Senior Scam Prevention and Fraud Resources in District of Columbia
District of Columbia seniors reported $10 million in elder fraud losses to the FBI in 2025, with 382 victims aged 60 and older. This page provides District of Columbia-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: Senior Population and Key Neighborhoods
As of 2024, the District of Columbia has a population of approximately 680,000, with around 88,000 residents aged 65 and older , making up about 13% of the total population. While D.C. has a younger median age overall, its senior population is steadily growing, especially in neighborhoods east of the river and in Northwest.
D.C. seniors face a shifting fraud landscape. In 2025, losses totaled $10 million with 382 victims. The dominant story: investment scams surged 637% from $776K to $5.7 million, now accounting for 57% of all losses. Most other categories saw significant declines, including government impersonation (-55%) and romance scams (-94%). The city’s digital divide and socio-economic disparities remain key risk factors.
The neighborhoods where scam activity is most frequently reported among older adults include:
- Ward 3 (Upper Northwest – Tenleytown, Chevy Chase)
- Ward 7 (East of the Anacostia River – Deanwood, Benning Ridge)
- Ward 5 (Brookland, Fort Totten)
II. 2025 Victim Report: How Scammers Targeted D.C.’s Seniors
In 2025, District of Columbia had 382 victims aged 60+ who reported losses totaling $10,077,243 — up 43% in victims but down 96% in losses compared to 2024 (267 victims / $251M). The 2024 total was heavily influenced by a single large tech support fraud case.
Loss by Crime Type
| Crime Type | 2025 Loss | 2024 Loss | Change |
| Investment | $5,717,570 | $776,156 | +637% |
| Tech Support | $1,293,437 | $245,293,375 | -99% |
| Romance | $27,119 | $445,149 | -94% |
| Lottery/Sweepstakes | $2,800 | $77,750 | -96% |
| Extortion | $0 | $33,550 | -100% |
| Government Impersonation | $522,287 | $1,161,895 | -55% |
Elder Fraud Loss Trajectory — District of Columbia
5-Year Elder Fraud Trend — District of Columbia (2021—2025)
| Year | Victims (60+) | Total Loss | YoY Change | Nat’l Rank |
| 2021 | 305 | $6,937,668 | — | #35 |
| 2022 | 195 | $4,399,340 | -37% | #50 |
| 2023 | 185 | $10,645,609 | +142% | #41 |
| 2024 | 267 | $251,454,544 | +2262% | #5 |
| 2025 | 382 | $10,077,243 | -96% | #48 |
| 5-Year Total | 1,334 | $283,514,404 | +45% (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 District of Columbia Seniors (2025 vs. 5-Year)
| Crime Type | 2025 Victims | 2025 Loss | 5-Year Total | Growth (2021—25) |
| Investment | 15 | $5,717,570 | $9,050,041 | +2,300% |
| BEC | 23 | $1,574,036 | $12,104,315 | -61% |
| Tech Support | 47 | $1,293,437 | $252,393,821 | +381% |
| Gov. Impersonation | 25 | $522,287 | $2,061,365 | +40% |
| Personal Data Breach | 28 | $312,498 | $962,119 | -11% |
| Romance | 7 | $27,119 | $1,672,108 | -92% |
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: The District of Columbia’s elder fraud losses totaled $10 million in 2025, with 382 seniors victimized. The data shows a dramatic shift in fraud composition: investment scams surged 637% from $776K to $5.7 million, becoming the overwhelming majority of losses. Meanwhile, most other categories declined sharply — government impersonation fell 55%, and romance scams dropped 94%. This suggests scammers have concentrated on a single high-value fraud type. Across the District, that comes to roughly one senior victim for every 1,838 District of Columbia residents.
National context: D.C. ranks #29 in per-capita victim rate (54.40 per 100,000), near the national midpoint. As an entirely urban jurisdiction with high digital connectivity, D.C.’s fraud patterns differ from most states — the near-total concentration of losses in investment scams (57%) is one of the most lopsided profiles in the country. The sharp declines across multiple other categories are unusual and may reflect successful targeted enforcement.
