Senior Scam Prevention and Fraud Resources in Delaware
Delaware seniors reported $16 million in elder fraud losses to the FBI in 2025, with 796 victims aged 60 and older. This page provides Delaware-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: Delaware’s Senior Population and Key Cities
As of 2024, Delaware has a population of approximately 1.02 million, with over 210,000 residents aged 65 and older , making up more than 20% of the total population. Delaware’s senior population is growing faster than the national average, with many retirees settling in coastal and suburban areas.
Older adults in Delaware face disproportionate risk — the state has the #5 highest per-capita victim rate in the nation. In 2025, losses reached $16 million. Investment scams led at $7.2 million (+86%), and government impersonation surged 471% to $1.1 million. Lottery/sweepstakes dropped 81%.
The three largest cities where elder scam reports are most common are:
- Wilmington (approx. 70,000 people)
- Dover (approx. 40,000 people)
- Newark (approx. 31,000 people)
II. 2025 Victim Report: How Scammers Targeted Delaware’s Seniors
In 2025, Delaware had 796 victims aged 60+ who reported losses totaling $16,189,240 — up 55% in victims and 32% in losses compared to 2024 (514 victims / $12M).
Loss by Crime Type
| Crime Type | 2025 Loss | 2024 Loss | Change |
| Investment | $7,174,698 | $3,852,275 | +86% |
| Tech Support | $2,924,979 | $2,540,564 | +15% |
| Romance | $1,686,893 | $967,449 | +74% |
| Lottery/Sweepstakes | $64,075 | $344,368 | -81% |
| Extortion | $3,628 | $63,440 | -94% |
| Government Impersonation | $1,070,568 | $187,370 | +471% |
Elder Fraud Loss Trajectory — Delaware
5-Year Elder Fraud Trend — Delaware (2021—2025)
| Year | Victims (60+) | Total Loss | YoY Change | Nat’l Rank |
| 2021 | 344 | $5,769,966 | — | #37 |
| 2022 | 305 | $14,023,134 | +143% | #38 |
| 2023 | 313 | $15,363,401 | +10% | #35 |
| 2024 | 514 | $12,293,619 | -20% | #44 |
| 2025 | 796 | $16,189,240 | +32% | #46 |
| 5-Year Total | 2,272 | $63,639,360 | +181% (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 Delaware Seniors (2025 vs. 5-Year)
| Crime Type | 2025 Victims | 2025 Loss | 5-Year Total | Growth (2021—25) |
| Investment | 36 | $7,174,698 | $15,252,934 | +820% |
| Tech Support | 114 | $2,924,979 | $10,572,603 | +715% |
| Romance | 41 | $1,686,893 | $7,228,581 | -7% |
| Gov. Impersonation | 34 | $1,070,568 | $9,028,671 | +3,865% |
| Personal Data Breach | 64 | $1,060,952 | $5,302,211 | +109% |
| BEC | 18 | $280,541 | $8,124,185 | -73% |
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: Delaware’s elder fraud losses reached $16 million in 2025, with 796 seniors victimized. Investment scams grew 86% to $7.2 million. Government impersonation surged 471% from $187K to $1.1 million — one of the steepest increases in this category nationally. Romance scams rose 74% and tech support 15%. Lottery/sweepstakes dropped 81%. Statewide, that comes to roughly one senior victim for every 1,322 Delaware residents.
National context: Delaware ranks #5 in per-capita victim rate (75.67 per 100,000), despite ranking only #46 in total losses. This means an individual Delaware senior is more likely to be targeted than those in California, Texas, Florida, or New York. Delaware’s small geography and concentrated senior population may make it easier for scammers to target multiple victims through the same channels.
For the full national picture, including how Delaware 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. Wilmington Police Department – Investigative Services Division
- Phone: (302) 654-5151 (non-emergency)
- Website: wilmingtonde.gov
- Handles financial crimes and elder fraud complaints.
2. Dover Police Department – Criminal Investigations
- Phone: (302) 736-7111 (non-emergency)
- Website: doverpolice.org
- Contact for scam reports, identity theft, and abuse of older adults.
