Senior Online Scam Alerts – January 2026
Recent senior-scam news from January 2026: 60 stories from across the United States, tagged by state, scam type, story kind, and AI. Click a tag to open the related page on this site, or use the filters below.
Elderly Athens woman loses $10,000 to phone scam
A 77-year-old Georgia woman wired $10,000 after callers posing as Apple Pay and a federal officer warned of fake account activity.
'Conned out of their money': Ajax senior raises alarm on snow shovelling scam
An Ajax senior lost nearly $300 to a man who took cash to clear snow all season but barely showed up.
Arizona woman scammed out of $1.5 million
An Arizona woman lost $1.5 million after a search to fix her TV's closed captioning led to fake tech-support criminals.
Pennsylvania AG informs seniors of identity theft and 'sophisticated' scams
Pennsylvania's attorney general marked Identity Theft Awareness Week with tips to help older adults guard their information.
Pennsylvania attorney general discusses senior scam protection
Pennsylvania's attorney general shares advice to help older adults recognize and avoid common scams.
Florida CEO says fraudsters stole her logo, customers and their cash in a case of 'elder abuse'
Impersonators copied a Florida mobile-home brokerage's brand to take deposits from buyers, many of them older adults.
Senior citizens are getting help navigating technology and learning how to avoid scams
Lincoln seniors get free one-on-one tech help and scam-avoidance coaching from local students.
Texas seniors among most targeted in US by financial scammers, FBI data shows
Texas seniors filed over 62,000 fraud complaints and lost more than $1.35 billion, ranking second nationally, FBI data shows.
Orillia senior feels targeted in roofing scam by door-to-door crew
An Orillia senior says a door-to-door crew posing as arborists pressured her into costly, unneeded roof work.
Scammers target seniors, but Florida has a program for that
Florida offers a program to help older adults targeted by scammers protect themselves and report fraud.
'Sophisticated' scam dupes Cambridge senior for over $10K
A Cambridge senior lost more than $10,000 to a sophisticated scam, police say.
Preventing Fraud & Scams free online presentation Feb. 11
A free February online presentation will teach residents how to prevent fraud and scams.
BBB releases guide for seniors
A new consumer guide, 'Aging With Trust,' offers older adults and families tools to spot scams and misleading offers.
Police alert public to resurfaced fraud scheme targeting seniors
Victoria police warn of bank-imposter callers telling seniors to hand bank cards to a rideshare driver for pickup.
'Grandpa I'm in jail': New surge in grandparent scams hits Ontario
Ontario police warn of a surge in grandparent scams, including AI-cloned voices faking a grandchild in jail.
Senior scam seminar on slate in Stafford Township
Stafford Township police will host a February scam-awareness seminar for residents 60 and older.
Presentation on elder fraud at Hope Library
A local library will host a presentation to help older adults and families recognize and avoid elder fraud.
New Minnesota law bolsters legal options when older adults are scammed
A new Minnesota law lets older adults more easily seek protection orders when they are scammed or financially exploited.
Valentine's Day reminder: Illinois seniors urged to watch for 'sweetheart' scams
Officials remind Illinois seniors to watch for romance scams as Valentine's Day approaches.
BBB: Grandparents, seniors targeted by scammers with AI
Consumer watchdog warns that scammers now use AI voice cloning to make fake grandchild emergency calls sound real.
How Canadian seniors can stay ahead of cyber scams
A Toronto retiree, 87, nearly lost $3,000 to a fake bank investigator and now shares how she spotted the trick.
Cambridge senior warns of 'sophisticated' scam after being duped for over $10K
A Cambridge senior shares a warning after losing more than $10,000 to a sophisticated scam.
BC senior with months to live lost $1,500 when trying to buy van
A dying 74-year-old hoping for a final trip with his grandson lost $1,500 buying a used camper van.
$788,000 lost in Palos Hills in second high-value south suburbs scam in recent months
An older Palos Hills resident lost $788,000 in a phone scam using Bitcoin, cashier's checks and gold.
'If you don't recognize the number, don't answer': new elder service officer plans to protect the vulnerable
A new elder service officer in Quincy will help protect older residents from scams and exploitation.
Opt-Inspire works to make privacy practical, sustainable for seniors
A digital education nonprofit teaches older adults to protect their privacy and avoid predatory online behavior.
Scams targeting seniors are becoming an 'epidemic,' Bradenton police say
Bradenton police warn that scams targeting older adults are surging and urge residents to stay alert.
He accepted a fake job offer. Police believe it roped him into a grandparent scam
A fake job offer turned a job seeker into a courier collecting cash from seniors in a grandparent scam.
Made in China, Paid by Seniors: Stopping the Surge of International Scams
A policy analysis examines how overseas scam networks target American seniors and how to stop the surge.
