The Top 10 Scams Targeting Seniors — A Plain-English Guide
Last verified: August 2026
The 10 most common ways scammers go after older adults in 2026 — what they sound like, why they work, and exactly what to do when one shows up. Calm, no fear, and a real person to call if something feels off.
Why I Wrote This
Scams aimed at older adults have become one of the most common — and most costly — crimes in the country, and the reported losses climb every year. The tools have gotten good enough to fool almost anyone: today a scammer can clone a familiar voice from a few seconds of audio, make your caller ID read the name of your bank or "Social Security," or send a text that looks exactly like a real delivery notice. Underneath the new costumes, though, nearly all of it comes down to the same small handful of tricks.
I help people with their technology in their homes across Portage County, and I'm also the caregiver for my own 90-year-old mother, who has lived with me for the past five years — so I see both sides of this: the small setups that keep trouble away, and the cleanup afterward when it wasn't caught in time. The same ten scams below account for most of what I run into. Read this once, slowly, keep it somewhere you'll find it, and you'll recognize them when they show up. And they will show up — that's simply the reality of having a phone and an email address today.
I'm not going to scare you. Scared people make worse decisions, not better ones. I'm going to show you what each scam sounds like, why it works on smart, careful people, and exactly what to do when one of them lands in front of you. If you're ever unsure — even a little — call me at (330) 200-8042. It's free. There's no such thing as a wasted call to me about a possible scam. I'd rather take ten "false alarms" a month than miss the one real one.
👨👩👧 For the Adult Kids — A One-Page Family Safety Plan
If you're reading this for a parent, do these four things this week. None of them require their permission, all of them can be done in one afternoon, and any one of them would have stopped most of the cases I've seen.
- Set up a family safe word. One easy-to-remember word that any real family member in real trouble will know. "If somebody calls saying it's me and they don't say blueberry, hang up." Pick yours today. Test it once at the next family dinner so it doesn't feel weird.
- Freeze their credit at all three bureaus. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It's free, it takes about 20 minutes total online, and it stops almost every flavor of identity-theft scam cold. They can unfreeze it temporarily anytime they actually need new credit.
- Turn on the spam filters that already exist. On their phone: Settings → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers (iPhone) or the equivalent on Android. On their email: I'll do it with them in a single visit — most people have never opened the spam settings.
- Talk it through with someone local. If you'd like a second set of eyes, I offer a free one-hour consultation — by phone or in their home, your choice, no charge and no obligation. We can walk through their phone, email, and accounts together and turn on the protections above. Call (330) 200-8042 or book at billshometech.com/book.
The hardest part is bringing it up. Don't lead with "I'm worried about you." Lead with "I just read this guide and I want to do it for myself too — will you do it with me?"
The 10 Scams
1 The "Grandparent" Call
What it sounds like: Your grandson, granddaughter, niece, or nephew is on the phone — crying, scared, and in some kind of trouble. They need money fast, and they're begging you not to tell their parents.
- They tell you not to call anyone else — especially not the parents.
- The payment method is wire, gift cards, cash through a courier, or cryptocurrency.
- The voice is right, but the words don't quite sound like your grandchild — too formal, weird phrasing, or they avoid using your actual name.
- Hang up. You don't owe a scammer politeness. Just hang up.
- Call the grandchild yourself on the number you already have for them. Nine times out of ten, they'll answer from their couch.
- If you can't reach them, call their parents. Yes, even if the caller begged you not to. Especially because the caller begged you not to.
- Then call me at (330) 200-8042 so we can change your phone settings to filter unknown callers. Free as part of any visit.
What trips these calls up is almost always one small detail — a name the caller uses that the real person never would, or a phrasing that's just a little off. That's exactly why a family safe word works: one agreed-upon word that a real relative in real trouble will know and a stranger won't. Pick one with your family this weekend.
2 The "IRS / Social Security" Threat Call
What it sounds like: A serious, official-sounding voice (sometimes a recording, sometimes a person) says you owe back taxes or that your Social Security number has been suspended, and a sheriff is on the way unless you pay immediately.
