Like your colleague who sends overly detailed emails, scammers have also discovered AI. Unlike Patty in Procurement, criminals know exactly how to use it.
This week, we’re highlighting the top five tech-enabled scams targeting older adults, how they work, and what Mom should do before she sends a dime.
ICYMI
🖼️ Verywell Health reports that a little culture may do more than fill the calendar, with new research linking movies, museums, and concerts to slower biological aging.
💊 Duke researchers are seeing promise and real risks with an Alzheimer’s drug that may slow disease progression for some early-stage patients.
📖 Katherine May’s new book Tending looks at what happens when life hands you a caregiving role you did not apply for, and the invisible work that follows.
🛟 Good News Network shares the story of a grandmother who learned to swim after retiring, then used that skill to save a drowning man half her age.
🧠 Former 49ers star Roger Craig revealed he has vascular dementia, sharing his diagnosis as the conversation around football and brain health continues to grow.
Take 5: The Top Scams Coming for Mom’s Money
According to the National Council on Aging, Americans 60 and older reported more than $7.7 billion in fraud losses in 2025 to the FBI, up roughly 37% from the year before. And that’s almost certainly an undercount: the FBI says many scams are never reported. Most of the crimes have been around for decades but tech advantages had made them more difficult to spot.
Here are five scams NCOA says Mom should put on her radar:
1. The “your grandchild needs help” scam
Someone calls Mom pretending to be a grandchild, police officer, doctor, or attorney. There’s been an accident, an arrest, or a medical emergency. And, of course, they need money right now. AI voice cloning has made this one especially nasty: the person on the other end can actually sound like someone she loves.
Tell Mom:
Hang up, even if the voice sounds familiar.
Call the grandchild or another family member directly.
Never send gift cards, cash, or a wire because someone says it’s an emergency.
If they’re told to keep it secret, that’s another giant red flag.
2. The “your bank account has been compromised” scam
A text, email, or call looks like it’s coming from Mom’s bank, mortgage company, or a debt collector. The scammer may already know just enough about her to sound convincing. Then comes the ask: a password, Social Security number, verification code, or immediate payment. And she can’t always trust the caller ID. That can be faked too thanks to advancements in tech.
Tell Mom:
Don’t click the link.
Don’t give out passwords or verification codes.
Hang up and call the number printed on the bank card or statement.
3. The tech-support scam
Mom’s computer freezes and a scary, yet convincing, warning pops up. Conveniently, there’s a number to call for help or chat with. The “technician” who responds may use AI to mimic a corporate tone and converse fluently in real time, then ask for remote access, payment to fix the issue, or both.
Tell Mom:
Don’t call phone numbers in unexpected pop-ups.
Never give a stranger remote access to the computer.
Close the browser or shut down the device and call someone you trust.
4. The government-is-calling scam
Someone claiming to be from Social Security, Medicare, or the IRS threatens arrest, loss of benefits, or some other catastrophe unless payment or personal information is provided immediately. Easy to fall for but it’s more AI-enabled voice cloning at work.
Tell Mom:
Government agencies do not need gift cards to settle Dad’s tax bill.
Hang up.
Contact the agency directly using a number you look up yourself.
5. The romance scam
This one can unfold over weeks or months, often with large language models helping make the deception more convincing. Someone creates a fake online profile, builds a relationship, and eventually asks for money for a medical emergency, travel, a visa, or some other crisis.
Tell Mom:
Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person.
Be particularly wary when a new online relationship quickly includes financial emergencies.
Loop in someone you trust before sending money.
If money has already been sent, move quickly. Contact the bank, credit card company, wire service, gift-card company, or payment app and ask whether the transaction can be stopped or reversed. The Federal Trade Commission says it is worth asking even when recovery isn’t guaranteed.
If personal information was shared, change passwords, and consider freezing credit with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. A credit freeze is free and can help prevent someone from opening new accounts under Mom’s name. Report the scam to the FTC. NCOA also recommends contacting local law enforcement or Adult Protective Services when appropriate.
And in case it’s not obvious, Mom may be more willing to admit your brother is her favorite than tell you she got scammed. She may feel embarrassed, worry you’ll judge her, or fear it will make you question her independence.
Agree now and shake on it: call before she sends money, and call if she already did. No judgment or “I told you so’s.” Promise you’ll figure it out together, just like she did when you forgot to mention your fourth-grade science project until the morning it was due and somehow ended up “sick” that day.
Pop Quiz
You can’t fail this one. Answers and another quiz drop next week.
Has your parent been targeted by a scam?
Parenting Parents
You said it. This week’s submissions.
"I'm not in a great place this week with my folks but I'm glad I live and work close to them."
"Mom decided this week that she doesn't have dementia and it was all just stress."
"I want to go back to just being a daughter."
"Caregiver staff said they found Mom's glasses! NOT hers, but she was wearing them?!"
"Slow moments with my 88 year old dad. It's usually just errands or appts, but we had some QT in July."
