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Scams can affect anyone, but older adults and people with disabilities can face greater risks. Scammers may target older adults and people with disabilities by using information about their benefits, service needs, or personal circumstances to make a scam seem legitimate. In 2024, adults age 60 and older were five times as likely as adults ages 18 to 59 to report losing money to tech-support scams. They were also nearly three times as likely to report losing money to prize, sweepstakes, or lottery scams (source: the Federal Trade Commission).

Scammers use trust, fear, and pressure to get money or personal information. A scam can cause serious financial and emotional harm.

The Disability & Aging Crime Victims Unit (DACVU) is a program of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas (DRC). The DACVU serves older adults and people with disabilities who have experienced crime. This information is designed for older adults and people with disabilities. Family members, advocates, and other trusted supporters may also find it useful.

This resource was created to help you:

• Recognize common scams.
• Protect your money and personal information.
• Take action if you experience a scam.

Different scams may require different responses. For help with your situation, contact DRC and ask to complete an intake with a DACVU advocate. We may be able to help you make a recovery plan and find resources for your next steps.

This resource provides general information.It does not provide legal advice. The steps that apply to you depend on your situation.

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Ten Common Internet and Phone Scams

The following are ten common scams to watch out for.

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1. Money Laundering or Money-Mule Scam

Someone sends you money and asks you to send some or all of it to another person. The money may be stolen, or the check may be fake. The scammer may ask you to use gift cards, cryptocurrency, a wire transfer, or a payment app (Venmo, CashApp, Zelle, etc.).

STOP! Do not deposit the check or move the money. Contact the bank and tell them what happened. You could be helping a scammer move stolen money without realizing it or losing your money in the process.

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Family Emergency Scam

Scammers can use artificial intelligence, or AI, to copy a person’s voice or create fake images. A scammer may pretend that someone you love has been kidnapped, arrested, hospitalized, or involved in an emergency.

The scammer wants you to feel afraid and send money before checking the story. Hang up. Call your loved one using a phone number you already know. If you cannot reach the person, call another trusted person who may know where they are.

3. Work-From-Home Scam 

You receive an unexpected job offer by email, text, or social media. The “employer” promises easy money for reshipping packages, buying gift cards, depositing checks, postal money orders, or transferring money. The person may ask for your bank account information.

These are signs of a FAKE job offer. Do not deposit the check, move the money, or provide your personal or financial information.

4. Lottery or Prize Scam

Someone says you won a prize, lottery, or sweepstakes. The person says you must pay taxes, fees, shipping costs, or other charges before you can receive your prize.

Real prizes are free. Do not pay money or provide your bank or credit card information to claim a prize. A scammer may also send you a fake check and ask you to return part of the money. Scammers sometimes pretend to represent a real company, such as Publishers Clearing House. Contact the company directly using a phone number or website you find yourself.

5. Romance Scam

Someone you meet online develops a relationship with you and gains your trust. The person may communicate with you for weeks or months. Later, the person asks you to send money, receive money, deposit a check, or transfer money to someone else.

Do not send or move money for an online love interest, including money that person sent to you.

6. Grandparent Scam

Someone claims to be your grandchild, another relative, or a person helping them. They may have gained information about your family from social media. The caller says your loved one is in trouble and needs money immediately. The caller may tell you to keep the situation secret.

Hang up. Contact your loved one directly using a phone number you already know. You can also call another trusted family member or friend.

7. Cryptocurrency Scam

Someone pressures you to buy or invest in cryptocurrency. The person may pretend to be a celebrity, government official, romantic partner, or professional investor. The person may promise large or guaranteed profits.

Every investment has risk. A promise of guaranteed profits is a warning sign. Government agencies and legitimate businesses will not demand payment by cryptocurrency.

8. Recovery Scams 

After you were the victim of a scam, someone offers to recover your money for an upfront fee. The person may claim to be a lawyer, government official, investigator, or advocate.

Do not pay anyone who guarantees the return of your money. Government agencies do not charge a fee to report fraud. Contact DRC or a government agency directly using contact information you find yourself.

9. Investment Scam

Someone offers you an investment with high or guaranteed profits. The person pressures you to act quickly and may tell you to keep the opportunity a secret.

Stop and research the investment and the person offering it. Ask a trusted person or qualified financial professional to review the offer. A promise of fast, easy, or guaranteed profits is a strong warning sign. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

10. Computer or Tech-Support Scam

You receive an unexpected phone call, email text, or pop-up message claiming that your computer or device has a problem. The scammer may pretend to work for a well-known technology company. They may ask for money, passwords, account information, or to remote access to your device.

Do not click a link, call the number in the message, or give the person access to your device. If you are concerned about your device, contact the company directly using a phone number or website you find yourself.

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Eight Tips to Protect Yourself from Being Scammed

The following are eight tips to protect yourself from being scammed.

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Tip #1: Pause before you act. 

Scammers create urgency, so you will act before checking their story. Take time to think. Talk with someone you trust before sending money or sharing personal information.

Tip #2: Check the story yourself. 

