Senior Scam Prevention & Fraud Resources in Louisiana
Louisiana seniors reported $36 million in elder fraud losses to the FBI in 2025, with 1,906 victims aged 60 and older. This page provides Louisiana-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: Louisiana’s Senior Population & Key Cities
As of 2024, Louisiana has an estimated population of approximately 4.6 million, with over 750,000 residents aged 65 and older, making up about 16.4% of the total population. Louisiana’s seniors are increasingly targeted by fraudsters through scams involving Medicare, imposter calls, sweepstakes, phishing emails, and tech support hoaxes.
Elder-targeted fraud is especially prevalent in the state’s largest cities, including:
- New Orleans (approx. 375,000 people)
- Baton Rouge (approx. 220,000 people)
- Shreveport (approx. 185,000 people)
Scammers continue to target Louisiana’s seniors, but the 2025 data shows a mixed picture. Total losses were $36 million. Two major categories fell: investment scams dropped 36% and government impersonation dropped 68%. Other categories rose sharply: tech support fraud doubled (+102%), romance scams surged 119%, and lottery/sweepstakes losses climbed 138%.
II. 2025 Victim Report: How Scammers Targeted Louisiana’s Seniors
In 2025, Louisiana had 1,906 victims aged 60+ who reported losses totaling $35,856,847 — up 39% in victims but down 4% in losses compared to 2024 (1,371 victims / $38M).
Loss by Crime Type
| Crime Type | 2025 Loss | 2024 Loss | Change |
| Investment | $13,353,766 | $20,842,485 | -36% |
| Tech Support | $8,291,885 | $4,106,472 | +102% |
| Romance | $4,608,623 | $2,107,809 | +119% |
| Lottery/Sweepstakes | $465,688 | $195,923 | +138% |
| Extortion | $136,510 | $66,491 | +105% |
| Government Impersonation | $363,341 | $1,122,021 | -68% |
Elder Fraud Loss Trajectory — Louisiana
5-Year Elder Fraud Trend — Louisiana (2021—2025)
| Year | Victims (60+) | Total Loss | YoY Change | Nat’l Rank |
| 2021 | 730 | $17,153,418 | — | #22 |
| 2022 | 721 | $18,374,982 | +7% | #34 |
| 2023 | 737 | $31,037,438 | +69% | #27 |
| 2024 | 1,371 | $37,512,993 | +21% | #28 |
| 2025 | 1,906 | $35,856,847 | -4% | #37 |
| 5-Year Total | 5,465 | $139,935,678 | +109% (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 Louisiana Seniors (2025 vs. 5-Year)
| Crime Type | 2025 Victims | 2025 Loss | 5-Year Total | Growth (2021—25) |
| Investment | 127 | $13,353,766 | $51,485,034 | +719% |
| Tech Support | 244 | $8,291,885 | $21,988,925 | +685% |
| Romance | 146 | $4,608,623 | $18,999,149 | -44% |
| BEC | 43 | $3,108,888 | $14,746,074 | +25% |
| Personal Data Breach | 129 | $1,477,287 | $5,543,337 | +287% |
| Lottery/Sweepstakes | 50 | $465,688 | $1,461,755 | +267% |
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: Louisiana’s elder fraud losses totaled $36 million in 2025, with 1,906 seniors victimized. Two major crime categories decreased: investment scams fell 36% (from $21 million to $13 million) and government impersonation dropped 68%. Louisiana was one of only a few states where investment fraud actually shrank. Meanwhile, tech support fraud doubled (+102%) to $8.3 million, romance scams surged 119% to $4.6 million, and lottery/sweepstakes losses climbed 138%. Statewide, that comes to roughly one senior victim for every 2,412 Louisiana residents.
National context: Louisiana ranks #46 in per-capita victim rate (41.46 per 100,000), one of the lowest in the country. The decline in investment fraud is nearly unique nationally — most states saw this category surge. The two simultaneous declines suggest either effective local enforcement, shifting scammer focus to other states, or reporting changes. However, the tech support and romance surges show new threats are filling the gap.
