Senior Scam Prevention & Fraud Resources in Maryland
Maryland seniors reported $176 million in elder fraud losses to the FBI in 2025, with 4,573 victims aged 60 and older. This page provides Maryland-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: Maryland’s Senior Population & Key Cities
Maryland has an estimated population of 6.2 million as of 2024, with approximately 1.1 million residents aged 65 and older, making up about 17.7% of the state’s population. With its mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas, Maryland’s seniors face a variety of scams ranging from digital fraud and robocalls to government impersonation and health-related scams.
The state’s largest cities, with high concentrations of older adults and consistent reports of elder fraud, include:
- Baltimore (approx. 570,000 people)
- Columbia (approx. 105,000 people)
- Germantown (approx. 91,000 people)
These areas face an accelerating fraud crisis. In 2025, Maryland seniors lost $176 million — more than double the $80 million in 2024 (+120%). Tech support fraud nearly tripled to $37 million (+189%), and investment scams doubled to $84 million (+125%). Government impersonation surged 141%. Maryland’s government agencies have strong programs in place to support prevention and reporting — and they are needed now more than ever.
II. 2025 Victim Report: How Scammers Targeted Maryland’s Seniors
In 2025, Maryland had 4,573 victims aged 60+ who reported losses totaling $176,380,737 — up 42% in victims and 120% in losses compared to 2024 (3,232 victims / $80M).
Loss by Crime Type
| Crime Type | 2025 Loss | 2024 Loss | Change |
| Investment | $84,189,317 | $37,370,364 | +125% |
| Tech Support | $36,714,638 | $12,682,941 | +189% |
| Romance | $8,029,430 | $4,424,939 | +81% |
| Lottery/Sweepstakes | $1,855,066 | $243,692 | +661% |
| Extortion | $152,396 | $447,857 | -66% |
| Government Impersonation | $7,581,628 | $3,148,819 | +141% |
Elder Fraud Loss Trajectory — Maryland
5-Year Elder Fraud Trend — Maryland (2021—2025)
| Year | Victims (60+) | Total Loss | YoY Change | Nat’l Rank |
| 2021 | 1,807 | $30,295,574 | — | #14 |
| 2022 | 1,724 | $63,662,134 | +110% | #13 |
| 2023 | 1,985 | $72,384,277 | +14% | #13 |
| 2024 | 3,232 | $80,163,699 | +11% | #18 |
| 2025 | 4,573 | $176,380,737 | +120% | #12 |
| 5-Year Total | 13,321 | $422,886,421 | +482% (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 Maryland Seniors (2025 vs. 5-Year)
| Crime Type | 2025 Victims | 2025 Loss | 5-Year Total | Growth (2021—25) |
| Investment | 317 | $84,189,317 | $166,126,925 | +1,637% |
| Tech Support | 439 | $36,714,638 | $87,035,800 | +866% |
| BEC | 105 | $12,638,065 | $43,443,871 | +105% |
| Romance | 179 | $8,029,430 | $36,434,554 | -2% |
| Gov. Impersonation | 254 | $7,581,628 | $21,961,005 | +1,630% |
| Personal Data Breach | 232 | $7,162,976 | $16,374,787 | +215% |
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: Maryland’s elder fraud losses more than doubled in 2025 — from $80 million to $176 million (+120%), with 4,573 seniors victimized (+42%). The standout is tech support fraud, which nearly tripled to $37 million (+189%) — one of the largest tech support increases of any state. Investment scams doubled to $84 million (+125%), and government impersonation surged 141%. Extortion was a rare bright spot, decreasing 66%. Statewide, that comes to roughly one senior victim for every 1,370 Maryland residents.
National context: Maryland ranks #8 in per-capita victim rate (73.01 per 100,000), placing it among the most heavily targeted states per person. The 120% year-over-year loss increase is more than double the national average of 57%, making Maryland one of the fastest-growing states for elder fraud. Its proximity to Washington, D.C. and a relatively affluent senior population may make it an attractive target for high-value scams.
For the full national picture, including how Maryland compares to every other state, visit our national hub page with interactive data and rankings.
III. Emergency & Official Contacts
Local Police Departments – Elder Fraud & Financial Crimes
1. Baltimore Police Department – Financial & Cyber Crimes Unit
- Phone: (410) 396-2525 (non-emergency)
- Website: www.baltimorepolice.org
- Tip: Ask for Economic Crimes or Fraud Unit for elder-targeted scams.
2. Howard County Police Department (Columbia)
- Phone: (410) 313-2200 (non-emergency)
- Website: www.howardcountymd.gov/police
- Request connection to Financial Crimes or Community Outreach.
3. Montgomery County Police Department (Germantown)
- Phone: (301) 279-8000 (non-emergency)
- Website: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/pol
- Ask for financial fraud or elder abuse reporting channels.
FBI & Federal Reporting Tools
FBI Baltimore Field Office
- Phone: (410) 265-8080
- Website: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/baltimore
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
- Website: www.ic3.gov
- File reports of online scams, financial fraud, impersonation, or elder-targeted cybercrime.
Maryland Attorney General – Elder Fraud & Abuse
Maryland Attorney General’s Office – Consumer Protection Division
- Consumer Protection Hotline: (410) 528-8662
- Toll-Free Consumer Hotline: (888) 743-0023
- Website: www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov
- Provides investigation, complaint handling, and education on scams and elder abuse.
