SAN ANTONIO – The FBI’s top agent in San Antonio is warning families about a growing wave of fraud targeting older Americans.
Daniel Faith, special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Division, said people age 60 and older are the largest demographic being targeted.
“Just last year alone, we had over 200,000 complaints to our Internet Crime Complaint Center — resulting in about $7.5 billion in loss,” Faith said.
Faith said older adults are often targeted because they may have accumulated more wealth and are more likely to answer phone calls and engage with strangers. Scammers may also target victims repeatedly.
“If you fall for it once, you’re now gonna be targeted multiple times,” Faith said.
Common scams include criminals impersonating law enforcement, the IRS, banks or other government agencies. Faith said jury duty scams are also prevalent, with callers claiming a victim missed jury duty or owes money.
His recommendation is to hang up and independently verify the claim by contacting the agency directly.
Requests involving cryptocurrency or gift cards should also be considered red flags. Faith said victims should overcome any embarrassment and quickly report fraud.
“You’re not the only person being targeted,” Faith said. “There’s literally hundreds of thousands of people who are being targeted and falling for it.”
Faith knows firsthand that anyone can become a victim. He said Fidelity once contacted him about a fraudulent $50,000 loan application made in his name.
“I’m very cyber-technically savvy, and they got me,” Faith said. “So, anybody can be a target of this.”
Victims should immediately contact their bank, local law enforcement or the FBI and secure their accounts.
Internet crimes can be reported here.