The best fraud awareness programs for seniors are free, government-backed or nonprofit, and built to do two things: teach you to spot a scam before you lose money, and help you recover if you already have. The strongest options are the National Elder Fraud Hotline (833-FRAUD-11), the FDIC and CFPB Money Smart for Older Adults curriculum, the AARP Fraud Watch Network, and the National Council on Aging (NCOA). The need is urgent. Older adults reported losing
$2.4 billion to fraud in 2024, a fourfold jump from $600 million in 2020, according to the Federal Trade Commission. This guide walks through each program, who it serves, what it costs, and how to reach it.
Senior fraud is now a multibillion-dollar crisis, and it is getting worse each year. In 2024, adults 60 and older reported $2.4 billion in fraud losses to the FTC, up 26% from 2023 and 300% from 2020. Because most fraud goes unreported, the agency's full estimate runs far higher.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center tells a similar story. Its data recorded $4.885 billion in elder fraud losses across 147,127 complaints in 2024, a 43% rise in losses and a 46% rise in complaints over the prior year. Investment scams were the single most damaging category, accounting for about $744 million of reported losses among older adults.
Two patterns make these numbers personal. First, large losses drive the total: reports of more than $100,000 made up just 5% of older adults' loss reports but 68% of the dollars lost. Second, the median loss climbs with age. The FTC found that people 80 and older reported median individual losses above $1,600. A single successful scam can erase years of retirement savings.
A strong senior fraud program does more than list scam types. It combines prevention education, a real point of human contact, and a clear path to reporting and recovery. The programs below were chosen because they meet that bar and cost nothing to use.
Use these five criteria to judge any fraudulent resource you come across:
The right program depends on whether you need prevention training, urgent help with a suspicious contact, or support after a loss. The table below compares the five leading programs side by side so you can match your situation to the right resource.
| Program | Run By | Best For | How to Reach It |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Elder Fraud Hotline | U.S. Dept. of Justice (OVC) | Case-managed help after being targeted or scammed | Call 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311) |
| Money Smart for Older Adults | FDIC and CFPB | Group prevention training and printable lessons | fdic.gov Money Smart |
| AARP Fraud Watch Network | AARP (nonprofit) | Live scam guidance, local alerts, scam-tracking map | Helpline 877-908-3360 |
| NCOA Scam Education | National Council on Aging | Digital literacy and emerging threats like deepfakes | ncoa.org |
| CFPB Resources | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | Trusted-contact planning and diminished-capacity prep | consumerfinance.gov |
Phone numbers and program details verified against agency sources, June 2026.
Federal agencies run the most authoritative senior fraud programs, and all of them are free. These three are the ones worth saving in your phone and sharing with family.
The National Elder Fraud Hotline is the first number to call if you or a loved one age 60 or older has been targeted. Managed by the Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime, it assigns each caller a personal case manager who helps assess the situation, file reports at the federal, state, and local levels, and connect to local services. The line is staffed by professionals trained to work with older adults, and it operates in English, Spanish, and other languages.
One practical note: case managers can also tell you whether a text, email, or letter you received is actually a scam before you act on it. That single check has stopped countless losses. Reach the hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).
Money Smart for Older Adults is the leading free prevention curriculum, developed jointly by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It covers ten topics, including investment fraud, identity theft, charity scams, and schemes aimed at homeowners and veterans. The package includes instructor guides, presentation slides, and a take-home resource guide, which makes it easy for a senior center, library, or faith group to run a session.
If you lead a community group, this is the program to deploy. You can download the full instructor and participant materials from the FDIC Money Smart page at no cost.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes fraud-protection materials aimed at consumers, caregivers, financial professionals, and the staff of nursing homes and assisted livingResidential living environments for seniors who require assistance with daily activities but do not ... communities. Its guidance on choosing a trusted contact person and planning ahead for diminished capacity is especially useful for families who want safeguards in place before a crisis.
Two nonprofits stand out for the depth and freshness of their fraud education. Both are free, and both update their material as new scams appear.
