Take Care

Fraud & Scams

Older adults are favorite targets of scammers and fraudsters. Here are some steps you can take to reduce their risk.

Anatomy of a $50,000 Scam

By Cameron Huddleston • September 1, 2026 • 10 min read

Beware of the "New Medicare Chip Card" Scam

By Jenny Leight • September 1, 2026 • 2 min read

Beware of the "Digital Arrest" Scam

By Casey Hoerr • September 1, 2026 • 4 min read

Exact Sciences Data Breach Exposes Personal and Health Information

By Becky Ross • September 1, 2026 • 4 min read

How to Avoid Imposter Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • September 1, 2026 • 7 min read

Watch Out for Phishing Emails Disguised as Apple iCloud Calendar Invites

By Jenny Leight • September 1, 2026 • 2 min read

"Grandparent Scams” are Rising this Holiday Season

By Jenny Leight • September 1, 2026 • 3 min read

State Farm Dividend Emails, Real or Fake? Both!

By Becky Ross • September 1, 2026 • 4 min read

Think Twice: Did You Really Win the Lottery?

By Jenny Leight • September 1, 2026 • 2 min read

Watch Out for Back-to-School Scams Targeting High School and College Students

By Casey Hoerr • September 1, 2026 • 3 min read

Watch Out for Fake Email Invitations

By Jenny Leight • September 1, 2026 • 4 min read

Watch out for Fake Product Recall Notices Targeting Shoppers

By Jenny Leight • September 1, 2026 • 2 min read

Watch out for Fake "Veterans Savings Program" Postcards Targeting Veterans

By Jenny Leight • September 1, 2026 • 2 min read

Watch Out for Foreclosure Relief Scams

By Casey Hoerr • September 1, 2026 • 4 min read

Watch Out for Job Offer Scams

By Jenny Leight • September 1, 2026 • 4 min read

Watch Out for Scammers Using FaceTime to Steal Bank Account Information

By Jenny Leight • September 1, 2026 • 2 min read

Watch Out for Scams Targeting Animal Lovers

By Jenny Leight • September 1, 2026 • 3 min read

Watch Out for The “Verification Code” Call

By Jenny Leight • September 1, 2026 • 3 min read

Why AI Is Supercharging Today's Scams

By Jenny Leight • September 1, 2026 • 2 min read

5 Common Mistakes That Put Your Financial Data at Risk

By Jenny Leight • August 17, 2026 • 4 min read

AI-Fueled “Phantom Hacker Scam” Poses New Threat to Your Finances

By Jenny Leight • July 14, 2026 • 3 min read

How a Single Google Search Cost One Traveler $12,000

By Jenny Leight • July 14, 2026 • 5 min read

How to Spot a Tech Support Scam

By Jenny Leight • July 14, 2026 • 4 min read

Scammers Using AI Voice Cloning in Family Emergency Schemes

By Becky Ross • July 14, 2026 • 3 min read

The Passwords Hackers Guess First

By Jenny Leight • July 14, 2026 • 3 min read

What is a Money Mule?

By Jenny Leight • July 14, 2026 • 4 min read

What to Do if Someone Is a Victim of a Romance Scam

By Cameron Huddleston • July 14, 2026 • 6 min read

10 Signs You’re a Victim of Fraud or Identity Theft

By Becky Ross • June 10, 2026 • 6 min read

Before You Donate, Check for Recurring Charges

By Jenny Leight • June 10, 2026 • 3 min read

Scams Are at an All-Time High. Here's What Families Need to Know Right Now.

By Jenny Leight • June 10, 2026 • 5 min read

Stay Safe on Public Wi-Fi: What to Know About “Honeypot” Scams

By Jenny Leight • June 10, 2026 • 3 min read

4 New Scams Targeting Seniors

By Cameron Huddleston • May 20, 2026 • 6 min read

Beware of Tariff Delay Scams When Shopping Online

By Cameron Huddleston • May 20, 2026 • 3 min read

Beware of this New Brushing Scam that Uses QR Codes to Steal Personal Information

By Jenny Leight • May 20, 2026 • 2 min read

Getting Job Texts from Unknown Numbers? It's Likely a Scam.

By Jenny Leight • May 20, 2026 • 2 min read

Gold Bar Scams Are Getting Worse. Here's What the Latest Arrests Reveal.

By Jenny Leight • May 20, 2026 • 2 min read

How to Spot QR Code Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • May 20, 2026 • 5 min read

How to Spot Utility Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • May 20, 2026 • 4 min read

Is It Your Bank Calling or a Scammer?

