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 →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 →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.