Senior Scam Prevention & Fraud Resources in Tennessee

Tennessee seniors reported $108 million in elder fraud losses to the FBI in 2025, with 3,525 victims aged 60 and older. This page provides Tennessee-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: Tennessee’s Senior Population & Key Cities

State of Tennessee

Tennessee has a population of approximately 7.1 million as of 2024, with over 1.3 million residents aged 65 and older — making up about 18.3% of the total population. Seniors in Tennessee are increasingly targeted by a wide range of fraud schemes, including phishing, tech support scams, government impersonation, and health-related fraud.

The top three cities in Tennessee — each with large senior populations and elevated reports of fraud — are:

  • Nashville (approx. 720,000 people)
  • Memphis (approx. 620,000 people)
  • Knoxville (approx. 195,000 people)

Scams in these cities are escalating rapidly. In 2025, Tennessee seniors lost $108 million to fraud (+75%). Investment scams tripled to $52 million (+202%), and lottery/sweepstakes more than doubled (+114%). In a rare bright spot, government impersonation dropped 73% — one of the steepest declines in the country. State and federal agencies provide resources to help older Tennesseans stay protected.

II. 2025 Victim Report: How Scammers Targeted Tennessee’s Seniors

In 2025, Tennessee had 3,525 victims aged 60+ who reported losses totaling $108,305,976 — up 39% in victims and 75% in losses compared to 2024 (2,543 victims / $62M).

Loss by Crime Type

Crime Type2025 Loss2024 LossChange
Investment$51,651,454$17,127,985+202%
Tech Support$11,739,936$8,070,194+45%
Romance$12,137,627$10,992,966+10%
Lottery/Sweepstakes$5,658,269$2,242,241+152%
Extortion$267,644$129,225+107%
Government Impersonation$2,119,696$7,733,586-73%

III. Emergency & Official Contacts

Local Police Departments – Elder Fraud & Financial Crimes

1. Metro Nashville Police Department – Fraud Unit

  • Phone: (615) 862-8600 (non-emergency)
  • Website: www.nashville.gov
  • Tip: Ask for Economic or Financial Crimes Division when reporting elder fraud.

2. Memphis Police Department – Economic Crimes Bureau

  • Phone: (901) 545-2677 (non-emergency)
  • Website: www.memphispolice.org
  • Report financial scams or elder exploitation to fraud investigators.

3. Knoxville Police Department – Investigations Division

  • Phone: (865) 215-7000 (non-emergency)
  • Website: www.knoxvilletn.gov
  • Request to file a report for elder scams or suspicious financial activity.

 FBI & Federal Scam Reporting

FBI Memphis Field Office (covers all of Tennessee)

  • Phone: (901) 747-4300
  • Website: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/nashville

Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

  • Website: www.ic3.gov
  • File complaints related to online scams, phishing, identity theft, and tech support fraud.

 Tennessee Attorney General – Elder Protection & Fraud

Tennessee Attorney General – Consumer Affairs Division

  • Consumer Protection Hotline: (615) 741-4737
  • Toll-Free: (800) 342-8385
  • Website: www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral
  • Handles complaints related to scams, deceptive business practices, and elder fraud.

 Statewide Elder Assistance & Medicare Fraud Contacts

Tennessee Adult Protective Services (APS)

  • APS Referral Hotline: (888) 277-8366 (24/7)
  • Website: www.tn.gov/humanservices
  • Investigates reports of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of vulnerable adults.

Tennessee Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)

  • Phone: (866) 836-7677
  • Website: www.tnmedicarehelp.com
  • Educates and assists in detecting and reporting Medicare fraud and billing scams.

Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability (TCAD)

  • Aging Information Line: (866) 836-6678
  • Website: www.tn.gov/disability-and-aging.html
  • Connects seniors and caregivers to elder rights services, legal aid, and fraud prevention programs.

 Stay Alert. Speak Up. Protect Others.

  • Tennessee seniors report millions in annual losses from scams — but most frauds can be stopped early.
  • Save and share these contacts with your loved ones, faith groups, and senior centers.
  • Visit our Education Center to learn how scams work and what to do if you’re targeted.
  • When in doubt, report it. Your voice can stop the next scam.
Tennessee Seal

Recent scam cases in the news

We did not surface enough recent Tennessee-specific case coverage in our news monitoring to highlight individual cases here. Scams against seniors are not limited by state lines — the same playbooks run nationwide. For recent coverage and federal prosecutions across the US, see:

IV. Learn More: Tennessee Scam Prevention Guides

Explore Tennessee-specific guides on the most common scams targeting seniors in your state:

For national-level data on each scam type, see our Investment, Tech Support, Romance, and Government Impersonation national guides.

Learn more:

V. Share Your Story

Have you or a loved one experienced a scam, or stopped one just in time? Your story could help protect someone else.

Share Your Story

See how Tennessee compares. Curious where Tennessee 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.