'We grew up trusting people': FBI report shows elderly scams skyrocketing

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Seniors continue to take the hardest hits when it comes to scams, especially in Florida. New data released by the FBI shows not only the number of elderly victims going up, but also, the amount of money they’re losing.

Those 60 years and older have always been an easy target for scammers. Only now, new technology is upping the stakes.

"In the bad guys' favor, without a doubt. Because they can send out millions of cell calls and out of the millions, they’re going to catch a few people. And they do," Marvin Badler, the Seniors vs. Crime Project manager, said.

The new data shows last year’s scams targeting seniors skyrocketed.

Total losses reported were 84 percent higher than in 2021, which was a whopping $3.11 billion lost nationwide. Of that, Florida ranks second highest overall.

"I’m not surprised," Badler said."The person that’s going to commit the scam, he’s targeting this group of people."

Badler works under the Attorney General to educate the elderly on how not to fall victim to scams.

"The seniors believe everybody, like myself we grew up trusting people. A handshake was ok. But today everything has to be in writing and even if it’s in writing it doesn’t mean anything," Badler said.

The FBI report shows elderly Floridians were scammed out of just under $350 million in 2022.

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Tech and customer support scams continue to be the most commonly reported.

"They’ll get a warning you know call this number right away or you’re going to lose everything on the computer," Badler said.

Aggressive requests are a red flag. Be wary of anyone asking for access to personal property or private information. There's always a chance that those on the other side of the call or computer screen, aren’t who they say they are.

These crooks can be clever and convincing.

Beware of anyone asking for payment using pre-paid cash cards or cryptocurrency. Those can be the hardest to track and recoup.