- The IRS does not call you out of the blue. Ever. They send letters. Real ones. With stamps.
- The Social Security Administration does not suspend SSNs. That's not a thing.
- No real government agency will ever ask you to pay with a gift card, wire, or cryptocurrency.
- Hang up. Don't press 1, don't argue, don't explain. Just hang up.
- If you're worried it might be real, call the IRS yourself at 800-829-1040, or your local Social Security office at the number on your statement. Do not call back the number that called you.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov — it takes about three minutes.
I had a customer in Ravenna last fall who'd been on the phone for almost two hours with one of these. He'd already driven to two different stores and was on his way to a third for more gift cards when his daughter called and asked where he was. She told him to hang up and call me. I drove out, we reset his phone, blocked the numbers, and reported it. He got nothing back of the $2,800 — but he stopped before it became $5,000.
3 The "Microsoft / Apple Tech Support" Pop-Up
What it sounds like: While you're using your computer, a giant red pop-up takes over the screen, often with a loud siren or a robotic voice, saying your computer is infected and you must call the number on the screen to fix it.
- Real Microsoft and Apple never put a phone number in a pop-up on your screen.
- The pop-up tries to scare you into not closing the browser or shutting down the computer.
- They ask you to install software like AnyDesk, TeamViewer, or "Quick Assist" so they can "see what's wrong." That software gives them full control of your computer.
- Don't call the number. No matter how scary the screen looks.
- Force the computer off. Hold the power button down for about 10 seconds until it shuts off completely. Wait a minute, turn it back on. The pop-up will be gone.
- If you already called and gave them access, unplug the computer from the wall and the internet right now, then call me at (330) 200-8042. We need to assume your passwords are compromised and start fresh. Don't log into your bank from that computer until we've cleaned it.
I get one of these calls a week. The fix on the computer side is usually under an hour — what takes longer is rotating the passwords for every important account, because we have to assume the scammer copied whatever they could while they had control. Worth it. Cheap insurance.
4 The "Geek Squad / Norton Renewal" Refund Email
What it sounds like: An email arrives that looks like an invoice from Geek Squad, Norton, McAfee, or PayPal saying you've just been charged $399 for a renewal you don't remember. The email gives a phone number to call to dispute it.
- You don't actually have the subscription they're "renewing."
- The email pushes you to call a phone number rather than log into an account.
- To "refund" you, they need to remote into your computer or have you log into your bank with them watching.
- Don't call the number in the email. If you're worried, log into the real company's website yourself — type the address in by hand — and check your account.
- Don't reply to the email. Don't click any links in it. Just delete it, or forward it to me first and I'll tell you if it's real.
- If you already called and they accessed your computer or bank, call your bank's fraud line immediately (number on the back of your debit card) and then call me at (330) 200-8042.
This one's gotten clever. The "refund" trick — where they "accidentally" give you too much and ask you to wire the difference — has cost folks I know real, painful money. The rule I tell every customer: no honest company will ever ask you to fix their mistake by sending them cash. Ever. If it happens, that's the whole scam in one sentence.
5 The "Sweetheart" Romance Scam
What it sounds like: Somebody charming reaches out on Facebook, a dating site, or even Words with Friends. They're a widowed engineer working on an oil rig, a deployed military officer, a doctor with the UN. Over weeks or months they become someone you talk to every day — and then an emergency hits.
- You've never met them in person, and they always have a reason they can't video-call.
- Their job conveniently keeps them overseas, on an oil rig, on a military base, or anywhere they can't be visited.
- Eventually — always — they need money for an emergency, and only you can help.
- Stop sending money immediately. Not one more dollar, no matter what they say next.
- Tell one person you trust — a friend, an adult child, your pastor, your doctor, or me. You are not the first person this has happened to. There is no shame in this room.
- Save the messages, then block the account and report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
- Call me at (330) 200-8042 if you'd like help tightening up your accounts so they can't come back through a different name.
I will never make you feel small about this one. It has happened to people I genuinely admire — sharp, careful people who'd never fall for a tech-support pop-up in their life. If you're in the middle of one right now, the bravest thing you can do is tell one person. That's it. One person. Pick the kindest one you know and start there.
