EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – Older adults are a growing population in Rhode Island, and a growing target for criminals seeking to scam them out of their hard-earned savings.

In an effort to protect older Americans from financial exploitation and the proliferation of evolving scams, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today teamed up with AARP Rhode Island and the Rhode Island State Police’s Financial Crimes Unit for an Elder Fraud Prevention Summit at the East Providence Senior Center.  The presentation and Q&A session focused on a range of fraud and scams that criminals are using to target older adults and included tips for detection, prevention, and advice on how to report and recover if you or a loved one is victimized.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), elder fraud complaints rose by 14 percent in 2023, and losses grew by 11 percent. The report found that elder fraud resulted in losses of over $3.4 billion in 2023, including $7.4 million lost by Rhode Islanders over age sixty due to scams.

Senator Reed says public education and outreach is needed to lower that number, which is likely underreported because many victims are too embarrassed to notify the authorities or don’t know where to turn.  He credited AARP, the Rhode Island State Police, and local TV stations and the news media for helping to raise awareness and enable older Americans protect themselves, recognize telltale signs of scams, reduce victimization, and combat the financial exploitation.

“Two of the most important things people can do to protect themselves against fraud is to stay informed and have open lines of communication with trusted sources.  And if you do get scammed, report it to the authorities right away so they can help you.  Criminals targeting older Americans try to scare victims and create a false sense of urgency.  Know the signs, stay informed, and never be embarrassed if you ever get caught up in a scam.  The criminals are master manipulators and with Artificial Intelligence and new technology, anyone can get scammed.  Brilliant people of all ages and from all walks of life have been victimized.  The one thing most victims have in common is: They didn’t tell anyone else what was happening.  Don’t let it happen to you.  Be forewarned and help stop these crimes by reporting them.  Local, state, and federal law enforcement are working together to go after the bad guys and bring them to justice,” said Senator Reed.

To help older Rhode Islanders stay informed about evolving scams and equip them with tools to stop the latest fraud techniques, AARP offers a free Fraud Watch Network’s Watchdog Alert, a twice monthly notification that lets users know about the latest trending scams and how to spot and avoid them. It’s also easy to share with friends and family.

AARP Rhode Island’s State Director Catherine Taylor stated: “There’s a false narrative that older people are gullible or forgetful. That’s not true. If you are the victim of a scam, it’s not your fault. The fact is many of these scams are being perpetrated by usually offshore criminals who are well organized, well resourced, and highly skilled. And they have a playbook with three common elements: make unexpected contact, yield high emotion, and create a sense of urgency. AARP Rhode Island has a host of resources, information and support that equip older Rhode Islanders to fight back against the crime of fraud.”

Nationwide, the FBI reports that tech support scams were the most widely reported type of scam last year.  The top five varieties of scams include: personal data breaches, confidence and romance scams, non-payment or non-delivery scams, and investment scams. Investment scams were the costliest type of elder fraud.

The Rhode Island State Police offers an Identity Theft, Fraud & Scams resource page with detailed tips on detecting and preventing a range of financial crimes. 

“Romance scams, investment scams, pop-up scams on computers, and others are all things we’ve seen in Rhode Island. Although they may differ in tactics, the goal is the same: to take your money,” said Lieutenant Richard Ptaszek, head of Rhode Island State Police Financial Crimes Unit. “To help prevent scams, you must take your time, think about the request being made, trust your judgement and follow up with a trusted source.”

If fraud occurs, please help the authorities track and prosecute it by reporting it to both the local police and using the Federal Trade Commission’s online reporting portal: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov  Last year, Rhode Islanders reported 11,906 fraud complaints to the FTC.

To reach the Rhode Island State Police’s Financial Crimes Unit directly, call: (401) 764-5179.

The U.S. Department of Justice also has a toll-free National Elder Fraud Hotline available to help at: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).  The hotline is staffed during business hours by caseworkers trained in elder abuse and offers translation services for non-English speakers.

The presentation focused on combatting several types of schemes that the FBI says are among the most prevalent today, including:

  • Tech support scam: Criminals pose as technology support representatives and offer to fix non-existent computer issues. The scammers gain remote access to victims’ devices and sensitive information.
  • Grandparent scam: A type of confidence scam where criminals pose as a relative—usually a child or grandchild—claiming to be in immediate financial need.
  • Government impersonation scam: Criminals pose as government employees and threaten to arrest or prosecute victims unless they agree to provide funds or other payments.
  • Sweepstakes/charity/lottery scam: Criminals claim to work for legitimate charitable organizations to gain victims’ trust. Or they claim their targets have won a foreign lottery or sweepstake, which they can collect for a “fee.”
  • Home repair scam: Criminals appear in person and charge homeowners in advance for home improvement services that they never provide.
  • Romance scam: Criminals pose as interested romantic partners on social media or dating websites to capitalize on their elderly victims’ desire to find companions.
  • TV/radio scam: Criminals target potential victims using illegitimate advertisements about legitimate services, such as reverse mortgages or credit repair.
  • Family/caregiver scam: Relatives or acquaintances of the elderly victims take advantage of them or otherwise get their money.

In many of these scams, the criminal impersonates someone else and tricks the victim over the phone or email, claiming there’s an issue with their bank account and they must make a crypto investment in order to resolve the problem. The scammer instructs the target to convert cash to cryptocurrency and upload it to an unsecured account that the scammer can access. 

No legitimate entity will contact you over the phone and urge you to pay with crypto currency, gift cards, or precious metals.  Any time someone does this, hang up or cut off contact and report the incident.

For more information, visit Senator Reed’s scam prevention page: https://www.reed.senate.gov/seniorscams