seeming overpayments where you’re asked to pay back the overage to the sender.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

Who wouldn’t want to win thousands or even millions of dollars, or the chance to go on a luxury vacation? There are many legitimate sweepstakes and contests out there, and the idea of winning some fabulous prize can be mighty alluring. Criminals get that, and they exploit our excitement to score that big check or dream trip.

When a sweepstakes or a contest is fraudulent, there is often a big red flag: you must first pay upfront fees or taxes to get your prize. No legitimate sweepstakes or contest requires upfront payment. Another clue is if you are asked to share sensitive information to receive your prize, such as your Social Security number or bank account information. Again, this is something perpetrators do, not legitimate entities.

If you find yourself reacting to an out-of-the-blue communication with a heightened emotion, and it comes to you with great urgency, let that be an indicator or a fraud attempt. Take an “active pause” – consider what you are being confronted with, what you might know about it, and then react with intention. That moment of deliberation could be what keeps you safe.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.