12 Tips to Protect Seniors from Phone Scams

Senior citizens lost a staggering amount of $3.4 Billion to scams in 2023, according to FBI. The data shows that an average older adult, targeted by scammers, lost $33,915. Almost 6000 seniors lost more than $100,000 to financial scams.

The elderly scams statistics showed 14% increase in complaints filed by seniors with 11% increase in financial loss, as compared to the previous year.

Here are 12 tips on how to protect elderly from phone scams and how to spot scammers and fraudsters.

Related Article: Top 10 online scams targeting seniors

1. Learn to Recognize Common Phone Scams

It is important that older adults are aware of common phone scams targeting seniors. It is easier to spot a scam if you know about the common methods the scammers use.

Here are some of the common phone scams targeting the elderly.

• Tech support scams
• Investment scams
• Grandparent scams
• Lottery scams
• Charity scams
• Senior benefits scams
• Siri, Alexa and Google Home scams
• Romance scams
• Government imposter scams

The scammers keep coming up with new and sophisticated methods to target senior citizens via phone calls and texts.

2. Never Share Personal Information on The Phone

If your bank or credit card company is asking for personal or financial information, never share anything on a phone call.

Ask them for a phone number to call back and only call back after confirming the identity of the caller from your bank.

The information that you should never share on a phone call

• Your home address or email address
• Date of birth and other identifying information such as full name
• Banking details, credit card numbers
• Social security number
• Your mother’s maiden name

All the above information can be used to steal your identity.

3. Register on The “do not call” Registry

Protect yourself against telemarketers by registering their mobile and home phone numbers in the National Do Not Call Registry.

Some organizations such as charities, political groups and debt collectors may still call but it is a good step to begin protecting your loved ones.

4. Set Up a Bank Account With a Spending Limit

You may be wondering how to protect elderly from phone scams because you are concerned about your loved one’s financial decision-making.

It is always a good idea to set up a separate bank account with a spending limit of a few hundred dollars.

Seniors can use the debit card attached to the account for online transactions while savings are kept in a separate secure account.

5. Monitor Bank Accounts and Credit Cards

One thing you can do to prevent phone scams is to monitor your bank statements and credit card statements on monthly basis.

You can monitor the bank accounts through an app or online banking and look for any suspicious activity or unauthorized payment.

Make a habit of checking your bank statements regularly.

6. Never Buy Anything Over the Phone

The scammers act as telemarketers to sell you products or services. Tell telemarketers that you do not buy anything on phone.

Purchasing things on phone involves sharing personal and financial data which is not a good idea to begin with.

Stay away from telemarketing offers that sound too good to be true.

7. Donate Wisely

Do not donate by phone calls or texts. Choose trusted organizations and beware of names similar to well-known charities.

When donating

• Never pay by cash, payment by bank check is a safer option.
• Never write a personal check on a person’s name
• Validate the charity organizations before donating (use Charity Navigator, Charity Watch or Guide Star)
• If you signed up to donate to a charity on a monthly basis, keep a record of your donations and track them on your financial statement

Donate your money wisely so it reaches deserving people, not scammers.

8. Never Pay to Claim a Prize or Lottery Payout

Real prizes are free and you should never pay to claim your prize. Do not share bank account details or other personal information to get a lottery payout on phone.

You can ask the caller to provide you with a number to call back and can confirm the number is legit before calling back.

9. Resist Pressure to “Act Now”

This strategy is used in phone scams where the scammer wants you to act now to secure a deal before you have time to think.  

They may pressurize you with threats such as you will be arrested or deported if you do not act now. They can ask you for personal information pretending they are calling from govt agency or a police station.

Always ask them for a phone number to call back and you will have time to think and confirm if it was not a scammer. Never act in a hurry.

10. Don’t Answer Calls from Unrecognized Numbers

The best way to avoid elderly phone scams is by not picking up a phone call from a scammer or unknown numbers.

They can leave a message with a phone number to call back. You can call back after confirming the person is not a scammer and that you know them.

Do not trust caller ID numbers as criminals can use legitimate numbers of companies through spoofing techniques. 

11. Avoid Using Public WiFi

Do not use a public WiFi hotspot to access online banking or to login banking app or share personal information through them. 

Public WiFi is great service but scammers can use it to break into your mobile phone. The data is usually not encrypted on public WiFi so always assume that public WiFi is not safe to use.

12. Report If You Were Scammed

Many scams and frauds go unreported because either people are ashamed to admit that they have been scammed or they do not know how to report a scam.

Do not be ashamed to report if you have been a target of a scam, it only helps scammers to target more people.

To make sure that the crime does not go unnoticed.  

1. Report the Scam to FTC: Report to FTC online or via phone
2. Report Identity Theft: If you have shared personal/ financial information with a scammer, go to the Identity Theft website to report the identity theft and get a recovery plan.
3. National Elder Fraud line: If you or your loved one has been a victim of elder financial fraud or scam, reach out to Nation Elder Fraud Line. They assign you a case manager and treat you with respect and understanding.
4. NAPSA: National Adult Protective Services Association helps you on local levels. This nonprofit works with seniors and disabled persons if they were target of a scam resulting in a financial loss.
5. Report to Your Bank: Let your bank know if you have a victim of financial fraud to discuss the options to protect your financial information in the future.  

These are some of the tips on how to protect seniors from phone scams.

Never share personal or financial information with anyone over the phone to prevent phone scams and report if you have been a victim of financial fraud or identity theft.