False alarm, real scam: how scammers are stealing older adults’ life savings
Scammers impersonate banks, government agencies, and tech companies to trick older adults into sending money by claiming there is a fake security crisis or unauthorized account activity.
You receive a phone call, email, text, or on-screen pop-up alert from someone claiming to be your bank, the FTC, Microsoft, or another trusted organization. They tell you that someone is using your accounts, your identity is being used for crimes, or your computer has been hacked. They create urgency and fear, then ask you to transfer money, deposit cash into Bitcoin ATMs, or hand over money to a courier to "protect" your funds or "clear your name." The scammer keeps you on the phone so you won't talk to anyone who might see through the lies.
- An unexpected caller or pop-up claims there is urgent suspicious activity on your account
- They ask you to move money, withdraw cash, or buy cryptocurrency
- They tell you not to hang up or speak to anyone else about the call
- The number on the pop-up or in the message differs from the official website of the company
- They claim to be from the FTC, Social Security, or law enforcement offering to help you
Do not send or transfer money in response to any unexpected call or message, no matter who they claim to be. Hang up immediately and call the company or agency directly using the phone number or website you already know is real, not the number they gave you. If you see a pop-up security alert, close it and call your tech support through official channels. Report the call or message to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.