6 The "Free Medicare Brace" Call
What it sounds like: A friendly caller says you qualify for a free back brace, knee brace, wrist brace, or diabetic supplies through Medicare — they just need to confirm your Medicare number and date of birth.
- Medicare does not cold-call you to offer free equipment. Ever.
- They need your Medicare number, date of birth, and sometimes your doctor's name — over the phone, today.
- They use words like "approved," "qualifies," and "no cost to you" — the language of an ad, not a real medical office.
- Hang up. Don't confirm anything, not even your name.
- If you actually need a brace, ask your own doctor at your next appointment. Real DME comes with a prescription, not a phone pitch.
- Treat your Medicare number like your Social Security number — never give it to anyone who calls you. If you've already given it out, call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask them to flag the account.
This one shows up in the mail too — postcards and letters that look like government forms. If it has a real seal, a real return address, and asks you to mail a check, it might be legitimate. If it's a phone call promising a free brace and asking for your Medicare number, it is one hundred percent a scam. No exceptions.
7 The "Pay With Gift Cards" Twist
What it sounds like: This isn't a separate scam — it's the moment inside almost every other scam where things go from suspicious to clearly fake. Somebody on the phone tells you to go buy gift cards and read the numbers off the back.
- The payment must be in gift cards — Apple, Google Play, eBay, Target, Walmart, Steam. Any brand.
- You're told to stay on the phone the entire time and not tell the store clerk what the cards are for.
- You're asked to buy more than one card, often spread across different stores.
- Stop. Put the phone down. Don't say goodbye, don't explain — just put the phone down and walk away from it for five minutes.
- Memorize this sentence: No real business or government agency on Earth accepts payment in gift cards. Ever. Not the IRS, not Medicare, not your power company, not Microsoft, not Amazon, not your grandson's lawyer.
- If you already bought the cards but haven't read off the numbers, take them back to the store with the receipt — some stores will refund unused cards. Then call me at (330) 200-8042.
If you remember nothing else from this whole guide, remember this: gift cards are not payment for anything that arrived as a phone call. A store clerk who sees an older person buying $3,000 in Apple cards is often the last line of defense — and a lot of cashiers have been trained to ask. Let them ask. The right answer is "I'm being asked to do this by someone on the phone," and the right next step is to put the cards back.
8 The "Bitcoin Investment" Scam
What it sounds like: A friendly stranger on Facebook, WhatsApp, or even a text message tells you about an incredible investment opportunity — cryptocurrency, foreign exchange, gold — where they made $40,000 in a month and they want to share it with you.
- You're asked to deposit money into a Bitcoin ATM at a gas station or convenience store. (Legitimate investments never work this way.)
- Guaranteed returns. Anything that "guarantees" you 10% a week or 600% in 90 days is a lie. Real investments don't guarantee anything.
- A new online friend who quickly pivots from chatting to coaching you about money.
- Don't put cash into a crypto ATM. No legitimate investment, ever, requires you to drive to a Bitcoin machine.
- Talk to a real, licensed financial advisor before moving any retirement money — even if the "friend" insists you keep it secret.
- If you've already sent money, stop sending more, save everything (screenshots, transaction IDs), and report it at ic3.gov and to your state's Attorney General. Recovery is rare but reports help shut the scammers down.
I'm not anti-crypto. I'm anti-stranger-on-Facebook-telling-you-to-feed-cash-to-a-machine. If you're genuinely curious about Bitcoin, that's a real conversation we can have at the kitchen table — but it starts with a regulated U.S. brokerage account, not a Sunoco.
9 Deepfake Voice & AI Impersonation (New in 2026)
What it sounds like: A phone call that sounds exactly like your spouse, your child, your pastor, or even your accountant — except it isn't them. In 2026, scammers can clone a voice from a few seconds of audio scraped off Facebook, a YouTube comment, or a voicemail greeting.
- Urgent money request from a "loved one" on a number that isn't their normal number.
- Slight oddness in the voice — too smooth, weird pauses, or background noise that doesn't fit the story.
