Each alert comes from an official government source and represents fraud actively targeting seniors right now. Read the red flags, share with family. If you encounter any of these — hang up, delete, or close the browser. Report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Critical — Active Alerts
IRS impersonation is the #1 scam targeting seniors. In 2026, scammers are using AI-generated voices that sound authoritative and professional. The IRS listed AI-enabled phone impersonation as #2 on its 2026 Dirty Dozen scam list. Tax scam reports have increased 323% since 2020.
Red flags: Caller claims you owe taxes and must pay immediately. Demands gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. Threatens arrest. The IRS always sends a letter first — it never calls without prior written notice.
What to do: Hang up immediately. If you're worried you actually owe taxes, call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040 using a number you look up yourself.
Full IRS Scam Guide →Scammers are mailing fake Medicare cards that look surprisingly legitimate — some include holograms or plastic card designs. The mailers claim your benefits have been "updated" and require you to call a number to activate. The call is answered by scammers who request your Social Security number, Medicare ID, and banking details. Medicare is not currently issuing new cards. The last major update occurred years ago when SSNs were removed from cards.
Red flags: Unexpected Medicare card in the mail. Instructions to call a phone number to "activate." Any request for your SSN or bank details by phone.
What to do: Do not call the number on the card. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) directly if you have questions about your coverage.
Full Medicare Fraud Guide →On February 20, 2026, the SSA Office of Inspector General issued a formal warning about a sharp increase in fraudulent emails falsely claiming to provide access to a recipient's Social Security statement. The emails use official SSA logos, language, and formatting. Clicking any embedded link installs malware or directs to a fake site designed to steal SSNs and financial details. SSA Assistant Inspector General Michelle Anderson stated: "These messages are not from Social Security. Anyone who receives one should delete it immediately and report it."
Red flags: Email claiming your Social Security statement is ready to view. Links or attachments in unsolicited emails. Official-looking letterhead and logos.
What to do: Delete without clicking. Access your real statement at ssa.gov/myaccount — type this directly into your browser, never click a link from email.
High Risk — Ongoing Alerts
AI tools can clone a person's voice from as little as 3 seconds of audio scraped from social media. Grandparent scams now use this technology to make callers sound exactly like a grandchild or family member in distress. The FBI documented over $5 million in distress scam losses in 2025, and the tactic is expanding. Voice cloning fraud increased 400% in 2025. McAfee found that 70% of people surveyed could not detect an AI-cloned voice.
Red flags: Unexpected call from a distressed "grandchild." Request for cash, gift cards, or wire transfer. "Don't tell Mom and Dad." A "lawyer" or "police officer" takes over the call.
What to do: Establish a family safe word — a unique phrase only your family knows. If you get this call, ask for the safe word. Then hang up and call your grandchild directly on their real number.
Full Grandparent Scam Guide →Crypto ATM fraud targeting seniors surged 58% in 2025, with older Americans losing $257 million. Scammers — most often posing as government officials or tech support — instruct victims to withdraw cash and feed it into cryptocurrency kiosks found in pharmacies, gas stations, and convenience stores. The funds are immediately transferred to scammer-controlled wallets and are nearly impossible to recover. Indiana became the first state to ban crypto kiosks; several other states are pursuing restrictions.
Red flags: Any instruction to use a cryptocurrency ATM or kiosk. Government agents, bank representatives, or tech support never ask for crypto payments. QR codes provided by callers to scan at kiosks.
What to do: Refuse and hang up. No legitimate government agency, bank, or company uses crypto ATMs for payments.
Full Investment Fraud Guide →Tech support scams cost Americans $2.1 billion in 2025, with adults 60 and older the most targeted group. The FBI's "Phantom Hacker" variant layers three stages: a tech support call that gains computer access, a fake bank fraud call, then a government impersonation call instructing victims to move savings to a "federal safety account." Victims have lost entire retirement savings through this multi-stage escalation. Government impersonation complaints nearly doubled in 2025.
Red flags: Screen pop-up with a phone number to call. Unsolicited tech company call. Being transferred from "tech support" to a "bank representative" to a "government agent." Instructions to withdraw cash or buy gold.
What to do: Close the browser (force-quit if necessary). Hang up on unsolicited tech calls. No real government agency ever asks you to move or "protect" your money.
Full Tech Support Scam Guide →The new $2,100 Part D out-of-pocket cap has created genuine confusion that scammers are actively exploiting. Callers claim seniors are owed a "2026 Part D refund" due to overpayment and ask for bank account numbers to direct deposit the funds. The refund cap mechanism is real — but refunds are processed automatically through Medicare, never through phone calls requesting banking information.
Red flags: Unsolicited call about a Part D refund. Request for bank routing or account numbers. Caller claims to be from Medicare, CMS, or your insurance carrier.
What to do: Hang up. If you have questions about Part D benefits, call 1-800-MEDICARE or log in at Medicare.gov.
Full Medicare Fraud Guide →Emerging Threats to Watch
Investment fraud reached $8.6 billion in 2025 — nearly half of all reported cybercrime losses. Cryptocurrency pig butchering, which begins with a "wrong number" text that leads to a months-long relationship before a fake investment platform is introduced, is the primary driver. AARP's February 2026 research found that nearly 1 in 10 adults 50 and older have had an online contact ask them for money or push a crypto investment. Pig butchering complaint volume rose 48% in 2025.
Red flags: "Wrong number" text that leads to friendly conversation. Online contact who mentions cryptocurrency trading. Any investment platform recommended by someone you met online.
What to do: Do not send money to anyone you haven't met in person. Verify any investment platform at FINRA BrokerCheck (brokercheck.finra.org) before transferring any funds.
Full Investment Fraud Guide →Scammers are spreading misinformation on Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube claiming that a special code or form entry can increase a tax refund. Seniors who engage are directed to fake IRS websites or impersonation forms that collect Social Security numbers, bank details, and driver's license information. The IRS has issued explicit warnings: no online trick, code, or form entry can change a calculated refund amount. Refunds are based strictly on verified income and credits.
Red flags: Social media posts or videos claiming a "refund trick" or secret IRS credit. Links to websites that ask for your SSN or bank account. Anyone offering to "maximise your refund" through unconventional methods.
What to do: Check your actual refund status only at IRS.gov/refunds — never through a link in social media. Report suspicious IRS impersonation sites to phishing@irs.gov.
Full IRS Scam Guide →How to Report an Active Scam
Your report protects others and helps investigators build patterns that lead to enforcement action — whether or not you lost money.