Elder fraud
Americans Over 60 Lost $7.75 Billion to Online Scams in One Year — 59% More Than the Year Before
Older adults are the most heavily targeted group in the FBI's latest data, and the losses are growing at a frightening pace.
No age group lost more money to online crime last year than Americans aged 60 and over. They filed 201,266 complaints with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2025 and reported losses of $7.75 billion — up 59% from 2024.
The scams doing the most damage
$3.52 billion: investment fraud, much of it involving crypto and fake trading platforms.
$1.04 billion: tech and customer support scams.
$584 million: confidence and romance scams.
$540 million: recovery scams, which target people who have already been defrauded.
Cryptocurrency runs through much of it. Seniors filed 42,271 complaints involving crypto, with $4.35 billion in losses — roughly 40% of all crypto scam losses reported to the FBI last year.
A new tool for scammers
The FBI received more than 3,100 complaints from seniors that referenced artificial intelligence, with losses above $352 million. Older victims also reported more than $5 million lost to "distress" scams, in which a caller pretends a loved one is in trouble.
Why older adults?
Retirees often have savings, home equity and good credit, and many are less familiar with how crypto and fake trading apps work. Scammers also count on shame: many victims never tell their families, which is why reported losses are only part of the picture.
How to protect a parent or grandparent
- Talk about these scams openly and without judgment, so they'll call you before sending money.
- Agree on one rule: never send crypto, gift cards or cash to someone met only online or by phone.
- Help them file at ic3.gov if anything happens, whatever the amount.