Use a phone number, email address, or website you find yourself. Do not use the contact information provided by the person asking for money. Caller ID can show a fake name or phone number.

Tip #3: Keep control of your money. 

Do not let anyone use your bank account to receive or transfer money, or open a new account for that purpose. This includes someone offering you a job, an online friend, or a romantic interest.

Tip #4: Real prizes won't charge a fee. 

Do not pay money to receive a prize. Do not provide your bank account or credit card information to claim one.

Tip #5: Handle unknown calls safely. 

Let unfamiliar calls go to voicemail when you can. If you answer and feel pressured, hang up. You can always end a call. If applicable, call the organization back using a number from its official website, your account statement, or the back of your card.

Tip #6: Protect your accounts. 

Keep your passwords, access codes, and account information private. Never open a cryptocurrency wallet in another person’s name or give your cryptocurrency wallet information to someone you met online or over the phone.

Tip #7: Watch how someone asks you to pay. 

Payment demands involving gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, cash, or payment apps are major warning signs. Scammers prefer these payments because recovering the money can be difficult.

Tip #8: Research the person or company. 

Search online for the person’s or company’s name with words such as “scam,” “fraud,” or “complaint.” Check more than one source. Ask someone you trust to help with the research.

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I Was Scammed. What Should I Do? 

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People often feel embarrassed or ashamed after sending money to a scammer. You are not alone! A scam can cause more than financial loss. It can also cause anxiety and severe stress. Scammers are skilled at gaining trust and pressuring people to act. Millions of people in the United States report scams every year.

If you think you were scammed, act quickly. Recovering money from a scam can be difficult, and delays can make it harder. The outcome depends on your situation, but the following steps may help you recover your money, prevent further harm, and protect other people from scams.

Five Steps to Take After Being Scammed

1. Stop contact with the scammer

• Do not send more money. 
• Block the scammer's phone number, email address, and social media accounts. 
• Save messages, receipts, emails, envelopes, phone numbers, account information, and screenshots. These records may help with reports and disputes. 

2. Call the company that handled the payment

Tell the company that you paid a scammer. Ask if it can stop or reverse the payment.
Call immediately. Use a phone number from your card, account statement, receipt, or the
company’s official website. Ask the company if you need to send written information.
Keep copies of letters, forms, emails, and report numbers.

• Credit card, debit card, check, or bank transfer: Contact your bank or card
  company. Ask for the fraud department.
• Gift card: Contact the company that issued the card. Keep the gift card receipt. Ask if the company can refund the money.
• Wire transfer: Contact the wire transfer company or bank you used to wire the money.
  Ask if it can stop or reverse the transfer.
• Payment app: Contact the company that operates the app. Report the scam and ask if it can reverse the payment.
• Cryptocurrency: Contact the company or exchange used to send the money.
  Cryptocurrency payments are usually final but ask if the company can help.
• Cash sent through the U.S. Mail: Call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service immediately
  at 877-876-2455. Ask if the package can be intercepted.
• Cash sent through another delivery service: Contact the delivery company
  immediately. Ask if the package can be intercepted.

3. Protect your accounts and credit

• Turn on two-step verification when it is available. Two-step verification requires a
  second step, such as a code sent to your phone, when you sign in.
• Check your bank, credit card, and payment-app accounts for charges or changes you did not make.
• Consider a fraud alert or credit freeze:
  • A fraud alert tells a business to check that it is really you before opening a new
    credit account in your name. Contact one of the three credit bureaus. That bureau must notify the other two.
  • A credit freeze blocks access to your credit report. Contact all three credit bureaus separately to place a freeze. Credit freezes are free.
• The three nationwide credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. These
  agencies can also help you dispute unauthorized charges or accounts that appear on
  your credit report. Visit IdentityTheft.gov for current contact information and
  instructions.

4. Report the scam

Reporting can help agencies identify scams and protect other people. A report does not
guarantee an investigation or the return of your money.

• Scams can be reported to:
  • Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
  • FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: If the scam involved the internet,
    email, social media, a computer, or a phone, file a report at IC3.gov
  • Local law enforcement.
  • National Elder Fraud Hotline: Adults age 60 and older, their family
    members, and people helping them can call 833-372-8311 for help reporting
    fraud and finding services. The hotline is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.
    to 7 p.m. Central Time.
• If someone used your personal information to open an account, make a purchase, or
  receive a service, also report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov.

5. Ask for help with financial problems

Contact Money Management International for credit counseling. If you are unable to recover your stolen funds and you find yourself in debt or credit problems, Money Management International (MMI) may be able to help you take steps to resolve these issues. Contact MMI at 866-889-9347 or on their website at moneymanagement.org/credit-counseling.

There are many types of scams that may require different steps to protect yourself. Remember, we are here to help! Contact us for individualized support.

This grant project is supported by subgrant number 26-VOCA-56 awarded through the Federal Office for Victims of Crime as administered by the Kansas Governor’s Grants Program. The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication, program, or exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of the Kansas Governor or the U.S. Department of Justice.