For the full national picture, including how Louisiana compares to every other state, visit our national hub page with interactive data and rankings.
III. Emergency & Official Contacts
Local Police Departments – Financial Crimes & Elder Protection
1. New Orleans Police Department – Economic Crimes Division
- Phone: (504) 821-2222 (non-emergency)
- Website: www.nola.gov
- Ask for assistance with financial exploitation or elder fraud.
2. Baton Rouge Police Department – Criminal Investigations
- Phone: (225) 389-2000 (non-emergency)
- Website: www.brla.gov
- Request help with fraud, ID theft, or scams affecting older residents.
3. Shreveport Police Department – Fraud Unit
- Phone: (318) 673-7300 (non-emergency)
- Website: www.shreveportla.gov
- Report suspected scams, financial abuse, or digital fraud.
FBI & Federal Scam Reporting
FBI New Orleans Field Office
- Phone: (504) 816-3000
- Website: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/neworleans
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
- Website: www.ic3.gov
- File a report for phishing, romance fraud, identity theft, or online scams.
Louisiana Attorney General – Elder Fraud & Consumer Protection
Office of the Louisiana Attorney General – Consumer Protection Section
- Consumer Hotline: (800) 351-4889
- Website: www.ag.state.la.us
- Provides resources, complaint forms, scam alerts, and elder fraud prevention tools.
Statewide Elder Services & Medicare Fraud Resources
Louisiana Adult Protective Services (APS)
- Report elder abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation:
Hotline: (833) 577-6532 - Website: ldh.la.gov
- Oversees protection of vulnerable adults through investigations and services.
Louisiana Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)
- Phone: (877) 272-8720
- Website: goea.louisiana.gov
- Assists with identifying and reporting Medicare and health-related fraud.
Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs (GOEA)
- Info Line: (225) 342-7100
- Website: goea.louisiana.gov
- Coordinates senior services, legal aid, fraud education, and community outreach programs.
Don’t Stay Silent. Slow Down, Verify, Report.
- Louisiana seniors lose millions of dollars each year to scams, but your report can stop the next one.
- Share these verified contacts with family, caregivers, and community groups.
- Visit our Education Center for common scam examples, red flags, and reporting tips.
- If it sounds too good to be true, or too scary to ignore, take a breath, hang up, and call a trusted source.
Recent Louisiana scam news
Recent news coverage of scams affecting Louisiana seniors, updated from our alerts desk. Each item links to the original outlet; victims and defendants are kept anonymous.
Louisiana family warns others after fake 'bank fraud investigators' took $30,000
An 82-year-old Washington Parish, Louisiana man lost $30,000, about 40 percent of his life savings, after callers claiming to be fraud investigators from his bank told him they needed his help catching a bank employee involved in account fraud. They instructed him to withdraw the cash, told him it would be replaced with counterfeit bills while his real money was held safely in escrow, then directed him to leave the cash in his mailbox for pickup, which happened within minutes. His family is now warning others that caller ID is not proof of who is calling, since scammers can make a call look like it is coming from your real bank. Their advice: hang up on any unexpected call like this and call your bank back yourself, using the number on your card or statement, never a number the caller gives you.
Read at Bogalusa Daily News →Tips to help elders identify and avoid common financial scams
A cybersecurity expert explains why older adults are targeted online and how families can stay safe.
Read at KTAL News →Experts to lead holiday fraud panel as senior scams rise
Experts will hold a holiday fraud panel for older adults as scams targeting seniors climb during the season.
Read at The Advocate →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 →IV. Learn More: Louisiana Scam Prevention Guides
Explore Louisiana-specific guides on the most common scams targeting seniors in your state:
- Tech Support Scams in Louisiana — Learn to recognize fake pop-ups, phone calls, and remote access schemes.
- Investment Scams in Louisiana — Protect your retirement savings from fraudulent advisors and crypto scams.
- Romance Scams in Louisiana — Spot the warning signs of fake online relationships designed to steal money.
- Government Impersonation Scams in Louisiana — Know what real government agencies will never ask you to do.
- How to Report Scams in Louisiana — 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 Louisiana compares. Curious where Louisiana 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.