The 'Elder Fraud' Freeze: Why Banks Are Now Legally Allowed to Hold Your Senior Transfer for 14 Business Days
New rules let banks pause suspicious transfers from older customers for up to 14 days to stop fraud.
Protecting seniors from cyberfraud
Two University of Calgary graduate students won a national award for research on shielding older adults from online scams.
Police recover money stolen from elderly Pleasant Hill resident in $350,000 crypto scam
Police recovered much of the $350,000 a 70-year-old woman lost in a crypto investment scam years ago.
OPP issue new warning about grandparent scam in Ottawa Valley
Police warn the grandparent scam has resurfaced, with callers posing as relatives in trouble to get cash.
New video series aims to educate rainbow seniors about romance scams while online dating
A nonprofit launched a video series teaching older LGBTQ adults to spot romance scams on dating apps.
Retired lawyer, 87, lost $85,000 after calling a tech support number he found online
A retired lawyer, 87, lost $85,000 after a number he found online connected him to a fake tech-support fraudster.
Michigan attorney general alerts consumers of scam impersonating county sheriff's office
Michigan's attorney general warns of callers posing as the county sheriff's office to pressure residents into paying.
Fraud epidemic: costly scams soaring and targeting seniors, FBI and Secret Service warn
Federal agencies warn that costly scams aimed at older adults are soaring and urge families to stay alert.
Yonkers Police Department educates seniors on how to avoid financial scams
Yonkers detectives are giving scam-prevention talks at senior centers to help older adults spot and report fraud.
An 82-year-old couple believed they were helping a federal investigation. It was a $1.3 million scam.
A couple, 82, lost $1.3 million after scammers posing as a federal agency had them move savings to Bitcoin and gold.
A new safety booklet reaches elders with safety lessons
Volunteers in Seattle are delivering a bilingual safety booklet to help older residents recognize and avoid scams.
Store manager saved a P.E.I. senior from a scam, and is warning others to beware
A store manager stepped in to stop an older customer from being scammed, and is urging others to stay alert.
Two San Diego high school brothers help seniors avoid online scams
Two teen brothers visit senior centers to teach older adults how to spot scam texts and phishing attempts.
Guelph senior loses $800K to scammers pretending to be bank representatives
An Ontario woman in her 70s lost about $800,000 after a computer pop-up led her to callers posing as her bank.
Connecticut woman caught in online dating scam loses nearly $1 million
A Connecticut woman shares how she lost nearly $1 million to a man she met through an online dating site.
Pennsylvania scams rise as AI enhances fraud tactics
Reported scams in Pennsylvania jumped to 4,000 last year, with losses rising sharply as AI sharpens fraud tactics.
FTC report shows how elder fraud is expanding
A federal report finds losses among older adults are climbing, driven by big-dollar scams of $100,000 or more.
Connecticut launches campaign to curb online exploitation of seniors
Connecticut's attorney general is airing public service announcements for 16 weeks to help older adults avoid online scams.
Elderly woman loses life savings in financial exploitation scheme: Palos Hills police
An Illinois woman lost more than $788,000 after callers convinced her to move savings into Bitcoin, cashier's checks and gold.
Shelton police warn of increase in 'gold bar' scams targeting seniors
Connecticut police warn of rising 'gold bar' scams that convince seniors to hand over savings as gold.
Experts warn: Romance scam season peaks in January for lonely seniors
Experts warn January is peak season for romance scams as more lonely seniors turn to dating apps.
Fraud Awareness Summit Set to Help Seniors Spot Scams Before It's Too Late
An Alabama agency hosts a free fraud summit to help seniors and caregivers recognize and avoid scams.
Police say scammers are targeting seniors in new gold-related scheme
Florida police warn seniors about a scheme tricking them into converting savings into gold for pickup.
This common 401(k) scam is hitting retirees hard: here's how to spot it
A retirement scam targeting 401(k) savings is hitting retirees hard, with tips on how to spot it.
Two Friendswood seniors scammed for more than $530,000
Texas police warn seniors after two victims converted their savings to gold and lost over $530,000.
My 80-year-old mom is convinced she's dating a celebrity, and scammers took $50K
A family describes how romance scammers posing as a celebrity took $50,000 from an 80-year-old woman.
Scammers Cost Seniors Nearly $5B Last Year
New figures show scammers stole nearly $5 billion from older adults over the past year.
Women's shelter warns of scams after woman allegedly loses thousands
A Michigan shelter warns of senior scams after a 73-year-old woman lost thousands to a fake financial helper.
Pause, Question, Protect: County launches anti-scam initiative
Fairfax County, Virginia launches an anti-scam program to help residents, including seniors, spot online fraud.
WV officials warn of new cybersecurity threat
West Virginia officials warn that fake government websites are being used to steal logins, with seniors at high risk.