By Cameron Huddleston • May 20, 2026 • 5 min read

LinkedIn “Recruiter” Scam — How It Works and Why It’s Dangerous

By Jenny Leight • May 20, 2026 • 2 min read

Look Out for Fake Parking Tickets

By Jenny Leight • May 20, 2026 • 2 min read

Slam the Scam: Government Imposter Scams Are Surging

By Becky Ross • May 20, 2026 • 3 min read

Watch Out for Phony Home Energy Audits

By Cameron Huddleston • May 20, 2026 • 2 min read

Watch Out for Real ID Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • May 20, 2026 • 2 min read

What is Medical Identity Theft?

By Donna Freedman • May 20, 2026 • 7 min read

What to Do if Someone Files a Tax Return in Your Name

By Cameron Huddleston • May 20, 2026 • 5 min read

What You Need to Know about Gift Card Scams

By Jenny Leight • May 20, 2026 • 3 min read

Who Gets Scammed the Most?

By Cameron Huddleston • May 20, 2026 • 6 min read

149 Million Login Credentials Exposed Online

By Jenny Leight • March 4, 2026 • 2 min read

How to Stay Safe When Shopping Online This Holiday Season

By Cameron Huddleston • March 4, 2026 • 4 min read

Romance Scams in 2026: What to Know Before Trust Turns Costly

By Jenny Leight • March 4, 2026 • 3 min read

Watch Out for These 3 Holiday Scams on Social Media

By Cameron Huddleston • March 4, 2026 • 3 min read

6 Scams to Watch Out for Around Black Friday and Cyber Monday

By Cameron Huddleston • January 21, 2026 • 4 min read

How Scammers Recruit Money Mules and How to Protect Yourself

By Jenny Leight • January 21, 2026 • 3 min read

How to Spot an AI-Generated Image Before You’re Fooled

By Jenny Leight • January 21, 2026 • 5 min read

Scam Alert: Second-Wave Crypto Scam Uses Fake Law Firms

By Jenny Leight • January 21, 2026 • 2 min read

The 4 Most Common Ways Scammers Will Contact You

By Cameron Huddleston • January 21, 2026 • 5 min read

The Most Widespread Election Scams and How to Spot Them

By Jenny Leight • January 21, 2026 • 3 min read

The Top Holiday Scams of 2025

By Jenny Leight • January 21, 2026 • 8 min read

Watch Out for Fake PayPal Invoice Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • January 21, 2026 • 3 min read

Why It’s Safer to Pay With Credit Cards Than Debit Cards Online

By Cameron Huddleston • January 21, 2026 • 5 min read

4 Factors That Put You at Risk of Losing Money to Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • November 13, 2025 • 4 min read

How Scammers Have Become Better at Manipulating Us

By Cameron Huddleston • November 13, 2025 • 6 min read

How Scammers Manipulate Your Emotions

By Cameron Huddleston • November 13, 2025 • 6 min read

How to Stay Safe After the 16 Billion Password Leak

By Cameron Huddleston • November 13, 2025 • 4 min read

Scam Alert: Watch Out for Fake Amazon Prime Emails Claiming a Price Hike or Fee Increase

By Jenny Leight • November 13, 2025 • 2 min read

Steer Clear of the New DMV Text Scam

By Cameron Huddleston • November 13, 2025 • 3 min read

Watch Out for Texas Flood Relief Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • November 13, 2025 • 4 min read

What to Know About Gold Bar Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • November 13, 2025 • 4 min read

How to Avoid Scams on Facebook

By Cameron Huddleston • July 22, 2025 • 6 min read

The Top Scams That Steal Your Money

By Cameron Huddleston • July 22, 2025 • 5 min read

What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed

By Cameron Huddleston • July 22, 2025 • 6 min read

Card Declined Scam Catching Online Shoppers

By Cameron Huddleston • July 8, 2025 • 2 min read

What to Know About the New IRS Stimulus Check Scam

By Cameron Huddleston • July 8, 2025 • 3 min read

How to Protect Your Identity Online

By Cameron Huddleston • July 4, 2025 • 5 min read

A New Twist on Romance Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Beware of Bed, Bath & Beyond Clearance Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 2 min read

Beware of Customer Service Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Beware of Fake Joann Going Out of Business Sales

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Beware of Funeral Service Streaming Scams on Facebook

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 2 min read

Beware of Scam Websites for Passport Applications and Renewals

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Crooks Are Impersonating FBI Agents in a New Zelle Scam

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 4 min read

Don’t Fall for Fake Subscription Renewal Emails

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 2 min read

Don’t Fall for the Apple ID Password Reset Scam

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 2 min read

Don’t Fall for This Fake Virus Warning

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Don’t Fall for Weight Loss Product Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 4 min read