- They push you to act before you can verify ("I'm losing signal — just send it now").
- Hang up and call them back on the number you already have stored for them.
- Use your family safe word. If they can't give it, it's not them. (If you haven't picked one yet, do it tonight.)
- Ask a question only the real person could answer — what street did your grandparents live on, what was your dog's name, where did we go on vacation in 2019. The scammer can clone the voice but not the memory.
I tested one of these voice-cloning tools this spring just to see how good it had gotten. Forty seconds of my own voice from a YouTube video, and I had a clone that could read any script I wrote — convincing enough that it briefly fooled my wife. That was the moment I decided this guide had to exist. If it can fool the people who know us best, it can fool any of us.
10 Phishing Texts (USPS, Bank, "Package Failed")
What it sounds like: A text message arrives on your phone saying a package couldn't be delivered, your bank account has been locked, or your toll-road account has an unpaid balance. There's a link to click to "resolve" it.
- The link is not the real domain. usps.com is real; usps-redelivery-tracking.com is not. Real banks are bank-name.com, not bank-name-secure-alerts.net.
- Urgency — "within 24 hours," "your account will be closed," "act now."
- It came as a text from a number you don't recognize, often a long number or an international one.
- Don't tap the link. Don't reply, even with STOP — replying confirms your number is active.
- If you're worried it might be real, open the app or website yourself by typing the address — don't tap the text.
- Forward the text to 7726 (that spells SPAM). It's a free service from your phone company that helps shut these down.
- Then delete it. And if you already tapped and entered any information, call me at (330) 200-8042 — we'll lock things down.
The single best thing you can do with phishing texts is to not engage at all. Don't tap, don't reply, don't even let it bother you. Delete it like junk mail. Most of the trouble I see started with a tap on a link that looked harmless. The link is the trap.
One Last Page — Bill's Rules of Thumb
If you ever can't remember which scam is which, these five rules cover almost everything in this guide. They're worth posting on the fridge:
- Nobody who calls you out of the blue is your friend. Real companies and real agencies do not cold-call to fix your problems.
- Urgency is the scam. "Today," "right now," "in the next hour" — these words are red flags, not facts.
- Gift cards, wires, and crypto are scammer payment methods. Real bills get paid by check, card, or bank transfer to a real account.
- When in doubt, hang up and call back on a number you already trust. Yours, not theirs.
- Tell someone. A scammer's biggest tool is your silence. Break it.
📞 Bill's Scam-Check Hotline
(330) 200-8042
Call me first — always free — if:
- Someone on the phone is asking you to buy gift cards.
- A pop-up on your computer is telling you to call a number.
- A "grandchild" called and needs money fast.
- You got a text or email about a package, bank, or toll, and it doesn't feel right.
- You already gave out information and you're worried.
My promise: If you call me about a possible scam, I will call you back within 24 hours, no charge, no judgment. If it's after hours, leave a message and I'll get to you first thing the next morning. Mon–Sat, 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM normally.
Wallet Card — Laminate & Carry
Cut this out, fold it once, slip it in your wallet behind your driver's license. It's a 30-second sanity check for any phone call, text, or email that's making your stomach feel funny.
🛡️ Bill's 30-Second Scam Check
- Did they call me? Real help doesn't cold-call.
- Are they pushing me to hurry? Hurry = trap.
- Do they want gift cards, wire, or Bitcoin? Always a scam.
- Do they say "don't tell anyone"? That's the giveaway.
- If unsure → hang up, call Bill: (330) 200-8042
Bill's Home Tech · Atwater, Ohio · bill@billshometech.com
Help & Reporting Resources
If you've been scammed — or if you just want to report something fishy so the next person doesn't fall for it — these are the real, free places to call. Save these numbers.
- AARP Fraud Watch Helpline: 877-908-3360. Free, trained volunteers, often retired law enforcement. Call them even if you're not an AARP member. Excellent for talking through what just happened.
- FTC — Report Fraud: ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Five-minute online form. This is where the official statistics come from. Reporting helps law enforcement.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: ic3.gov. Use this for romance, investment, and ransomware scams — anything involving the internet and serious money.
