FBI Philadelphia warns seniors to beware of scams
Older adults reported fraud losses of more than $7 billion last year, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). In 2025, more than 7,000 older Pennsylvanians (over age 65) reported nearly $216 million in lost money due to fraud. That’s more than $30,000 per person.
“Seniors are being targeted every single day,” said Patrick Duffy, supervisory special agent with FBI Philadelphia. “Year upon year, the losses are growing.”
Over the past 12 months, FBI Philadelphia has seen an increase in government impersonation scams. This is when a scammer pretends to be an FBI agent, Social Security administrator or other official. Contact can be initiated in a variety of ways – by phone, text message or email.
“Scammers are using scare tactics to get seniors to pay fees, f ines or taxes that just aren’t real,” Duffy said. “No federal government agency will ever reach out to individuals and ask for any type of payment over the telephone. They also won’t ask for payment via gift card. If you are asked to pay a government debt with a gift card, that is a scam. You should hang up the phone immediately; no questions asked.”
Other common fraudulent messages include E-ZPass violations and missed jury duty. These messages often use official-looking seals, website URLs and logos.
“If you doubt the legitimacy of a claim, trust your instincts,” Duffy said. “Do some research on your own. Call someone you trust for advice. A legitimate organization or company will not object to you wanting to do your own fact-finding. When someone is contacting you, unsolicited, and asking for money or personal information, it is a huge red flag. Often, a slight pause to think is all that people need to not become a victim.”
Investment scams
Cryptocurrency (also called “crypto”) is digital money that can be purchased and sold over the internet through an online exchange, peer-to-peer platform or direct trade with other users. Crypto is not controlled by a bank or the government. In terms of money lost, cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes have skyrocketed recently.
“If someone you do not know or who you have never met in person, contacts you online and invites you to participate in a cryptocurrency investment ‘opportunity,’ it is likely a scam. Any time a stranger tries to pressure you, it should be heavily scrutinized or avoided altogether.”
Do your own research if you are interested in any type of investment. Contact someone you know and trust to verify the information you are receiving. “If you’ve already invested some money and later deem that investment to be fraudulent, do not pay any additional fees towards it. Scammers often ask for more money to withdraw funds or to pay taxes and fees. They might even offer services to recover lost money.”
To avoid getting scammed, keep your personal and financial information private. Shred any statements and documents that contain your Social Security or bank account numbers. You should also monitor your financial accounts for any strange activity. Log onto your online banking account or app regularly. Review your bank and investment accounts and credit card statements.
“You’d be surprised how many seniors reach out to the FBI for help recovering money from fraud who haven’t looked at their account in months,” Duffy said. “Timely reporting of fraud is essential to helping you collect money lost or stop further losses. Contact the FBI as quickly as you can to report fraudulent activity. We have teams in place that can work with financial institutions who can put stop payments into place. There is a 60% recovery rate if it’s reported to us from 0-72 hours within the wire transfer.”
If you think you are a victim of an online scam, file a report with your local law enforcement agency and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3. gov. You can report other suspicious activity to FBI Philadelphia at 215-418-4000.
