Which email scams target seniors, and how do you stop them?

Scammers don't target older adults because they're less careful. They target them because many have savings, a home, retirement accounts and long-standing relationships with banks and companies, which makes a single successful scam very profitable. This guide is for older adults themselves, for the family members who help them, and for small businesses with older customers.

How big is the problem for older adults?

Reported losses are large and rising. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) says that in 2025, "over 201,000 victims ages 60+ reported losses of more than $7.7 billion" (IC3 Elder Fraud brochure). The 2025 IC3 Annual Report puts it at 201,266 complaints, up 37% from 2024, and $7.748 billion in losses, up 59%. The average loss was $38,500, and 12,444 complainants lost more than $100,000.

The FTC, which collects a different set of reports, found that older adults reported over $3 billion in fraud losses in 2025, up from about $2.4 billion in 2024. Because most fraud is never reported, it estimates the real cost to older adults was between $13.3 billion and $119.5 billion (FTC, Protecting Older Consumers 2025–2026).

One finding should shape how families respond. Older adults reported losing money at a 14% lower rate than younger adults, but their losses per incident were higher. The median reported loss for people 80 and over was $2,000, more than any other age group. The goal isn't to assume someone can't cope with email. It's to put a check in front of the rare large payment.

Which email scams target seniors most?

The IC3's top crime types by loss for complainants 60 and over in 2025 show where the money goes (IC3 Elder Fraud brochure):

Not all of these start with email; many start on social media or the phone. These are the email versions to watch for:

Government and bank impersonators increasingly blend together. The FTC describes scammers who say a "security issue" puts your money at risk, then direct people to transfer money, mail cash, buy gift cards or deposit cash into Bitcoin ATMs to keep it "safe." They often keep people on the phone for long periods and "coach people on what to say to bank employees."

What does a scam email aimed at seniors look like?

Here's a typical fake renewal email. It's an example written for this guide, not a real message.

Example (fraudulent) From: Billing Department <support.renewal.center@gmail.com> Subject: Invoice #INV-88213: Total Protection auto-renewal $399.99 Dear Customer, thank you for renewing your 3-year Total Protection plan. $399.99 will be charged to your account within 24 hours. If you did not authorize this purchase, call our cancellation desk at +1 (800) 000-0000.

The warning signs:

1. A charge you don't recognize, designed to make you worry.
2. A deadline: "within 24 hours."
3. A phone number as the only way out. There's no link for a filter to catch; the scam happens on the call.
4. A free email address for a company that supposedly bills you.
5. "Dear Customer" instead of your name.

On the call, the "agent" says they'll refund you, asks you to install remote-access software, then claims they refunded too much and need money sent back. The FTC warns that legitimate tech companies "won't contact you by phone, email, or text message" to tell you there's a problem (FTC).

How can you tell a real email from a fake one?

When in doubt, close the email and contact the company yourself using a number on your card, statement or the company's real website.

Our guide on how to spot a phishing email covers links, senders and attachments in more detail, and is it safe to open spam email answers the most common worry.

How can family members help without taking over?

Most older adults want to stay independent, and they should. These steps protect them without taking control:

1. Agree on a pause-and-call rule. Any message about money, a locked account or a relative in trouble gets a call to a trusted person before anyone pays. The FTC's own advice is to "stop and talk to someone you trust."
2. Save the real numbers. Put the bank, card issuer, pharmacy and internet provider numbers in their phone contacts, so they never need a number from an email.
3. Turn on two-step verification on their email account, and check that the recovery phone and email are theirs and current.
4. Agree on a family code word for emergencies. A scammer using a hacked email account or a cloned voice won't know it.
5. Name a trusted contact. Brokerage firms let customers name a trusted contact person the firm can call if it suspects exploitation. FINRA notes that person can't make transactions on the account. Ask their bank whether it offers something similar.
6. Make reporting easy. Show them the "Report phishing" or "Report spam" button in their email app (how to report phishing).
7. Keep it shame-free. People hide scams when they feel embarrassed. Make it clear anyone can be fooled.

What should you do if an older relative was scammed?

Act fast. Many payments can only be stopped in the first hours. Do these in order:

1. Stop the money. Call the bank, card issuer, wire company or gift card issuer immediately using the number on the card or statement. The FTC says to tell them a scammer tricked you and ask them to reverse the payment and refund the money. For gift cards, keep the card and receipt. For cash sent by mail, call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
2. Call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. Run by the Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime, it connects callers with a case manager who helps with reporting at the federal, state and local levels (OVC).
3. File a complaint at ic3.gov and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The IC3 asks you to keep original emails, letters, receipts and transaction details, and the accounts, addresses, emails and phone numbers the criminals used.
4. If remote access was given, disconnect the computer from the internet, run a security scan, and change passwords from a different device.
5. Secure the email account. Change the password, turn on two-step verification, and check for forwarding rules a scammer may have added (signs your email account is compromised).
6. If personal details were shared, go to IdentityTheft.gov and consider a credit freeze. Our guide on what to do if your email is in a data breach covers the account side.

Watch for the second scam

People who report fraud are often contacted again by "recovery" services or fake officials. In July 2026 the FBI warned that criminals impersonate the IC3 itself. The FBI says "IC3 will never ask for payment to recover lost funds" and that it has no social media presence (IC3 PSA). Anyone who promises to recover the money for a fee is another scammer.

What should businesses with older customers do?

If your business serves older clients, such as a pharmacy, a financial advisor, a home services company or a medical practice, scammers will use your name. You can make that harder:

• Tell customers how you contact them, and say what you'll never do: ask for gift cards, ask for remote access, or ask them to keep a call secret.
• Enforce DMARC so criminals can't send email from your exact domain; check yours with the DMARC Checker.
• Watch for lookalike domains of your name with the Lookalike Domain Generator, and see what to do when customers are phished by a fake version of your company.
• Train front-line staff to spot coaching: a customer making an unusual withdrawal or gift card purchase while on the phone with someone. The FTC reports scammers tell victims what to say to bank employees.
• Protect your own inboxes too. Older customers' family members, executors and caregivers email you, and those threads are worth hijacking. iBlockSpam protects small businesses with MX-level filtering for phishing, spoofing and malware.

Next steps

• Save the National Elder Fraud Hotline number, 833-372-8311, in your phone and your relative's phone.
• Agree on a pause-and-call rule and a family code word this week.
• Check that two-step verification is on for every email account that receives bank or benefits notices.
• If a suspicious email arrives, check who really sent it with the Email Header Analyzer before acting.
• Businesses: publish a short "how we'll contact you" notice, and see how iBlockSpam protects small businesses.