AI Has Made Scams More Convincing. Here’s What Seniors and Their Families Need to Know

There was a time when a scam might have been easy to spot.

The email was full of spelling mistakes. The caller sounded suspicious. The message began with something like, “Dear Customer,” instead of using your name.

Those days are getting harder to rely on.

Artificial intelligence is giving scammers new tools to make their schemes more believable, more personal and much harder to recognize. And for families already juggling work, children, aging parents and everything in between, protecting an older loved one from fraud can feel like one more full-time job.

The good news? You don’t need to become a technology expert to make yourself—and your family—much harder to scam.

The Scam May Sound Completely Legitimate

One of the biggest problems with today’s scams is that they often begin with something that sounds reasonable.

You might receive a message that appears to be from your bank.

A phone call may appear to come from a government agency.

You might get a text saying there is a problem with your package, credit card or computer.

Or you could receive a phone call from someone claiming to be a grandchild who desperately needs help.

The goal is almost always the same: get you to act before you have time to think.

That urgency is intentional.

The Federal Trade Commission says older adults reported losing more than $3 billion to fraud in 2025. Imposter scams were particularly significant, with scammers pretending to represent trusted businesses or government agencies. (ftc.gov⁠)

And the losses aren’t necessarily small.

The FTC has reported a dramatic increase in older adults reporting losses of $10,000 or more to impersonation scams. Reports involving losses of more than $100,000 increased even more sharply. (ftc.gov⁠)

AI Changes the Game

Artificial intelligence can help scammers create convincing emails and text messages, imitate real businesses and generate realistic-looking images and documents.

Voice technology can make a phone call even more frightening.

Imagine receiving a call that sounds exactly like your grandchild:

“Grandma, I’m in trouble. I need you to send me money right now.”

Your first instinct may be to help—not investigate.

That’s exactly what the scammer is counting on.

And this is an important point for older adults and their families:

Being fooled by a sophisticated scam does not mean someone is foolish.

Scammers are professionals. They understand human psychology. They create fear, urgency and confusion deliberately.

The answer isn’t telling Mom or Dad, “You should have known better.”

The answer is creating a system that makes it easier to stop and check.

The Most Important Rule: Slow Down

If someone contacts you and says you need to move money, provide a password, purchase gift cards, share a verification code or give remote access to your computer right now, stop.

Don’t let someone else’s emergency become your emergency.

Hang up.

Close the message.

Walk away from the computer.

Then verify the situation independently.

If your bank supposedly called, use the phone number on your bank statement or the back of your card.

If someone claims to be from the government, find the agency’s official phone number yourself.

If a family member supposedly needs money, call them—or another family member—using a number you already have.

Don’t use the number provided by the person who contacted you.

Create a Family “Pause Plan”

This is where adult children and caregivers can make a huge difference.

Instead of waiting until Mom receives a suspicious call, talk about scams before one happens.

Create a simple family rule:

No major financial decision is made during an unexpected phone call, text or email.

It doesn’t matter how urgent the caller says it is.

It doesn’t matter if the caller knows personal information.

It doesn’t matter if the caller sounds exactly like someone you know.

The rule is simply: Pause. Check. Then act.

You can even create a family code word for emergencies. If someone calls claiming to be a grandchild or other relative, the caller has to know the code word before money is sent.

It isn’t foolproof, but it creates another layer of protection.

Watch for These Red Flags

A scammer may use different stories, but the warning signs are remarkably similar.

Be especially cautious when someone:

• Creates a sense of panic or urgency
• Demands secrecy
• Tells you not to talk to your family or bank
• Requests payment by cryptocurrency, wire transfer, gift card or cash
• Asks for passwords or verification codes
• Wants remote access to your computer
• Claims your money is in danger and must be moved
• Threatens arrest, loss of benefits or another serious consequence
• Insists you stay on the phone while you complete the transaction

The FTC emphasizes that government agencies will not tell you to move your money to “protect” it, nor will they demand payment through gift cards, cryptocurrency or payment apps. (ftc.gov⁠)

Don’t Forget About Social Media

Social media has become another important pathway for scammers.

The FTC found that, among older adults, fraud originating on social media accounted for more reported losses in 2024 than fraud beginning through other contact methods. (ftc.gov⁠)

That doesn’t mean seniors need to abandon Facebook or stop enjoying social media.

It does mean it’s smart to be cautious about:

• Accepting friend requests from people you don’t know
• Clicking unexpected links
• Responding to investment opportunities
• Sending money to someone you’ve met online
• Sharing personal information publicly
• Assuming a familiar-looking profile is actually the person it claims to be

A profile picture isn’t proof of identity.

Neither is a familiar voice.

What Adult Children Can Do Without Taking Over

This part can be tricky.

Most independent older adults don’t want their children monitoring every financial decision they make. And honestly, they shouldn’t have to.

The goal isn’t to take away independence.

It’s to create backup systems.

Consider helping your parent:

Set up account alerts.
Many banks can send notifications about large withdrawals, transfers or unusual activity.

Use strong, unique passwords.
A password manager can make this much easier.

Turn on two-factor authentication.
That extra step can provide another layer of protection.

Keep contact information current.
Make sure the bank, family members and other trusted contacts can reach one another if something seems suspicious.

Talk about scams regularly.
Don’t make the conversation a one-time lecture.

Most importantly, make it clear that they can always call you before sending money—even if the caller says they aren’t allowed to.

That one sentence could be incredibly valuable.

And If a Scam Does Happen?

Don’t panic.

And don’t shame the person.

Scammers want victims to feel embarrassed because embarrassment can prevent people from reporting what happened.

The sooner a family knows about a problem, the sooner it can begin taking steps to limit the damage.

Contact the financial institution involved as quickly as possible. Change compromised passwords. Report the scam to the appropriate agency.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) also provides resources specifically for elder fraud and can be reached at 833-FRAUD-11. (ic3.gov⁠)

The Best Defense May Be a Conversation

Technology will continue to change.

Unfortunately, scammers will change with it.

That means we can’t rely on being able to spot the obvious signs of a scam. A message can look professional. A phone call can sound familiar. A website can look legitimate.

Instead, we need a new habit:

When something feels urgent, we slow down.

When something involves money, we verify.

When something doesn’t feel right, we talk to someone we trust.

And when we’re helping an aging parent, we remember that protecting someone doesn’t mean taking away their independence.

Sometimes it simply means being the person they know they can call and say:

“This sounds a little strange. Can you help me check it out?”

That’s not dependence.

That’s having a good safety net.

A Simple Rule to Remember

STOP.
DON’T SEND.
VERIFY.

Because when it comes to scams, a few extra minutes of caution can protect years of hard-earned savings.

Sources & Resources

• Federal Trade Commission, Top Scams Affecting Older Adults — current information on scams reported by older adults and prevention resources. (ftc.gov⁠)
• Federal Trade Commission, False Alarm, Real Scam: How Scammers Are Stealing Older Adults’ Life Savings — data on impersonation scams and significant financial losses among older adults. (ftc.gov)
• Federal Trade Commission, Protecting Older Consumers 2024–2025 — detailed statistics on fraud affecting adults age 60 and older. (ftc.gov⁠)
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, Elder Fraud — reporting information and resources for victims and families. (ic3.gov⁠)
• Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, IRS Criminal Investigation Warns of Rising Elder Fraud Schemes — information on recent elder-fraud investigations and common schemes. (irs.gov⁠)

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