Senior Scam Prevention and Fraud Resources in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico seniors reported $8 million in elder fraud losses to the FBI in 2025, with 351 victims aged 60 and older. This page provides Puerto Rico-specific scam prevention resources, official reporting contacts, and five years of FBI elder fraud data for the state.
Already been scammed? Read our First 24 Hours Emergency Guide for critical steps to take immediately.
I. Overview: Puerto Rico’s Senior Population and Key Cities
As of 2024, Puerto Rico has a population of approximately 3.2 million, with over 740,000 residents aged 65 and older , accounting for 23.1% of the total population. This makes Puerto Rico one of the oldest jurisdictions in the United States in terms of age distribution.
Puerto Rican seniors face unique challenges. In 2025, losses reached $8.2 million with 351 victims. Investment scams led at $4 million (+146%). Two categories saw dramatic decreases: tech support fell 52% and romance scams dropped 87%. Government impersonation surged 981% to $249K. Language barriers and limited broadband access remain challenges for prevention and reporting.
The areas with the largest senior populations and highest reported fraud activity are:
- San Juan (capital; approx. 320,000 people)
- Bayamón (approx. 160,000 people)
- Ponce (approx. 130,000 people)
II. 2025 Victim Report: How Scammers Targeted Puerto Rico’s Seniors
In 2025, Puerto Rico had 351 victims aged 60+ who reported losses totaling $8,167,452 — up 23% in victims but down 60% in losses compared to 2024 (285 victims / $20M).
Loss by Crime Type
| Crime Type | 2025 Loss | 2024 Loss | Change |
| Investment | $3,967,090 | $1,611,302 | +146% |
| Tech Support | $76,346 | $158,869 | -52% |
| Romance | $141,550 | $1,090,937 | -87% |
| Lottery/Sweepstakes | $1,500 | $2,650 | -43% |
| Extortion | $19,420 | $99,467 | -80% |
| Government Impersonation | $248,519 | $23,000 | +981% |
Elder Fraud Loss Trajectory — Puerto Rico
5-Year Elder Fraud Trend — Puerto Rico (2021—2025)
| Year | Victims (60+) | Total Loss | YoY Change | Nat’l Rank |
| 2021 | 195 | $3,575,884 | — | #45 |
| 2022 | 190 | $2,363,832 | -34% | #52 |
| 2023 | 215 | $2,845,110 | +20% | #52 |
| 2024 | 285 | $20,183,422 | +609% | #39 |
| 2025 | 351 | $8,167,452 | -60% | #50 |
| 5-Year Total | 1,236 | $37,135,700 | +128% (2021—2025) | — |
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Reports, 2021—2025. Covers victims aged 60 and older. National rank is by total dollar loss among 52 states/territories. National totals: $1.7B (2021), $3.1B (2022), $3.4B (2023), $4.9B (2024), $7.7B (2025) — $20.8 billion stolen from American seniors over five years.
Top Crime Types Targeting Puerto Rico Seniors (2025 vs. 5-Year)
| Crime Type | 2025 Victims | 2025 Loss | 5-Year Total | Growth (2021—25) |
| Investment | 87 | $3,967,090 | $6,368,709 | +1,697% |
| BEC | 11 | $492,542 | $10,203,609 | -75% |
| Personal Data Breach | 23 | $373,098 | $7,000,005 | +12,560% |
| Gov. Impersonation | 20 | $248,519 | $476,974 | +14,020% |
| Romance | 22 | $141,550 | $2,892,123 | -88% |
| Tech Support | 25 | $76,346 | $1,529,594 | +103% |
Top 6 crime types by 2025 losses. Growth calculated from 2021 to 2025. For national crime type trends, see our Crime Type Migration Analysis.
What the data reveals: Puerto Rico’s elder fraud losses totaled $8.2 million in 2025, with 351 seniors victimized. Investment scams grew 146% to $4 million, accounting for nearly half of all losses. The data shows a striking split: two categories saw dramatic decreases — tech support fell 52% and romance scams plunged 87% (from $1.1 million to just $142K) — while government impersonation surged 981% from $23K to $249K.