3. Newark Police Department – General Inquiries
- Phone: (302) 366-7111 (non-emergency)
- Website: newarkde.gov
- Responds to consumer fraud, tech scams, and elder exploitation reports.
FBI and Federal Scam Reporting
FBI Baltimore Field Office (covers Delaware)
- Phone: (410) 265-8080
- Website: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/baltimore
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
- Website: www.ic3.gov
- Use to report online scams, phishing, tech support hoaxes, and financial fraud.
Delaware Attorney General – Elder Fraud and Consumer Protection
Delaware Department of Justice – Senior Protection Initiative
- Consumer Protection Hotline: (800) 220-5424
- Website: attorneygeneral.delaware.gov
- Investigates scams, abuse, and financial exploitation targeting seniors. Offers complaint forms and guidance.
Statewide Elder Services and Medicare Fraud Support
Delaware Adult Protective Services (APS)
- APS Reporting Line: (800) 223-9074
- Website: dhss.delaware.gov
- Investigates elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including financial fraud.
Delaware Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)
- Phone: (800) 223-9074
- Website: smpresource.org (search “Delaware SMP”)
- Helps seniors identify and report Medicare fraud, billing errors, and identity misuse.
Delaware Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD)
- Main Line: (800) 223-9074
- Website: dhss.delaware.gov
- Provides elder rights advocacy, fraud prevention education, caregiver support, and legal aid.
Protect Yourself and Loved Ones
- Delaware seniors lose millions of dollars each year to preventable scams.
- Reporting early helps protect not just yourself, but your entire community.
- Visit our Education Center to explore common fraud types, learn how to respond, and report scams safely.
- If something seems suspicious, don’t engage. Stop. Ask. Report.
Recent Delaware scam news
Recent news coverage of scams affecting Delaware seniors, updated from our alerts desk. Each item links to the original outlet; victims and defendants are kept anonymous.
A columnist's close call: his mother nearly fell for a fake Microsoft pop-up scam
A longtime syndicated columnist writes that he arrived at his 89-year-old mother's home just in time: her computer screen had locked with a fake warning claiming she had been hacked and telling her to call "Microsoft," and she was already on the phone with a fake technician who had talked her into downloading remote-access software. He disconnected the computer before the software could activate, heading off a scam that, left unchecked, often escalates further: once scammers can see a victim's files and accounts, they frequently follow up posing as a bank fraud investigator and coach the target to wire money, buy cryptocurrency, or read out gift card codes. He notes that AI tools are now making these calls and messages even more convincing. The safe move for any sudden "your computer is infected" pop-up: slow down, do not call the number on the screen, never install remote-access software for someone who contacted you first, and simply restart or shut down the computer instead.
Read at Southeast Missourian →What banks can actually do to freeze a suspicious transfer from a senior's account
A common claim that banks now have a blanket legal right to freeze any senior's bank transfer for 14 business days is misleading; no such universal rule exists. What does exist is more limited and specific. FINRA Rule 2165 lets brokerage firms, not regular banks, place a temporary hold of 15 to 25 business days, with a possible 30-business-day extension, on a transaction when they reasonably believe a customer age 65 or older is being financially exploited, including through romance scams or fraudulent investment pitches. Separately, newer rules around ACH transfers let financial institutions use risk-based monitoring, flagging unusual transaction amounts, suspicious patterns, or activity that doesn't match a customer's normal history, and various state laws give banks legal protection for acting in good faith when they pause a suspicious transfer. None of this requires a bank to use AI or to automatically block transfers over a certain amount; it depends on the institution and the specific red flags involved. The practical takeaway for families: ask your parent's bank or brokerage directly what exploitation-related hold policies and trusted-contact options it already has in place, rather than assuming a single universal rule protects every account.
