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Scammers preferentially target older adults for several reasons. Cognitive impairment and financial insecurity may make them vulnerable targets. Older adults are also perceived as less technologically savvy, and thus scammers often target older adults with telephone or online scams (https://www.aarp.org/money/scams‐fraud).

Table 4.3 describes some of the most common scams and measures older adults can take to protect themselves. As technology continues to evolve, new scams will develop, and it will be impossible to counsel patients against all possible scams. Additionally, while not truly ‘scams’, unscrupulous businesses may try to upsell older adults with unneeded products or sell questionable investment prod ucts. Following are some general safety practices that patients can take to protect themselves financially:

Table 4.3 Common scams targeting older adults.

Scam	Description	Protection measures
Health insurance (Medicare) fraud	Patient's insurance number is either stolen or willingly given under false pretences Patients may owe copays for products received, lose ineligibility for future claims, or pay higher premiums as a result of false claims	Never provide insurance information to unsolicited callers.Review healthcare and explanation of benefits documents; report unfamiliar services, equipment, or charges.
Fake check scam	Victim is provided with a check or wire transfer as payment under the pretence of employment, a prize, a law settlement, etc. Victim is asked to transfer a portion of that money to another account via wire transfer, payment app, or gift cards. Initial check will not clear, and victim will owe their financial institution the money transferred/spent.	Be wary of any offer of ‘free money’ or other offers that seems too good to be true.If given an unexpected check, call the issuer (via a reputable phone number from an official website) to ensure validity.Never wire money or send gift cards to strangers – this money is almost always unrecoverable.
Phishing	Victim receives an email, text message, phone call, or other solicitation requesting protected information, such as login details, credit card number, SSN, etc. The solicitation often mirrors reputable websites/companies but originates from an illegitimate source.	Confirm the domain name in emails and websites.Always visit websites directly rather than clicking links through emails.Be wary of emails with misspellings, grammatical errors, warnings of dire consequences, and/or a need for immediate action.
Imposter scam	Scammer impersonates a person the victim knows or pretends to be from a reputable company (such as a government agency). Cat‐fishing is a common variant in which the impostor attempts to lure the victim into a romantic relationship. Grandparent scam is a common variant in which the scammer pretends to be a grandchild in dire legal or medical trouble.	Consider a family ‘code word’ that can be provided on request to positively identify oneself. If a call from a company seems suspicious, hang up and call the company using a legitimate customer service number. Be wary of romantic relationships in which the person of interest requests money and/or is unavailable to meet in person.
Fake lottery scam	Victims are told they are the recipients of contest winnings or a celebrity give‐away. Victims are asked to pay a fee and/or disclose private information (such as account numbers) in order to receive their winnings. Victims may be asked to forward a portion of their winnings to another account (similar to the fake‐check scam).	In the US, it is illegal to require additional fees to collect winnings after a lottery ticket is purchased. Follow the same guidance as for the fake check scam.

 Consider freezing credit and/or obtaining a credit monitoring service.

 Consider granting banking account access to a spouse, adult child, or other trusted family member, to monitor accounts for suspicious activity.

 Never provide private information (including insurance numbers) to strangers.

 Never send money to strangers. Wire transfers and gift cards are preferred currency for scammers because the money is difficult to get back.

 Carefully review bills, explanations of benefits, and other financial documents to confirm that all charges and prices match expectations.

 Review website URLs and email domains carefully. Scammers use ‘spoofing techniques’, such as URLs that closely match a well‐known company but differ by a single letter.

 Be wary of high‐pressure sales techniques or solicitations from charities.

 Be wary of threats of immediate legal action, extortion, or dire consequences.

 Offers that seem too good to be true usually are. Work‐from‐home jobs that offer a high salary in exchange for minimal skills/labour, unsolicited contest winnings, overpayments, etc., are almost always scams.

Anti‐ageing medications are another type of fraud that deserves special consideration. Pseudoscientific claims of agents that will ‘reverse the ageing process’ or ‘prevent dementia’ are advertised online, on television, and in printed media. Many of these claims are based on questionable studies demonstrating minimal benefit. Other claims are based on hypotheses with some biologic basis but no proven results, which are then misrepresented in the mainstream media. Still other claims seem to have no scientific basis at all. Although emerging technologies such as stem cells, agents targeting telomerase, and other new innovations may one day impact the ageing process, claims of ‘anti‐ageing’ agents should be treated with the utmost scepticism by providers and patients alike.