The AARP Fraud Watch Network runs a free helpline at 877-908-3360, open to members and non-members alike, where trained volunteers and staff talk through suspicious situations. The network also publishes alerts about scams active in your area, hosts educational workshops, and maintains a scam-tracking map and resource center. AARP's prevention advice centers on three red flags that nearly every scam shares: an unexpected contact, a surge of emotion, and a sense of urgency.
Expert insight: AARP's Fraud Watch Network advises taking an "active pause" the moment those red flags appear, giving yourself time to process before you respond. Kathy Stokes, who directs fraud prevention programs at AARP, put the warning plainly to CNBC: if someone contacts you out of the blue and there is urgency, that is a strong sign of fraud.
The National Council on Aging focuses on money management and scam avoidance, with a strong emphasis on digital literacy. Its recent material covers emerging threats that older programs miss, including deepfakes and AI-generated voice scams that can convincingly mimic a family member. NCOA gives practical advice on how to identify manipulated audio and video, which matters more every year as the technology improves.
Fraud awareness starts with naming the scheme. Here are the schemes that target older adults most often, defined in plain terms so you can spot them fast.
Prevention comes down to a few habits anyone can adopt. Walk through these steps, then put the relevant phone numbers somewhere easy to find.
Family caregivers and financial institutions catch a large share of elder fraud before the money is gone. The key for families is open, non-judgmental communication, because shame keeps many victims silent.
Warning signs of financial exploitation include sudden changes in banking habits, unexplained large withdrawals, the sudden appearance of a new "friend" or advisor, and confusion about money matters. If you notice these in a parent, raise them with care rather than blame.
Banks and credit unions have legal cover to act. The Senior Safe Act of 2018 gives financial professionals immunity when they report suspected exploitation in good faith, and institutions can place transaction holds, delay disbursements, and file suspicious activity reports when something looks wrong. If a bank flags a transaction on your parents' account, treat it as a possible save, not an inconvenience.
The fight against senior fraud runs on three things: knowing the schemes, having a trusted number to call, and reporting fast when something feels wrong. The National Elder Fraud Hotline, Money Smart for Older Adults, the AARP Fraud Watch Network, and NCOA give you all three at no cost. As of 2026, with reported losses topping $2.4 billion a year and AI making scams harder to detect, putting one or two of these resources in place is among the most practical steps a senior or family can take.
Save the National Elder Fraud Hotline number, 833-FRAUD-11, and the AARP Fraud Watch Network number, 877-908-3360, in both your phone and your parent’s phone. Then learn how to protect against energy assistance scams in SeniorStrong’s guide to LIHEAP fraud prevention measures for seniors.
The National Elder Fraud Hotline number is 833-FRAUD-11, which dials as 833-372-8311. It is a free Department of Justice resource for anyone age 60 or older who has been targeted by fraud. A case manager helps you report the crime and connects you to local support services.
Yes. The leading programs, including the National Elder Fraud Hotline, Money Smart for Older Adults, the AARP Fraud Watch Network helpline, and NCOA's scam education, are all free. Be cautious of any service that charges seniors a fee to access basic fraud education or reporting help.
Adults 60 and older reported $2.4 billion in fraud losses to the FTC in 2024, up from $600 million in 2020. Because most fraud goes unreported, the FTC estimates real losses that year reached as high as $81.5 billion. The FBI's IC3 separately recorded $4.885 billion in elder fraud complaints in 2024.
Older adults are disproportionately hit by tech support scams, prize and lottery scams, romance scams, and government impersonation. By dollars lost, investment scams did the most damage in 2024, with about $744 million in reported losses among adults 60 and older, often starting with social media contact.
Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, for internet crimes, to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. If the victim is 60 or older, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 for case-managed help filing those reports.
Yes. Scammers now use AI to clone a relative's voice or create fake video, which makes grandparent and emergency scams far more convincing. The National Council on Aging publishes guidance on spotting manipulated media, and a family password agreed in advance is a simple, effective defense.