Read at Saving Advice →AI is making scams 'indistinguishable' from real banking sites, experts warn
Technology experts say AI has made scams targeting older adults qualitatively harder to detect, with fake banking sites and deepfake videos generated from photos pulled off social media now looking nearly identical to the real thing. A recent survey found that only 7 percent of older adults feel confident protecting their personal information online, and 70 percent said they lack confidence about what happens when they share information with AI chatbots. Experts recommend treating any sensitive financial or health information you type into an AI chatbot like cash: assume it could be exposed. Red flags to watch for include messages that create urgency, such as being told to send money to your bank account within the hour, since that pressure is designed to short-circuit careful thinking. Other recommended defenses: use strong, unique passwords and a password manager, turn on multifactor authentication wherever it's offered, and slow down, verify independently, and think twice before clicking a link or acting on an urgent message.
Read at WZMQ 19 →BBB warns of fall home-repair scams that specifically target older homeowners
The Better Business Bureau says fall is a prime season for home-improvement scams, as door-to-door crews offer fake or unnecessary roof, chimney, gutter, and furnace repairs while the weather turns cooler. Home-improvement scams rank among the riskiest categories tracked by the BBB, with a median reported loss of $1,405. Scammers often show up unannounced, claim to have leftover material from a nearby job, quote an unbelievably low price, accept only cash or check, and push to start work immediately. Older homeowners are a particular target for gutter-cleaning scams, since scammers count on them being less able to check the work themselves, and for fake "free energy audit" offers that claim utility-company affiliation before pushing costly, unnecessary upgrades. The BBB's advice: never hire someone who simply shows up at your door, verify any contractor through BBB.org or similar resources before letting them inspect or work on your home, get everything in writing, and never pay the full amount upfront.
Read at Better Business Bureau (via Quad-City Times) →Fake 'concealed carry permit' ads on Facebook and Instagram are targeting seniors and veterans
Researchers have identified more than 20 advertiser pages that together spent over $3.1 million running scam ads for a nonexistent "national concealed carry permit" on Facebook and Instagram. The ads disproportionately target older adults and veterans, using appeals to patriotism and service alongside fear about crime, home invasion, and geopolitical tension to drive clicks. Some of the ads use AI-generated images and cloned audio to impersonate law enforcement officers, celebrities, or elected officials to appear more credible. At least 10 of the identified pages appear to be operating together as a single coordinated network. These ads violate the platforms' own policies against scams, deceptive business practices, and coordinated inauthentic behavior. The advice: there is no such thing as a "national concealed carry permit" you can buy online, so treat any ad claiming otherwise as a scam, and never click through or provide payment or personal information in response to one. If you see an ad like this, report it to the platform and avoid engaging with it.
Read at Institute for Strategic Dialogue →A family 'safe word' can help expose an AI voice-cloning scam
Cybersecurity experts and law enforcement recommend that families agree on a private safe word or phrase to help verify identity if a call sounds like a relative in an emergency. AI tools can now clone a voice convincingly from just a few seconds of audio, often pulled from something a person posted publicly online, then use that cloned voice to deliver an urgent, emotional plea for money. A cloned voice cannot answer with a phrase it was never trained on, so agreeing on a genuinely unguessable safe word or phrase in advance, never mentioned online or in messages, gives you a fast way to tell a real emergency from a scam. Experts also recommend asking a specific personal question a real family member would know instantly but that has never appeared anywhere public, since a scripted AI clone will hesitate or answer wrong. Either way, the safest response to an urgent, tearful call is still to hang up and call that person back directly on a number you already have, not the number that called you, before sending any money.
Read at CBS News →IV. Learn More: Delaware Scam Prevention Guides
Explore Delaware-specific guides on the most common scams targeting seniors in your state:
- Tech Support Scams in Delaware — Learn to recognize fake pop-ups, phone calls, and remote access schemes.
- Investment Scams in Delaware — Protect your retirement savings from fraudulent advisors and crypto scams.
- Romance Scams in Delaware — Spot the warning signs of fake online relationships designed to steal money.
- Government Impersonation Scams in Delaware — Know what real government agencies will never ask you to do.
- How to Report Scams in Delaware — 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 Delaware compares. Curious where Delaware 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.