Sources and last-verified dates
Every fact on this site comes from a public page listed here. We read each one on October 17, 2026. Machine-readable copy: /data/sources.json.
| Source | Publisher | Date shown on source | Used for | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What To Do if You Were Scammed | FTC | undated page | Steps by payment type; personal info; computer access | 2026-10-17 |
| How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam | FTC | Nov 2023 | SSA, IRS, Medicare, FTC impersonation facts | 2026-10-17 |
| How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Tech Support Scams | FTC | undated page | Tech support scam rules | 2026-10-17 |
| New tech support scammers want your life savings | FTC Consumer Alert | Mar 2024 | Fake security pop-up leads to fake bank/agency, 'protect your money' transfer | 2026-10-17 |
| False alarm, real scam: how scammers are stealing older adults' life savings | FTC Data Spotlight | Aug 2025 | Imposter scam trend, 'don't move money to protect it', hang up and verify | 2026-10-17 |
| What To Know About Romance Scams | FTC | undated page | Romance scam red flags and steps | 2026-10-17 |
| Why can't that new love interest meet in person? | FTC Consumer Alert | Feb 12, 2026 | Romance scam signs in the AI era | 2026-10-17 |
| Scammers use AI to enhance their family emergency schemes | FTC Consumer Alert | Mar 20, 2023 | Voice cloning; verify with a number you know | 2026-10-17 |
| Have I told you lately that I love you, and how to avoid scams? | FTC Consumer Alert | Feb 13, 2023 | What to say to an older relative; don't keep it secret | 2026-10-17 |
| Consumer Alert: Grandparent scam tips | NY Dept of State, Division of Consumer Protection | undated page | Cash pickup variation of the grandparent scam | 2026-10-17 |
| Scammers use Bitcoin ATMs to steal your money | FTC Consumer Alert | Sep 2024 | Bitcoin ATM advice | 2026-10-17 |
| Bitcoin ATMs: A payment portal for scammers | FTC Data Spotlight | Sep 2024 | Older adults and Bitcoin ATM loss data (first half of 2024) | 2026-10-17 |
| Did someone send you to a Bitcoin ATM? It's a scam | FTC Consumer Alert | Mar 2024 | No government Bitcoin account; QR code; secrecy | 2026-10-17 |
| Avoiding and Reporting Gift Card Scams | FTC | undated page | Gift card rules and reporting | 2026-10-17 |
| How to Recognize and Report Spam Text Messages | FTC | undated page | Forward texts to 7726; report junk | 2026-10-17 |
| Got a text about unpaid tolls? It's probably a scam | FTC Consumer Alert | Jan 17, 2025 | Toll text scams | 2026-10-17 |
| Is that unexpected text a scam? | FTC Consumer Alert | Apr 2025 | Delivery and toll text scams | 2026-10-17 |
| How to Avoid Package Delivery Scams | FCC | undated page | USPIS: forward spam emails to spam@uspis.gov and texts to 7726; brushing and QR code scams | 2026-10-17 |
| What To Know Before You Wire Money | FTC | undated page | Wire transfer and family emergency note | 2026-10-17 |
| Elder Fraud tri-fold (2025 data) | FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | 2026 | 2025 elder fraud totals, top crime types, common schemes, filing tips | 2026-10-17 |
| Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud (I-120324-PSA) | FBI IC3 | Dec 3, 2024 | Secret word or phrase with family; AI voice cloning | 2026-10-17 |
| Tech Support Fraud PSA | FBI IC3 | Mar 28, 2018 | Shut down device on a pop-up lock screen; what to include in a report | 2026-10-17 |
| National Elder Fraud Hotline | U.S. DOJ Office for Victims of Crime | undated page | Hotline number, hours, fraud alert about hotline impersonation | 2026-10-17 |
| AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline | AARP | undated page (read Oct 17, 2026) | Helpline number, hours, recall scam alert | 2026-10-17 |
| Find Out How to Protect Yourself Against AI Scams | AARP | undated page (read Oct 17, 2026) | Safe word suggestion; impostor scam share | 2026-10-17 |
