Each year, millions of elderly people are the target of different cybercrimes including online blackmail and financial fraud. In 2023, those 60 and over in the United States alone lost upwards of $3.4 billion to online investment scams, a figure that more than tripled since 2020 (1). These numbers continue to rise each year and disproportionately target elderly individuals.
With a staggering number of losses being twice the amount of the next age group (2), those 60 and above are highly sought after by these criminals. As such, it is important that those who fall in this age-range take precaution when using the internet. The rapid development of technology can feel overwhelming, but there are steps you can take to be safer online and senior scams.
The Top Three Cyber Scams Targeting Seniors
There are numerous scams that are employed to try to extract money from unknowing elderly victims. However, there are three main scams targeting seniors that you should be on the lookout for, those being sextortion, romance scams, and fraud support. While other tactics exist, these three categories make up the vast majority of reported senior scams.
Fraud Support
This is the classic scam that comes to mind when thinking of cybercrimes, but that doesn’t make it any less prominent. With investment scams accounting for $1.2 billion lost by people 60 and over to cybercrime in 2023 (3), these and other elder fraud schemes make up the majority of losses tied to senior scams.
Fraud support involves a cybercriminal impersonating a trusted entity, such as a health care provider or tech support, and attempting to extract payment or personal information that would grant them access to the victim’s finances. They can then use this data to enable further extortion. This ability to potentially gain direct access to the victim’s money makes these elder fraud tactics some of the most prevalent senior scams.
Sextortion
Sextortion is a cybercrime in which an individual’s intimate photos are used as a means of extortion. It has been on the rise across all age groups, but senior sextortion scams can be more prevalent due to these targets being less technologically savvy. In particular, elderly men seem to be a prime target for online sextortion as Digital Forensics Corp. has seen a rising number in reported cases from this demographic.
Men across all age ranges appear to be inordinately targeted in these schemes, with seven out of ten reported cases of sextortion in Australia targeting men (5). Many organizations tie this rise to the steep increase in male social isolation in recent years and a higher inclination for men to accept potential suitors online. These factors are only amplified with age as desperation to find a connection becomes immense, leading to high numbers of reported senior sextortion scams.
Romance Scams
Much like sextortion, romance scams prey on a victim’s desire to build a romantic relationship. Rather than utilizing explicit photos to hold the victim ransom, these scams ask the victim for money for purposes such as medical expenses or to build a future home. As single seniors feel an imminent need to find a partner, they are a prime target for romance scams. Specifically, there has been an influx of romance scams targeting older women.
There have been numerous reports of romance scams that have hit the mainstream news since the start of the new year alone. Most people on social media have now heard about the 53-year-old French woman who sent $855,000 to a scammer she believed to be Brad Pitt (6). In another case, a 57-year-old woman from Illinois sent nearly $2 million over the course of roughly two years to a team of West African scammers posing as an online romantic partner named “Frank Borg” (7).
How Can We Stop This?
The best way to stop these senior scams is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Spreading awareness of the tactics used by scammers targeting the elderly and advising on safety measures that can be taken online can help those most at risk avoid these situations. However, if you have fallen victim to one of these schemes, there are steps you can take to mitigate damage and prevent future attacks.
Report To Law Enforcement.
Be sure to reference the FBI Cybercrimes and the FTC in this.
If you are the victim of a senior scam, the first thing you should do is file a police report. Collect the necessary evidence of the crime and report it as soon as possible. Local police may be able to help if the scammer is in your area, or they can help point you in the direction of a federal agency if the perpetrator isn’t local.
- FBI – The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating cybercrimes. You can report an online attack to the Internet Crime Complaint Center here.
- FTC – The FTC provides free informational material and quizzes that can aid you in improving your understanding of these online threats. You can access them here.
Working with Cyber Security Experts.
If your harasser resides in a different country than you, it may be advisable to seek the aid of a Cyber Security Professional. These experts can track down the precise location of the cybercriminals and help you to collect the required evidence to take legal action. Additionally, they can help put you in contact with the appropriate law enforcement agency that will be able to bring these criminals to justice.
Can You Recover Lost Funds.
The ability to recover money sent to scammers is reliant on an abundance of factors. Of these are the means in which the victim was extorted, the method in which money was transferred, and the time between the transaction and the report being filed. For more information on recovering funds lost in a scam, click here.
Get Help Today.
Here at Digital Forensics. Corp., our team of experts is ready to help if you have fallen victim to a senior scam. Our use of proprietary techniques can uncover the identity and location of the person who is attacking you. We can help you gather proof of the crimes committed against you and aid in reporting them thanks to our connection to police precincts around the world.
Our help doesn’t end there. We keep a database of the criminals we catch to help prevent them from reoffending. Additionally, after responding to the breech of your data, we can help you to prevent future attacks by providing ongoing monitoring.
If you believe you or someone you know is a victim of a senior scam, don’t wait any longer. Reach out for a consultation and begin getting the help you need today by contacting our Sextortion Helpline or our Blackmail Helpline.
Sources:
- 2023_IC3ElderFraudReport.pdf
- U.S. cybercrime victims financial losses by age 2023 | Statista
- U.S. cybercrime financial losses of elderly by type 2023 | Statista
- The Relationship between Sextortion during COVID-19 and Pre-pandemic Intimate Partner Violence: A La
- Growing number of young men in Australia targeted for ‘sextortion’ | Reuters
- Mockery of woman conned out of $855K by AI-generated Brad Pitt leads TV channel to pull interview
- Romance scam “money mules” sentenced in case that ended with Illinois woman’s death – CBS News
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY SUBJECT MATTER. DIGITAL FORENSICS CORP. IS NOT A LAWFIRM AND DOES NOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE OR SERVICES. By viewing posts, the reader understands there is no attorney-client relationship, the post should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney, and readers are urged to consult their own legal counsel on any specific legal questions concerning a specific situation.
The information presented in this article is based on sources that are not readily available to the public and may be subject to restrictions or confidentiality. It is intended for informational purposes only.