National context: Puerto Rico ranks #50 in total losses among all 52 states and territories. The 87% romance scam decline and 52% tech support drop are among the steepest decreases nationally in those categories — a potentially positive signal. However, the 981% government impersonation surge and rising investment fraud suggest scammers may be shifting to new tactics. Puerto Rico’s unique combination of Spanish-language targeting, rural isolation, and limited broadband creates distinct vulnerability patterns.
For the full national picture, including how Puerto Rico compares to every other state, visit our national hub page with interactive data and rankings.
III. Emergency and Official Contacts
Local Police Departments – Elder Fraud and Financial Crimes
1. Puerto Rico Police Bureau – San Juan Command
- Phone: (787) 343-2020 (island-wide crime reporting line)
- Website: policia.pr.gov
- Contact to report elder scams, cyber fraud, or financial exploitation.
2. Bayamón Police Area Command
- Phone: (787) 269-2424
- Same island-wide resources apply; use 343-2020 or local station for elder fraud cases.
3. Ponce Police Area Command
- Phone: (787) 284-4040
- Also uses centralized reporting structure through 343-2020.
FBI and Federal Scam Reporting
FBI San Juan Field Office
- Phone: (787) 754-6000
- Website: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/sanjuan
- Handles high-level elder fraud, romance scams, cybercrime, and federal offenses.
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
- Website: www.ic3.gov
- Use to report phishing, tech support scams, crypto fraud, and online elder exploitation.
Puerto Rico Department of Justice – Consumer Protection
Departamento de Asuntos del Consumidor (DACO)
- Consumer Hotline: (787) 722-7555
- Website: www.daco.pr.gov
- Provides consumer fraud investigation and protection services, including for seniors.
Senior Protection Services and Medicare Fraud Support
Puerto Rico Adult Protective Services (Servicios de Protección para Adultos)
- Main Contact: (800) 981-8333 (Department of Family Affairs – ADSEF)
- Website: familia.pr.gov
- Investigates reports of abuse, neglect, and elder financial exploitation.
Puerto Rico Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)
- Phone: (800) 975-3102
- Website: www.patrullamedicarepr.org
- Offers fraud prevention education and assistance with Medicare-related scams.
Oficina del Procurador de las Personas de Edad Avanzada (OPPEA)
- Phone: (787) 721-6121
- Website: oppea.pr.gov
- Provides legal advocacy, elder abuse reporting, and assistance to seniors and caregivers.
Proteja a sus seres queridos. Infórmese. Denuncie.
- Puerto Rican seniors lose millions of dollars annually to fraud and scams.
- Saving emergency numbers and reporting early can prevent further harm.
- Visit our Education Center for tools, red flags, and multilingual guides.
- Cuando tenga dudas, deténgase, verifique y hable con alguien de confianza.
Recent Puerto Rico scam news
Recent news coverage of scams affecting Puerto Rico seniors, updated from our alerts desk. Each item links to the original outlet; victims and defendants are kept anonymous.
A physician explains why memory loss raises the risk of falling for a scam
A physician who also cared for her mother through Alzheimer's disease writes that memory loss and mild cognitive impairment are linked to a higher risk of falling for scams and financial exploitation. Part of the danger, she explains, is a condition called anosognosia, where a person with cognitive decline may not recognize that money is missing or that they were deceived. She recommends families start money conversations early, before decline sets in, treat scam awareness as a shared family responsibility rather than a private embarrassment, use phones that screen or block unknown callers, review accounts and credit reports together regularly, and consider a limited power of attorney while the person can still take part in that decision.
Read at Being Patient →Before the holidays, make a family plan to spot scams
With holiday calls and visits picking up, a fraud risk analyst is urging families to agree on a verification plan before a crisis call ever comes in, covering tactics like a caller claiming a grandchild has been arrested, a fake bank or government warning that an account is at risk, a tech support pop-up, or an online relationship that turns into a investment pitch. The core advice is to pause, verify, and talk: hang up, call the person or agency back using a number you already know, and loop in a trusted family member rather than acting alone. Suspicious contacts can be reported to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Agreeing on this plan now, before the holiday season's spike in calls and visits, gives families a calm playbook instead of a panicked decision.
