Philadelphia, Pa. — Criminals like to prey on the elderly because they are seen as easy targets: financially stable, trusting, and unlikely to report crimes committed against them.
Thousands of Americans fall victim to these scams every year, with the Philadelphia FBI reporting that older Pennsylvanians lost over $77 million in 2021—and those are only the reported cases.
The latest batch of scamming techniques that the FBI is tracking are romance scams, tech support scams, fake government agent scams, and “grandchild” scams where a caller claims to be a relative.
Romance scams, also known as confidence scams
Criminals create fake profiles on dating sites or social media platforms to form a relationship with a target. Using the built-up relationship, they then manipulate and steal from victims. These are some of the most common scams reported to the FBI, and the Bureau is warning the public about a rise in romance scammers stealing through cryptocurrency schemes.
Tips to avoid romance scams
- Think twice before sharing personal information online. Scammers can use information shared on dating sites and social media to find and manipulate targets.
- If an online suitor tries to isolate you from friends or family, they may be a scammer – and if they’re not a scammer, they’re still a creep.
- If someone is requesting inappropriate photos or financial…
