Scams & Fraud

AARP Pennsylvania emphasizes the importance of education on the risks and prevention methods of Social Security fraud. With identity theft at the forefront of digital crimes, understanding how to protect one's Social Security number has never been more crucial.

Ready to move to Florida? We can’t blame you. With beautiful, sunny skies, no snow, and plenty of things to do, our state is truly the best place to live and retire. But beware! Whether you’re moving down the street or from a new state entirely, if you’re hiring a mover, you’re at risk of fraud. Moving homes is already a stressful experience and scammers exploit this anxiety by pressuring consumers to make quick decisions without reading the fine print of their moving estimate or contract.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the new shiny object that has captured the world’s attention. It’s also captured the attention of criminal scammers who are using it to make their fraudulent schemes more realistic than ever.

According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, nearly 500,000 Americans were victims of cybercrime in 2022, including 13,566 reports from Michigan with estimated losses of $178 million. The crimes ranged from personal data breaches to investment schemes.

AARP is hitting the road with the Iowa Insurance Division and the state Office of the Attorney General to educate consumers about how to spot and avoid scams.

In 2023, Americans reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud—ranging from romance and investment schemes to gift card scams—according to Federal Trade Commission data. A new state law aims to protect older Americans from financial exploitation.

The Memphis post office clerk who called Margaret Greene sounded concerned about a possible scam in progress.

AARP Delaware is pushing a bill in the current legislative session to help educate the public about gift card scams.

New York reported more than 51,000 incidents of identity theft in 2023, according to Federal Trade Commission data.

Fraud against older adults has skyrocketed in recent years. In San Diego County alone, elder fraud resulted in roughly $97 million in losses in 2023, according to the FBI. The Elder Justice Task Force increases its efforts to fight back.