For the full national picture, including how the District of Columbia compares to every other state, visit our national hub page with interactive data and rankings.
III. Emergency and Official Contacts
Local Law Enforcement – Elder Fraud and Financial Crimes
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) – Financial and Cyber Crimes Unit
- Phone (non-emergency): (202) 727-9099
- Main Website: mpdc.dc.gov
- Direct unit link: mpdc.dc.gov/page/identity-theft-and-fraud-reporting-procedure
- Handles financial scams, identity theft, and crimes against seniors.
FBI and Federal Reporting
FBI Washington Field Office
- Phone: (202) 278-2000
- Website: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/washingtondc
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
- Website: www.ic3.gov
- For reporting phishing, romance scams, investment fraud, and online threats.
DC Attorney General – Consumer Protection
Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia – Consumer Protection
- Consumer Hotline: (202) 442-9828
- Website: oag.dc.gov
- Assists with fraud complaints, elder financial abuse, and scam resolution support.
Senior Services and Medicare Fraud Support
DC Adult Protective Services (APS)
- 24/7 Hotline: (202) 541-3950
- Website: dacl.dc.gov/service/adult-protective-services-0
- Investigates abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of vulnerable adults aged 18+.
DC Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) – Led by Legal Counsel for the Elderly (LCE)
- Helpline: (202) 434-2099
- Website: smpresource.org/find-help-in-your-state/
- Educates and assists with Medicare fraud, billing scams, and medical identity theft.
DC Department of Aging and Community Living (DACL)
- Information Line: (202) 724-5626
- Website: dacl.dc.gov
- Offers caregiver support, legal services, elder rights advocacy, and financial safety education.
Empower, Educate, and Report
- Seniors in D.C. lose millions of dollars every year to avoidable scams.
- Stay alert for warning signs like pressure to act quickly, requests for personal info, or unexpected messages from “officials.”
- Visit our Education Center to learn how scams work, how to respond, and how to help others.
- If something feels off, don’t respond , report it. You’re not alone. Help is available.
Recent District of Columbia scam news
Recent news coverage of scams affecting District of Columbia seniors, updated from our alerts desk. Each item links to the original outlet; victims and defendants are kept anonymous.
Washington, D.C. Lawmaker, 88, Scammed in Her Home
People posing as a cleaning crew charged an 88-year-old D.C. lawmaker nearly $4,400 for work never done.
Read at Political Wire →New federal bill would let banks hold transactions up to 90 days to stop wire fraud against seniors
A member of Congress has introduced the Protecting Elders from Wire Fraud Act, which would let banks place a hold of up to 90 days on a transaction leaving a senior's account when financial exploitation is suspected, giving time to determine whether the transaction is legitimate. The bill would also require financial institutions to notify a trusted contact associated with the account when a hold is placed, and it would give banks safe harbor from liability when they act in good faith to prevent a suspected scam. Supporters point to FTC data showing $334 million lost to wire fraud in 2025. The bill is still in the early stages of the legislative process, with no funding details, effective date, or committee action yet reported. The takeaway for families: ask your own bank whether it already offers a trusted-contact option or a hold policy for suspicious transactions, since these tools are becoming more common even before any new federal law passes.
Read at Antelope Valley Press →IRS warns of rising senior scams ahead of National Grandparents Day
Ahead of National Grandparents Day, the IRS and federal investigators are warning that scams targeting older adults keep evolving. In "grandparent scams," callers pose as a grandchild claiming to be hospitalized, in an accident, or under arrest, demanding money right away and pressuring the victim not to contact police or other family members to check the story. In a newer twist on romance scams, criminals target widows and widowers on dating sites, build a relationship over time, then claim an overseas emergency, sometimes using AI to alter their voice or appearance on video calls; victims never meet them in person and only ever send money. Common warning signs across both: contact you did not initiate, requests for personal or financial information, and pressure to act immediately. If you get a call or message like this, slow down, hang up, call the family member directly using a number you already have, and never send money or personal information based on an unverified emergency claim. Report suspected fraud to the National Elder Fraud Hotline, the FBI's IC3.gov, or the DOJ's Elder Justice Initiative.
