The State of Florida has a service that alerts elders and their families or caregivers about scams, fraud trends and financial exploitation risks.
Called Operation Senior Shield, the program launched late last year also provides tools to become informed and secure, the state said.
“When a senior is targeted or exploited, it doesn’t just affect their bank account - it shakes their dignity, their confidence and their sense of security,” Michelle Branham, secretary of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs said in a news release.
Florida is prime hunting ground for scoundrels and scammers who prey upon senior citizens.
The state’s elderly population, among the largest in the country, dense cities; an economy driven by tourism and transient people with high mobile phone usage contribute to making
them vulnerable, the department says.
“Elders are the fastest growing and wealthiest segment of the nation’s population ... They have 65% of the total U.S. wealth and an estimated $13 trillion in home equity,” the state said.
The amount of crimes and stolen assets are rising at an alarming rate.
Nationwide, Americans over 60 lost nearly $5 billion in 2024, up 43% the year before.
And the numbers are likely higher, state officials say, because only one in five victims report fraud.
They may not report incidents because they are embarrassed. But local police departments and the FBI want to hear from victims because they compile cases and look for patterns that could lead to arrests.
Scammers will use lots of different methods to get an elder to part with his or her money.
They may impersonate grandchildren who pretend they are in trouble and need bail money, or disguise a phone number to appear to be an official from the government, Social Security or a bank.
Or they could use the identity of a good friend on Facebook and ask for a charitable donation via a gift card or money transfer app.
Subscribers to Operation Senior Shield will receive alerts about current scams in Florida, how they work and how to avoid becoming a victim.
The alerts are delivered via phone or text. To sign up go to OpSeniorShieldFL.com.
The FBI advises fraud victims to call their bank; contact credit agencies; file a report with the FBI, at IdentityTheft.gov, and call local police and the National Elder Fraud Hotline, at 833-FRAUD-11 or 833-372-8311.