Scams target everyone, regardless of age, so it’s important to stay up to date on the latest fraud trends. Educating yourself and your loved ones can save you lots of time, energy and money.
Scammers are smart and don't use a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, they tailor their tactics to match the age group they're targeting, using familiar words, trends, and interests to make their scams feel believable. That's why it's so important for all of us to recognize the common warning signs and types of fraud. No matter your age, the same scams are out there, they're just wearing a different disguise.
Share real-life examples of fraud with your loved ones. Let them know it happens to a lot of people and create an action plan. Now we’ll go over specific ways to help family members based on their age demographics.
For Children & Pre-Teens:
Focus on establishing boundaries and fundamental cyber hygiene. Personal information, such as a school name, address, phone number and birthdate, is private. Let kids know , “If you don’t know them in real life, don’t friend or talk to them online.” And establish open, judgement-free communication.
For Teens & Young Adults:
This group is tech-savvy, but because so much of their lives is online, they are frequent targets of sophisticated social media scams. Teach them to spot the red flags and discuss phishing signs, such as urgent messages, poor grammar, or suspicious links in social media messages and ads. Warn them about social media scams such as "cat phishing" (where scammers impersonate peers to get information or photos), fake job or scholarship offers, and "free stuff" scams that ask for shipping fees. Also, make sure their accounts are secure and private by utilizing two factor authentication and privacy settings on profiles.
For Older Adults & Seniors:
Approach these conversations with respect, focusing on empowerment rather than taking away their independence. Avoid an authoritative tone and focus on being informative instead of accusatory when explaining common scam tactics. Discuss common schemes like the "grandparent scam" (impersonating a grandchild in trouble) and romance scams (forming a fake emotional connection to ask for money). Make sure they understand that legitimate organizations (like the IRS or financial institutions) will never call out of the blue to ask for personal information or payment via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. If a call seems suspicious, tell them to hang up right away and look up the official number themselves before calling back.
Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and local law enforcement. You can also look up common scams reported on the FTC’s website. For more fraud-related tips, check out the GSCU Scam Busters on our social media.