Don’t Fall for This New CFPB Imposter Scam

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Scammers Posing as U.S. Border Patrol Agents

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 2 min read

Scams Targeting Timeshare Owners

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Steer Clear of Investment Group Imposter Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Steer Clear of Voter Registration Text Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 2 min read

That Celebrity-Endorsed Product Could Be a Scam

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

The Unpaid Toll Scam Is Back

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Watch Out for Home Warranty Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Watch Out for Online Hotel Booking Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Watch Out for Medicare Open Enrollment Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Watch Out for Social Security COLA Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 4 min read

Watch Out for Social Security Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

Watch Out for the Unpaid Toll Text Message Scam

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

What to Know About the Latest AT&T Data Breach

By Cameron Huddleston • June 25, 2025 • 3 min read

How to Avoid Sweepstakes Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • May 20, 2025 • 4 min read

How to Avoid Online Shopping Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • May 19, 2025 • 7 min read

How to Avoid Tax Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • April 28, 2025 • 4 min read

Process Server Scams Are on the Rise

By Cameron Huddleston • April 17, 2025 • 3 min read

Watch Out for Facebook Marketplace Scams

By Rachel Hodge • April 17, 2025 • 3 min read

What Is Investment Fraud and How to Avoid It

By Cameron Huddleston • April 17, 2025 • 6 min read

What to Know About the Change Healthcare Data Breach

By Cameron Huddleston • April 17, 2025 • 4 min read

Are You Using These Common Passwords?

By Cameron Huddleston • April 4, 2025 • 2 min read

Beware of Scams Related to the California Wildfires

By Cameron Huddleston • April 4, 2025 • 3 min read

What Homeowners and Home Buyers Need to Know About Seller Impersonation Fraud

By Cameron Huddleston • March 31, 2025 • 3 min read

What Is Phishing and How to Avoid It?

By Cameron Huddleston • March 21, 2025 • 6 min read

How to Spot Government Imposter Scams

By Donna Freedman • March 18, 2025 • 7 min read

8 Things Not to Carry in Your Wallet

By Cameron Huddleston • March 11, 2025 • 4 min read

Watch Out for Recurring Donations You Didn’t Intend to Make

By Cameron Huddleston • March 11, 2025 • 3 min read

What Seniors Should Know About Trust Mill Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • March 11, 2025 • 5 min read

What to Know About Bitcoin ATM Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • March 4, 2025 • 4 min read

4 Valentine’s Day Scams to Avoid

By Cameron Huddleston • February 25, 2025 • 6 min read

Beware of This Facebook Phishing Scam

By Cameron Huddleston • February 10, 2025 • 3 min read

Buying Flowers for Valentine’s Day? Don’t Fall for Online Florist Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • February 10, 2025 • 3 min read

Don’t Fall for This Craft Fair Scam

By Cameron Huddleston • February 10, 2025 • 3 min read

The Top 10 Holiday Scams of 2024

By Cameron Huddleston • February 10, 2025 • 7 min read

What to Do After a Data Breach

By Cameron Huddleston • January 29, 2025 • 5 min read

What to Do When Your Identity Is Stolen

By Donna Freedman • January 29, 2025 • 6 min read

Watch Out for Package Delivery Scams Around the Holidays

By Cameron Huddleston • January 9, 2025 • 5 min read

How to Avoid Charity Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • December 20, 2024 • 5 min read

2.9 Billion Records Exposed in National Public Data Breach

By Cameron Huddleston • November 21, 2024 • 4 min read

Steer Clear of Veterans Charity Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • November 14, 2024 • 5 min read

How to Spot and Avoid Romance Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • November 13, 2024 • 6 min read

What to Do if Your Computer Is Hacked

By Cameron Huddleston • October 15, 2024 • 11 min read

Steer Clear of Social Media Gift Exchanges

By Cameron Huddleston • October 14, 2024 • 3 min read

How to Protect Your Account Passwords

By Cameron Huddleston • October 11, 2024 • 4 min read

What Is Debit Card Fraud?

By Cameron Huddleston • October 4, 2024 • 5 min read

How to Report a Fraudulent Charge

By Cameron Huddleston • September 19, 2024 • 6 min read

Avoid These Labor Day Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • September 5, 2024 • 4 min read

What Is Account Takeover Fraud?

By Cameron Huddleston • July 29, 2024 • 7 min read

Safest Ways to Pay Online and In-Person

By Cameron Huddleston • July 26, 2024 • 4 min read

How to Avoid the Latest Job Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • July 25, 2024 • 4 min read

How to Recognize and Avoid Text Scams

By Donna Freedman • July 2, 2024 • 6 min read

Watch Out for Check Washing Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • July 2, 2024 • 3 min read

What Is Elder Financial Abuse?

