Protecting our older adults from frauds and scams

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Millions of elderly Americans fall victim to some type of fraud or scam each year, with the FBI saying seniors rack up more than $3 billion in losses.

The California Department of Aging wants older adults and their families to look out for any red flags that they might see.

After retiring as the Executive Director from the Valley Caregiver Resource Center, Michelle DiBuduo received messages and calls congratulating her on her new crypto business.

That's when she knew something wasn't right. So she went to her Facebook page.

"There was a post that wasn't from me, asking people to use one word to identify how they knew me," said DiBuduo. "I had about 160 responses. Now I have several hundred people on Facebook, but I've never gotten 160 responses for posting."

The post said "after months of endless studying and training," she was now a certified "Expert Crypto Trader." It even included pictures of certificates.

"I responded, I was able to at that point, not as myself, saying this is fake and this is not me," said DiBuduo.

It took a while before the post was taken down, but she still worries about those who may have fallen for the fake post.

"I don't know how many people responded to the Facebook ad," said DiBuduo, "responded to those people, those hackers, and gave them money."

From January 2022 to February 2025, the California Department of Social Services received more than 190,000 reports of alleged financial abuse.

"It's been prevalent and it's been an uptick, mostly in California," said Hillaree Bennett, the Program Director at the Fresno-Madera Area Agency on Aging. "Specifically in Fresno and Madera, the areas we serve at the Agency of Aging."

Experts fear more cases go unreported.

"That's because victims, whether they are older adults or individuals in general, feel embarrassed about becoming a victim of a fraud or scam or losing a lot of money," said Kue Lee, the Director of Targeted Outreach at the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.

He adds that older adults tend to be more trusting. With evolving technology and artificial intelligence developments, scams are becoming more complex.

"Older adults are vulnerable and exploited because of technology," said Bennett.

But there are steps we can take to protect our older adults.

"Do not answer, do not reply back to any phone calls or text messages, or emails from individuals you don't know," said Lee. "The next layer of protection is to do your own research, check credentials."

People need to report these frauds and scams to the authorities. Teaching our loved ones about changing technology and limiting our information can also keep our older adults safe.

To find trusted resources to help protect yourself and loved ones, visit the California Department of Aging website.

This story is part of our ABCs of Aging series, sponsored by the California Department of Aging.