| Biggest Fraud and Scams to Watch for in 2026 | AARP | 2026 | Recovery scams; pig-butchering; FTC trend quote | 2026-10-17 |
| Romance Scams Put Millions of Adults 50-plus at Risk | AARP press release | Feb 3, 2026 | Survey: reporting gaps and shame | 2026-10-17 |
| Report Fraud - Senior Medicare Patrol | SMP Resource Center (funded by ACL/HHS) | undated page | SMP number, OIG hotline, do not put Medicare/SSN in the form | 2026-10-17 |
| SMP Resource Center | SMP Resource Center | undated page | SMP hours | 2026-10-17 |
| SMP Locator | SMP Resource Center | undated page | Find your state SMP | 2026-10-17 |
| Eldercare Locator | ACL (HHS) | Last modified Mar 2, 2026 | Eldercare Locator number | 2026-10-17 |
| What If I Suspect Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation? | ACL (HHS) | undated page | APS; call 911 if in danger; Eldercare Locator hours | 2026-10-17 |
| Reporting elder financial abuse | CFPB | undated page | Report to APS | 2026-10-17 |
| Elder Abuse Reporting Resource: Financial | U.S. DOJ Elder Justice Initiative | Nov 2020 edition | APS handles exploitation by people close to the older adult | 2026-10-17 |
| Protecting Older Consumers 2024-2025 (FTC report) | FTC | Dec 2025 | 2024 reported losses by people 60+ | 2026-10-17 |
| State consumer protection offices | USAGov (GSA) | read Oct 17, 2026 | State and territory consumer office links | 2026-10-17 |
| Learn where to report a scam | USAGov | undated page | Official step-by-step tool that matches scam type and location to an agency | 2026-10-17 |
| Who do I contact for help with a scam or fraud? | CFPB | last reviewed Aug 28, 2026 | Contact FBI/FTC, state AG, local police; real agencies do not tell you to move money to protect it | 2026-10-17 |
| BBB Scam Tracker | Better Business Bureau | live site | Search or report scams by phone, email, website or business | 2026-10-17 |
| AARP Fraud Watch Network Scam-Tracking Map | AARP | live site | Search user-submitted scam reports by area; AARP does not verify them | 2026-10-17 |
| ReportFraud.ftc.gov | FTC | live site | Where to report | 2026-10-17 |
| IC3.gov | FBI IC3 | live site | Where to report | 2026-10-17 |
| IdentityTheft.gov | FTC | live site | Identity theft recovery plan | 2026-10-17 |
| Report postal crime / USPIS | U.S. Postal Inspection Service | live site | Where to report mail fraud | 2026-10-17 |
| TIGTA | Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration | live site | Report IRS impersonation (per FTC) | 2026-10-17 |
| Report Social Security fraud | SSA Office of the Inspector General | live site | Report SSA impersonation (per FTC) | 2026-10-17 |
Numbers we quote
- FBI IC3, 2025 data: over 201,000 victims aged 60+ reported losses of more than $7.7 billion, a 37 percent increase over 2024 (per IC3's Elder Fraud tri-fold); average loss exceeded $38,000; more than 12,000 lost over $100,000. Top 60+ loss types: investment $3.5 billion; tech/customer support $1 billion; confidence/romance $584 million; government impersonation $413 million. These are complaints reported to IC3, not all fraud.
- FTC Sentinel, 2024: people 60+ reported losing nearly $2.4 billion to fraud, up from about $1.9 billion in 2023; 421,031 reports came from people 60+ among reports that included age. The FTC says most fraud is not reported (FTC Protecting Older Consumers 2024-2025).
- AARP survey (Feb 3, 2026): more than half (55%) of adults who lost money to a romance scam never reported it.
Research notes
We also read an r/Scams discussion where a banker asked how to teach seniors about scams. It is anecdotal and we do not use it as a fact source; it informed the focus on simple hard rules, bank-impersonation scams and "anyone who says don't tell anyone is scamming you". The FTC says the same about secrecy.
How we check: links are re-checked monthly. Some government sites block automated checks; we then confirm the page in a browser-based fetch. If you find an error, see the About page.