By Cameron Huddleston • June 14, 2024 • 6 min read

How to Protect Elderly Parents Against Scams and Fraud

By Cameron Huddleston • March 20, 2024 • 8 min read

Signs Your Elderly Parents Are Victims of Scams or Fraud

By Cameron Huddleston • March 20, 2024 • 4 min read

Why You Should Freeze Your Credit Reports

By Cameron Huddleston • February 23, 2024 • 4 min read

Scams That Target the Military

By Cameron Huddleston • February 2, 2024 • 4 min read

How to Avoid Military Romance Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • January 31, 2024 • 3 min read

Beware of Scammers Selling Fake Postage Stamps

By Cameron Huddleston • January 26, 2024 • 2 min read

How to Protect Your Retirement Account from Hackers

By Cameron Huddleston • January 12, 2024 • 5 min read

IRS Warns of Charity Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • January 4, 2024 • 4 min read

Don’t Fall for Zelle Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • January 2, 2024 • 5 min read

FTC Issuing Refunds to Tech Support Scheme Victims

By Cameron Huddleston • November 20, 2023 • 2 min read

Can You Get Your Money Back From Payment App Scams?

By Cameron Huddleston • November 16, 2023 • 6 min read

What Is Credit Card Fraud?

By Cameron Huddleston • November 16, 2023 • 7 min read

Don’t Fall for Facebook Account Recovery Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • November 2, 2023 • 3 min read

What to Do if Your Driver's License Is Stolen or Exposed in a Data Breach

By Cameron Huddleston • October 24, 2023 • 5 min read

What to Do if Your Passport Is Stolen

By Cameron Huddleston • October 19, 2023 • 4 min read

FTC Takes Action Against Publishers Clearing House for Misleading Consumers

By Cameron Huddleston • September 28, 2023 • 3 min read

How to Spot the Latest IRS Text Scam

By Cameron Huddleston • September 28, 2023 • 3 min read

Survey: Americans Are Worried About Protecting Parents from Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • September 28, 2023 • 6 min read

What to Know About Recession Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • September 28, 2023 • 6 min read

Watch Out for Fake QR Code Parking Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • September 14, 2023 • 2 min read

How to Check Your Credit Report and Why You Should

By Cameron Huddleston • July 14, 2023 • 4 min read

How Seniors Can Protect Their Credit and Identity

By Cameron Huddleston • May 19, 2023 • 6 min read

What Are Gift Card Scams?

By Cameron Huddleston • April 27, 2023 • 6 min read

How to Hang up on Scam Calls

By Cameron Huddleston • March 28, 2023 • 5 min read

Watch Out for Deed Notice Scam Letters

By Cameron Huddleston • March 9, 2023 • 2 min read

How to Protect Aging Parents from Romance Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • March 8, 2023 • 5 min read

How to Check Your Parents’ Credit Reports

By Cameron Huddleston • March 3, 2023 • 5 min read

Why You Need a My Social Security Account

By Cameron Huddleston • February 22, 2023 • 6 min read

How to Avoid Holiday Scams

By Donna Freedman • January 26, 2023 • 7 min read

Scams That Target Homeowners

By Donna Freedman • January 26, 2023 • 9 min read

Don't Fall for These Airfare Scams

By Rachel Hodge • January 25, 2023 • 3 min read

What to Know About Cryptocurrency Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • January 25, 2023 • 5 min read

How to Spot a Fake Check

By Rachel Hodge • January 24, 2023 • 4 min read

Beware of Scams Targeting Your Bank Account

By Cameron Huddleston • January 23, 2023 • 4 min read

How to Avoid Gift Card Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • January 23, 2023 • 4 min read

Senior Scams and How to Avoid Them

By Donna Freedman • January 23, 2023 • 5 min read

Watch Out for Secret Shopper Scams

By Rachel Hodge • January 23, 2023 • 4 min read

Why It's Safe for Seniors to Bank Online

By Cameron Huddleston • January 23, 2023 • 8 min read

How to Guard Against Elder Fraud

By Cameron Huddleston • January 19, 2023 • 15 min read

Why It Might Get Harder to Dispute Credit Card Charges

By Cameron Huddleston • August 26, 2022 • 6 min read

How to Avoid Payment App Scams and Fraud

By Cameron Huddleston • July 29, 2022 • 4 min read

How Your Risk of Financial Exploitation Increases as You Age

By Cameron Huddleston • May 5, 2022 • 7 min read

How to Protect Aging Parents From Stimulus Check Scams

By Cameron Huddleston • November 8, 2021 • 4 min read