Read at Philadelphia Today →Fake 'psychic' letters promising a windfall defrauded thousands of older Americans of millions
Federal prosecutors describe a mail fraud scheme that sent personalized letters made to look like they came from a psychic, telling recipients they were due a financial windfall that required a payment to 'unlock.' Thousands of people across the country, many of them elderly or otherwise vulnerable, sent checks that were deposited into accounts opened under the fake psychic names and then moved overseas, collecting more than 4 million dollars over several years. No real windfall, inheritance, or prize ever requires you to pay money up front to receive it. If a letter like this arrives, the safe move is to slow down, do not mail a check or payment, and talk it over with a family member or call the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov before responding.
Read at JNS →Medicare 'brace scam' case shows how to catch durable medical equipment fraud on your statement
A major federal case made news this week over a nationwide scheme that billed Medicare for back, knee, shoulder, and wrist braces that patients never needed. Fraud operators used offshore call centers and sham telemedicine visits to generate unnecessary prescriptions, then billed Medicare for the equipment. The scheme generated more than $365 million in fraudulent claims, with Medicare paying out roughly $199 million before it was caught. Beneficiaries can protect themselves by reviewing their Medicare Summary Notice for any brace or equipment charges they do not recognize, declining unsolicited calls offering a free brace, and contacting their local Senior Medicare Patrol program if something looks wrong.
Read at Medical Daily →DOJ's eighth annual elder fraud report tallies 350 enforcement actions in a year
The Department of Justice's eighth annual Elder Justice Report, covering July 2025 through June 2026, found the government pursued nearly 350 criminal and civil enforcement actions against 712 defendants linked to more than $4.8 billion stolen from more than 711,000 older victims. The cases spanned about 40 different scam types, from investment and tech support fraud to government impersonation, and nearly half involved schemes run from overseas. The department also pointed to $52 million in federal funding for elder abuse victim services working alongside its criminal cases. For families, the scale is a reminder to slow down before wiring money or sharing account access, and to verify any urgent financial request by calling the company or agency directly at a number you look up yourself.
Read at U.S. Department of Justice →What to do right away if a loved one has been scammed
A cybersecurity educator described helping a neighbor in her 70s after a scam that started with a locked bank account and what sounded like a tech support call, but was actually scammers. A fake warning claimed her computer had been hacked and told her to contact Microsoft, and the callers convinced her to move her savings into cryptocurrency to keep it safe, money that was then gone for good. The piece lays out concrete first steps for any family facing this: call the bank right away, save every text, email and transaction record, report the crime to local police and the FBI's IC3.gov (or identitytheft.gov if an identity was stolen), lock down every account with a new password and two-factor login, and stay alert because scammers sometimes target the same person again. The core message: slow down, and verify any urgent computer or bank warning by calling the real company yourself at a number you look up independently, never one given to you during the call.
Read at The Washington Post →IV. Learn More: Puerto Rico Scam Prevention Guides
Explore Puerto Rico-specific guides on the most common scams targeting seniors in your state:
- Tech Support Scams in Puerto Rico — Learn to recognize fake pop-ups, phone calls, and remote access schemes.
- Investment Scams in Puerto Rico — Protect your retirement savings from fraudulent advisors and crypto scams.
- Romance Scams in Puerto Rico — Spot the warning signs of fake online relationships designed to steal money.
- Government Impersonation Scams in Puerto Rico — Know what real government agencies will never ask you to do.
- How to Report Scams in Puerto Rico — Step-by-step guide to reporting fraud and starting recovery.
For national-level data on each scam type, see our Investment, Tech Support, Romance, and Government Impersonation national guides.
See how Puerto Rico compares. Curious where Puerto Rico ranks in the national picture? Stolen Trust, our 2026 special study, ranks every state and territory using five years of FBI data and lays out one practical plan to fix elder fraud.