9 Scams Older Adults Need to Recognise in 2026
Last Updated on September 10, 2026
Jurisdiction: General, with United States reporting links clearly labelled
Scams are becoming more convincing, but the underlying tactics remain remarkably repetitive. The message creates fear, excitement or urgency. The scammer then tries to isolate you and move your money before you can check the story.
In 2025, people in the United States reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams alone, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The FBI reported that people aged 60 and over made more than 201,000 complaints involving losses above $7.7 billion.
1. Government and business impersonation
The caller claims to represent a tax office, police agency, bank, delivery company or major retailer. They may know your name and spoof a genuine phone number.
Do not use the contact details they provide. End the conversation and contact the organisation through its official website, statement or card.
2. Fake toll and unpaid-fee messages
A text says you owe a small road toll or fee and threatens a larger penalty or registration problem. The link leads to a convincing payment page designed to steal card and identity details.
Open the official toll operator’s app or website independently. Do not follow the link in the message.
3. Family-emergency and cloned-voice scams
A supposed child or grandchild says they have been arrested, injured or stranded. Artificial intelligence can imitate a voice from a short audio sample.
Agree on a family safe word. Call the relative on a known number and verify the story with another family member.
4. Investment and cryptocurrency scams
The offer promises unusually steady returns, secret opportunities or help from an online investment coach. A fake dashboard may show profits while withdrawals remain impossible.
Pressure, secrecy and guaranteed returns are danger signs. Check the person and business with the relevant financial regulator before transferring money.
5. Romance and companionship scams
A relationship develops online, followed by a crisis, travel problem or investment opportunity. The request for money may arrive only after weeks or months of patient grooming.
Never send money or financial information to someone you have not independently verified, no matter how convincing the relationship feels.
6. Tech-support and account-security scams
A pop-up or caller claims your computer, bank account or online account is compromised. You are told to install remote-access software or move money to a safe account.
A bank will not ask you to transfer money to protect it. Do not give anyone remote control of your device unless you initiated contact with a trusted provider.
7. Prize, lottery and inheritance scams
You have supposedly won money or inherited an estate, but must first pay a fee, tax or delivery charge.
A genuine prize does not require advance payment. Unexpected overseas inheritances deserve independent legal verification.
8. Medicare, health and insurance scams
A caller offers free equipment, genetic testing or a new benefit and asks for a Medicare, insurance or identity number.
Confirm the offer with your insurer or health program using an official number. Treat unsolicited requests for health-identification details as suspicious.
9. Recovery scams
After a loss, another person offers to recover the money for an upfront fee. Victim lists are valuable to criminals, so the second contact may be connected to the first.
Report the original fraud to police, your bank and the official reporting service in your country. Do not pay a stranger who promises recovery.
The safest response: pause, verify, discuss
- Pause. Urgency is a tactic, not a reason to act.
- Verify. Use a contact method you found independently.
- Discuss. Tell a trusted person before transferring money or sharing sensitive details.
If money has already moved, contact the ba
Jurisdiction: General guidance, with United States and Australian reporting links clearly labelled. Figures checked 28 July 2026.
Scams are becoming more convincing, but the basic method remains remarkably repetitive. A message creates fear, excitement, affection or urgency. The scammer then tries to isolate you and move your money before you can check the story.
The losses are not pocket change. The US Federal Trade Commission says consumers reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025. The FBI received more than 201,000 complaints from people aged 60 and over, involving reported losses above $7.7 billion.
1. Government and business impersonation
The caller or message claims to represent a tax office, police agency, bank, delivery company, utility or major retailer. The person may know your name and may make a genuine phone number appear on your screen.
Your defence: End the conversation. Do not use a number or link the caller provided. Contact the organisation through its official website, statement or the number printed on your card.
2. Fake toll, parcel and unpaid-fee messages
A text says you owe a small road toll, delivery fee or penalty. The amount is deliberately modest so that paying feels easier than investigating. The link leads to a convincing payment page designed to steal card and identity details.
Your defence: Open the official operator’s app or type its website address yourself. Never follow the message link.
3. Family-emergency and cloned-voice scams
A supposed child or grandchild says they have been arrested, injured or stranded. Artificial intelligence can imitate a voice from a short audio sample, so “it sounded exactly like him” is no longer proof.
Your defence: Agree on a private family safe word. Call the relative on a known number and verify the story with another family member. A genuine emergency can survive a two-minute fact-check.
4. Investment and cryptocurrency scams
The approach may begin through social media, a dating app, an online “investment club” or an accidental message. A fake trading platform shows impressive profits, but withdrawals trigger demands for tax, fees or a larger deposit. The FBI says cryptocurrency investment fraud produced $7.2 billion in reported US losses during 2025.
Your defence: Guaranteed returns, secrecy and pressure are danger signs. Check the person and business independently with the relevant financial regulator. Never install an investment app from a link sent by a new online contact.
5. Romance and companionship scams
A relationship develops online, followed by a crisis, travel problem or investment opportunity. The request for money may arrive only after weeks or months of patient grooming.
Your defence: Never send money, cryptocurrency or financial information to someone you have not independently verified. Reverse-image searches can help, but even a genuine photograph may belong to an innocent person whose identity was stolen.
6. Tech-support and account-security scams
A pop-up or caller claims your computer, bank account or online account has been compromised. You are told to install remote-access software, reveal a verification code or move money to a “safe account.”
Your defence: Banks do not ask customers to transfer money to protect it. Do not give an unexpected caller remote control of your device, and never read out a one-time security code.
7. Prize, lottery and inheritance scams
You have supposedly won money or inherited an estate, but must first pay a tax, legal fee or delivery charge.
Your defence: A genuine prize does not require advance payment. An unexpected inheritance deserves independent legal verification—not a hurried payment to the stranger who announced it.
8. Medicare, health and insurance scams
A caller offers free equipment, genetic testing or a new benefit and asks for a Medicare, insurance or identity number. Similar schemes operate under different health systems around the world.
Your defence: Confirm the offer with your insurer or health program using an official number. Treat unsolicited requests for health-identification details as suspicious.
9. Recovery scams
After a loss, another person offers to recover the money for an upfront fee. Victim details are traded between criminals, so this second contact may be connected to the first scam.
Your defence: Report the original fraud to your bank, police and official national reporting service. Do not pay a stranger who guarantees recovery. The FBI has even warned about criminals impersonating its own Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The safest response: pause, verify, discuss
- Pause. Urgency is a tactic, not a reason to act.
- Verify. Use contact details you found independently.
- Discuss. Tell a trusted person before transferring money or sharing sensitive information.
If money has already moved, contact your bank or payment provider immediately. Ask whether it can stop, recall or trace the payment. Change compromised passwords from a clean device and contact the genuine organisation if an account was taken over. Keep messages, receipts, phone numbers and screenshots as evidence.
In the United States, report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and internet-enabled crime at IC3.gov. People aged 60 and over can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline on 833-372-8311.
In Australia, report scams to Scamwatch. The Australian Cyber Security Hotline can help with cybercrime reports and recovery advice.
Never let embarrassment delay a report. The crime belongs to the scammer, not the person who was deliberately deceived.
Sources and further reading
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission: Scamwatchnk or payment provider immediately. Fast reporting may improve the chance of stopping or tracing a transaction.
Federal Trade Commission: 2025 imposter-scam losses
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