Statewide Elder Support & Medicare Fraud Resources
Maryland Adult Protective Services (APS)
- To report elder abuse, exploitation, or neglect:
Contact your local Department of Social Services, or - Statewide Info: dhs.maryland.gov/adult-services
Maryland Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)
- Phone: (800) 243-3425
- Website: aging.maryland.gov/programs-and-services/medicare-support/senior-medicare-patrol
- Helps seniors identify and report Medicare fraud, billing scams, and healthcare deception.
Maryland Department of Aging – Information & Assistance
- Senior Help Line: (844) 627-5465
- Website: aging.maryland.gov
- Connects older adults to support services, protection programs, and benefits counseling.
Stay Informed. Stay Safe.
- Maryland seniors are losing millions of dollars annually to online and phone scams, but you can help stop it.
- Save and share these official contacts with friends, caregivers, and loved ones.
- Visit our Education Center to learn how to detect scams early and respond with confidence.
- If something feels wrong, speak up. Reporting protects you and others.
Recent Maryland scam news
Recent news coverage of scams affecting Maryland seniors, updated from our alerts desk. Each item links to the original outlet; victims and defendants are kept anonymous.
Elder financial fraud is on the rise in Maryland; state leaders share prevention tactics
Maryland leaders warn that elder financial fraud is rising and share simple steps to help older adults stay safe.
Read at WYPR →Maryland Scam Alert: Police Warn of Spoofed Barrack Phone Number
Maryland State Police warn scammers are faking a police phone number to ask for money or personal details.
Read at The MoCo Show →Maryland seniors targeted by scammers; experts offer tips to protect finances
Maryland experts warn that scammers are increasingly targeting older adults and share steps to safeguard your money.
Read at MSN →The 'phantom hacker' scam: how a months-long con convinces victims to hand cash or gold to a courier
Federal prosecutors describe a growing 'phantom hacker' scheme in which a caller falsely claims a victim's bank or investment account has been compromised, then, days or weeks later, someone posing as a government official tells the victim their money needs to be moved to a 'safe' government account to protect it. After building trust over an extended period, the scammers convince victims to withdraw cash or buy gold and hand it to someone who arrives in person posing as a government agent, sometimes claiming to be a U.S. Attorney or other official. In one related Arizona case, a victim transferred more than $400,000 in assets before realizing it was a scam. No real government agency or bank will ever ask you to withdraw money, buy gold, or hand valuables to a courier to 'protect' them, so if you get a call like this, slow down, hang up, and verify by contacting the agency or bank directly using a number you look up yourself.
Read at U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona →House committee report calls for an 'all-of-ecosystem' approach to fighting scams, including elder fraud
A U.S. House Financial Services Committee report is calling for a coordinated national strategy against fraud and scams, arguing that stopping them requires cooperation across banks, technology platforms, telecommunications carriers, and law enforcement, not just the moment a payment happens. The report cites FTC data showing more than 3 million fraud reports and $15.9 billion in reported losses in 2025, and specifically flags elder exploitation among the scam types it wants better addressed alongside impostor schemes, phishing, and crypto fraud. It recommends stronger consumer education, deliberate friction to slow suspicious transactions, more cross-industry data sharing, and wider use of AI-powered fraud-detection tools, and it launched a new public resource site explaining common scam red flags in plain language. The American Bankers Association welcomed the report's call for a coordinated approach that brings platforms, carriers, and financial institutions into the effort together.
Read at JD Supra →Senate Aging Committee presses nine major AI companies for safeguards protecting older users
The Senate Special Committee on Aging sent letters to nine major AI companies asking what safeguards their AI chatbot 'companion' products have for older adults, people with disabilities, and people in crisis, including how the products are tested, how harms are tracked, and whether independent researchers can access data to study the effects on older users. Companies have until August 31, 2026 to respond. The letters follow a bipartisan committee hearing, held by the committee's Republican chairman together with its Democratic ranking member and another Democratic senator, examining how AI has been used in scams against seniors; at that hearing the committee released a new report citing the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center for almost $21 billion in cybercrime losses in 2025, with $893 million tied to AI-enabled scams. The report's recommendations include a centralized federal scam-reporting portal that would automatically route complaints to the right agency, expanded law enforcement training and cryptocurrency-tracing tools, and new protections against unauthorized AI-generated voice and image replicas. The committee framed it directly: protecting older Americans from AI-enabled fraud and expanding their access to helpful AI tools 'are not competing priorities; they are two sides of the same obligation.'
Read at McKnight's Senior Living →IV. Learn More: Maryland Scam Prevention Guides
Explore Maryland-specific guides on the most common scams targeting seniors in your state:
- Tech Support Scams in Maryland — Learn to recognize fake pop-ups, phone calls, and remote access schemes.
- Investment Scams in Maryland — Protect your retirement savings from fraudulent advisors and crypto scams.
- Romance Scams in Maryland — Spot the warning signs of fake online relationships designed to steal money.
- Government Impersonation Scams in Maryland — Know what real government agencies will never ask you to do.
- How to Report Scams in Maryland — 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 Maryland compares. Curious where Maryland 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.