Read at KATV →Seven Medicare fraud red flags to watch for after CMS blocked $1.6 billion in improper payments
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says enforcement actions have stopped more than $1.6 billion in potentially improper Medicare laboratory payments, part of a broader crackdown on Medicare billing fraud. Consumer red flags to watch for include: someone asking for your Medicare number in exchange for a "free" test or product, a lab test or medical equipment showing up that you never ordered, a caller claiming Medicare "wants" you to get something, anyone offering cash, gift cards, or other perks for your Medicare information, a statement listing a diagnosis or service that doesn't make sense, or pressure to ask your doctor for something you don't need. The advice: compare your Medicare claims against your own appointment calendar and receipts, review your Medicare Summary Notice regularly, check your claims through your secure Medicare account online, and report anything suspicious to 1-800-MEDICARE or your state's Senior Medicare Patrol.
Read at Saving Advice →Inside one senior center's fight against scams: 'Stop, Think, Verify'
The National Council on Aging profiles a Florida senior center's approach to fraud prevention, built around a simple habit: stop, think, verify before responding to any unexpected call, text, or email. Staff describe cases where an older adult lost nearly a lifetime of savings before family stepped in to help monitor the accounts, and use real examples to teach a short list of universal red flags: pressure to act immediately, a supposed relative in an emergency, a government agency demanding payment, a prize that requires a fee, requests for sensitive information, or threats of legal trouble. Their core message: a bank will never tell you to buy gift cards, and the IRS will never ask you to buy Apple gift cards to settle a debt. Other safeguards recommended include freezing your credit, setting up account alerts, and avoiding links or phone numbers you did not look up yourself.
Read at National Council on Aging →AI is making elder fraud harder to spot, and their adult children are picking up the pieces
USA Today and Moneywise report that AI is helping scammers research victims, write convincing scripts, and even generate deepfake voices, images, and video, making elder fraud more convincing and harder to catch than ever. Some scammers now scour published obituaries for identifying details, a spouse's name, employer, and hometown, to target grieving widows and widowers while they are most vulnerable. In one case described, a grieving widow lost more than $7,000 after callers claimed they had worked with her late husband to hide tax issues and that she had to pay to protect what was left of her inheritance. More adult children, many already stretched thin caring for both kids and aging parents, are becoming go-between liaisons for their parents' accounts: locking down bank access, redirecting mail, and asking doctors not to hand paper records to caregivers. Shame keeps many victims quiet, experts say, which only deepens the losses. The FBI logged more than 200,000 fraud complaints from people 60 and older in 2025, totaling $7.7 billion in losses, an average of about $38,500 per case, numbers experts believe are still an undercount. The advice for families: talk openly with aging parents about current scams before a crisis, not after, watch for unusual attention right after a loved one's obituary is published, and if a loss does happen, save screenshots and documentation right away and report it.
Read at USA Today →IV. Learn More: District of Columbia Scam Prevention Guides
Explore District of Columbia-specific guides on the most common scams targeting seniors in your state:
- Tech Support Scams in District of Columbia — Learn to recognize fake pop-ups, phone calls, and remote access schemes.
- Investment Scams in District of Columbia — Protect your retirement savings from fraudulent advisors and crypto scams.
- Romance Scams in District of Columbia — Spot the warning signs of fake online relationships designed to steal money.
- Government Impersonation Scams in District of Columbia — Know what real government agencies will never ask you to do.
- How to Report Scams in District of Columbia — 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 District of Columbia compares. Curious where District of Columbia 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.