Scams & Fraud

Joe Gavalis and Dan Flynn each spent their careers in law enforcement going after hard-core criminals, including some in organized crime. Now retirees, the two Georgians are using their combined 75-plus years of experience to take on elder abuse.

Fraud losses in Colorado have more than tripled since 2019, federal data shows. The state hopes a new mediation program and revamped Stop Fraud Colorado website will help protect consumers.

Paul Greenwood spent more than two decades staring down — and prosecuting — Southern California criminals for abusing and defrauding older adults. Now he is hoping to give Hawai‘i residents the insights necessary to reduce their own risks of experiencing elder abuse and fraud.

Triad began in the late 1980s as a partnership between AARP, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Sheriffs’ Association. Now, there are local Triad chapters in cities and counties around the country.

Rosie Reyes is motivated to make sure San Antonio Missions fans get more out of going to a Minor League Baseball game than just a fun night at the ballpark.

In 2023, Federal Trade Commission data shows that Illinois consumers reported total losses from fraud of $244.7 million. To help bring those numbers down, AARP Illinois is working with law enforcement agencies, the Better Business Bureau, Area Agencies on Aging, the Illinois attorney general’s office and other organizations. And AARP is ramping up its education efforts with a five-part online fraud prevention series.

Given members’ ongoing worries about fraud, AARP South Carolina is working to educate them on how to avoid financial exploitation.

Many of us have used a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment app to split a bill or send money to a friend, and some people even use them for traditional shopping. However, there are inherent risks that exist on these payment apps that everyone should know about.

Criminals love using P2P apps to steal your money. Here's how you can stop being scammed.

The numbers are in and last year was yet another historic year for fraud. The Federal Trade Commission released its annual compendium of fraud reports from 2023, and the news is shocking. For the first time ever reported theft through fraud topped $10 billion. The total is 14% higher than what was reported in 2022 and 5 times greater than reported losses in 2019. Key takeaways from the report include: