Login | June 18, 2026
Vigilance for seniors and their families
JULIE JASON
Published: June 18, 2026
Do you have an older parent, relative or friend whose finances you may need to help manage one day -- or perhaps you are a senior who may need that kind of help yourself? Staying a step ahead -- by planning now for who will assist and how -- can make the difference between orderly financial caregiving and a crisis that's triggered by illness, decline or fraud.
There is no question that one needs to be vigilant.
The FBI Internet Crime Report, released in April 2026, stated that Americans age 60 and older lost more than $7.7 billion to fraud in 2025, an increase of 59% from 2024 (tinyurl.com/3eykktkr). Of the more than 200,000 total complaints from those 60 and older, nearly 12,500 involved losses exceeding $100,000 (the overall average loss for the age group was $38,500).
The top fraud complaints reported were phishing/spoofing (48,064), tech/customer support (21,333) and investment (16,926).
Given this state of affairs, what's the best we can do to become more alert and aware?
A good starting point is the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Investor.gov website, which has a "Older Investors" section (tinyurl.com/5h42a2eu). Look for "Learn to Spot Fraud."
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) offers a "Protecting older adults from fraud and financial exploitation" webpage (tinyurl.com/42jujwwa). Among the topics covered are preventing elder financial abuse for people living in nursing homes and assisted living communities, as well as working with a bank or credit union to protect older adults from financial exploitation.
The FDIC's Money Smart for Older Adults curriculum has downloadable modules that provide information for identifying and reporting financial exploitation (tinyurl.com/4auwjrnz).
The Fidelity Viewpoints piece "10 ways to stop financial elder fraud" outlines steps one can take ahead of a possible crisis, including being alert to changes in financial accounts and scheduling family financial meetings (tinyurl.com/3299ht97).
Let's talk about prevention.
I recently spoke to a reader who received a bill for $5,000 on a credit card she did not own. Thinking that the bill was spam, she was about to throw it away when I suggested we see if the creditor was listed on her file with a credit reporting agency. Indeed it was, as was her unpaid balance of $5,000. We filed identity theft reports with the local police department and the Federal Trade Commission (identifytheft.gov) and also placed credit freezes with the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion).
Potentially, the identify theft could have been prevented if the senior had previously placed freezes on her record, Freezes make it "harder for identity thieves to open new credit and other financial accounts in your name," citing the CFPB report "Protect your identity: What older adults should know" (tinyurl.com/5y24cf94). You can find out more information about initiating a freeze at the CFPB website (tinyurl.com/s75yxmk3) or at the three credit reporting agencies.
One important way to stem financial fraud is to report it when it occurs. The National Elder Fraud Hotline (833-372-8311) is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime. In using the hotline, you will "reach a case manager who will help you through the reporting process at the federal, state, and local levels" (tinyurl.com/sah4kdmv). The Federal Trade Commission (reportfraud.ftc.gov), FBI (ic3.gov) and AARP (877-908-3360) also provide fraud-reporting options.
The National Adult Protective Services Association (napsa-now.org) has contact information for state organizations that handle complaints about elder exploitation.
You can report Social Security fraud at the Office of the Inspector General (oig.ssa.gov) and Medicare fraud at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General (oig.hhs.gov).
The resources list provided here is only a start, but it is good to keep it close at hand in case you are faced with a fraud situation. Be sure to share this column with family members as well.
Seasoned investment counsel (tinyurl.com/52nus8hz) and award-winning columnist and author, Julie Jason, JD, LLM, promotes financial literacy and investor protection. Read her latest book, "The Discerning Investor: Personal Portfolio Management in Retirement for Lawyers (and Their Clients)" (tinyurl.com/4u7h9pjs), published by the American Bar Association. Write to Julie at readers@juliejason.com. While all questions cannot be answered, each email is read and reviewed and can lead to discussion in a future column.
COPYRIGHT 2026 Julie Jason, DISTRIBUTED BY ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106; 816-581-7500