- Ohio Attorney General Consumer Protection: 800-282-0515. State-level help, especially for Ohio residents dealing with local fraud or shady contractors.
- Medicare Fraud: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Report DME, billing, or "free brace" scams.
- Social Security Fraud Hotline: 800-269-0271. Report calls pretending to be SSA.
- Your three credit bureaus (free freeze): Equifax 800-685-1111 · Experian 888-397-3742 · TransUnion 888-909-8872. Freezing your credit at all three is the single best one-time scam-proofing move you can make.
- Forward suspicious texts to: 7726 (spells SPAM) — free, works on any U.S. carrier.
- Bill's Home Tech: (330) 200-8042. Portage County, Ohio. Free to call anytime you want to talk something through — and I offer a free one-hour consultation, by phone or in your home, if you'd like a hand.
Quick Glossary — Words You'll Hear
You don't need to memorize these. But if a news story or a scam-warning email uses one of these words, here's what they actually mean — in plain English.
- Phishing
- A fake email pretending to be a real company, designed to trick you into clicking a link and entering your password or card number. Pronounced like "fishing" — because that's exactly what they're doing.
- Smishing
- Phishing, but by text message instead of email. "SMS-phishing." Same trick, different mailbox.
- Vishing
- Phishing by voice — a phone call instead of an email. "Voice-phishing." Includes the IRS scam, the tech-support scam, and the grandparent scam.
- Deepfake
- A fake video or audio recording generated by artificial intelligence, designed to look or sound like a real person. Voice deepfakes are now what's powering the new wave of grandparent and family-emergency scams.
- Spoofing (caller ID)
- When a scammer makes their phone number show up on your caller ID as somebody else — your bank, the IRS, even your own doctor's office. Caller ID is not proof of anything anymore. Treat every unexpected call as untrusted, no matter what the screen says.
- Remote access
- Software that lets someone else control your computer over the internet, as if they were sitting at it. Real tech support sometimes uses it with your permission. Scammers use it to steal everything. Names to know (and refuse from a stranger): AnyDesk, TeamViewer, LogMeIn, Quick Assist.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA)
- An extra layer of security on your accounts — usually a 6-digit code sent to your phone after you enter your password. Turning this on for your email and bank is one of the best free defenses against scammers, even if they get your password. Never read these codes out loud to anyone on the phone, no matter who they claim to be.
- Credit freeze
- A free service from the three credit bureaus that stops anyone (including you) from opening new credit in your name. You unfreeze it briefly when you actually need new credit — a car loan, a new card. Otherwise, leave it frozen. Single best thing you can do to protect your identity.
- DME
- "Durable Medical Equipment" — wheelchairs, walkers, CPAP machines, braces. Real DME comes through a prescription from your doctor and a contracted supplier. Nobody legitimate cold-calls you to offer DME.
- Cryptocurrency / Bitcoin ATM
- A machine, often at a gas station or convenience store, that converts cash into digital currency. Once cash goes into a Bitcoin ATM, it cannot be reversed — which is exactly why scammers love them. There is no legitimate reason for a senior on a fixed income to be feeding cash into one.
Want Me to Walk Through This With You?
If you'd like a hand going through your own setup, I offer a free one-hour consultation — a relaxed phone call or an in-home visit, whichever is easier for you. We can look at your phone, email, and accounts, turn on the spam filters, freeze your credit if you want, and pick a family safe word together. No charge, and no sales pitch — I'd just rather you feel steady about this on a calm afternoon than be figuring it out in the middle of a scary phone call.
Would you rather I just do this for you?
No shame in it — plenty of folks would rather hand it off, and that's what I'm here for. I'll come to your home, set it up right, and make sure it's working before I leave. Flat $99 per visit — no jargon, no upsell, and every visit is 30-day come-back-free.
Not a hardware job? I can often fix it remotely for $49 — a secure screen-share, up to 2 hours, that you watch the whole time and can end whenever (included free for $39/mo Support Plan members, and it counts toward the $99 if it turns out I need to come out).