Educational content only. Not Medicare, insurance, or financial advice. Not affiliated with CMS, Medicare.gov, or SSA.
Educational disclaimer. This is not legal or financial advice, and it is not a government site. I am not an attorney, financial advisor, or law enforcement officer. Savvy Senior Central is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or issued by the FTC, SSA, CMS, the IRS, or the FBI, and we do not sell or rank identity protection products. Official starting points: IdentityTheft.gov (1-877-438-4338), the SSA Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov/report, and Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). If money is being sent right now, call the bank first.
Most of the protection an older adult needs against identity theft is free and takes an afternoon. Freeze credit at the three bureaus. Open an online Social Security account before a criminal does. Read Medicare statements. Learn the four signs of a government impostor. Know where to report. None of that requires a subscription.
The stakes are high. In the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, people 60 and older filed more than 201,000 complaints and reported about $7.7 billion in losses, the most of any age group. The average reported loss for this group topped $38,000, and more than 12,000 older victims reported losing over $100,000. Those are only the cases people reported.
I have spent 18 years in consumer marketing and lead generation aimed at older adults. That is operator experience, not a law enforcement credential. I have watched the same persuasion techniques that sell legitimate products get copied by scammers: urgency, authority, and a reason to act before talking to anyone. This page is a checklist families can work through together, without taking over a parent’s finances.
Identity theft and scams need different fixes
The two overlap, but the response differs.
- Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information, like a Social Security number, Medicare number, or bank login, to open accounts, file taxes, get medical care, or redirect benefits. A credit freeze and account alerts are the main defenses.
- A scam is when someone tricks you into sending money or information yourself. Freezes do not stop a person from wiring their own savings. Recognizing the pitch is the defense.
Most schemes against older adults combine both. A caller claiming to be from Social Security wants your number (identity theft) and then wants you to “protect” your savings by moving them (a scam).
Why older adults are targeted
This is not about being gullible. Scams fool people of every age. Older adults are targeted because of what they have and when they have it:
- Savings, home equity, and strong credit. More to steal, and higher limits on fraudulent accounts.
- Predictable deposits. Social Security and pension payments arrive on known schedules.
- Valuable identifiers. Medicare numbers can be used to bill for services never delivered.
- Life transitions. Scammers watch for widowhood, illness, and moves, when people are stressed and handling unfamiliar paperwork.
The free protection checklist
Work through these with your parent, at their kitchen table, with their permission.
- Freeze credit at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Federal law makes freezes free. A freeze blocks most new credit accounts in the person’s name. It does not affect existing cards or the credit score. Lift it temporarily, also free, when applying for credit.
- Pull free credit reports. Everyone can get free reports from all three bureaus every week at AnnualCreditReport.com, the site the FTC points to. Look for accounts, addresses, or inquiries you do not recognize.
- Open a my Social Security account. SSA says creating an account helps prevent identity thieves from opening one in your name, and you get an alert if anyone tries to change the address or direct deposit.
- Create a Medicare.gov account and read Medicare Summary Notices. Look for services, equipment, or tests nobody remembers receiving.
- Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN. The IRS offers an IP PIN to anyone who can verify their identity. It blocks others from filing a tax return with the person’s Social Security number.
- Register phone numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov and turn on the phone carrier’s call-blocking tools. Legitimate telemarketers will stop, which makes scam calls easier to spot.
- Turn on bank and card alerts for large withdrawals, new payees, and address changes.
- Name a trusted contact with the bank and any brokerage account. The CFPB explains that a trusted contact is someone the institution can call if it suspects exploitation. It does not give that person access to the money.
- Protect the paper trail. Shred statements and medical paperwork, collect mail promptly, and keep the Social Security card at home, not in a wallet.
- Agree on a family verification word. The FBI recommends a secret word or phrase so relatives can confirm identity when a caller claims to be a grandchild in trouble. Voice cloning makes this more useful every year.
Social Security impostor scams
SSA and its Office of the Inspector General describe four signs that show up in nearly every government impostor scam:
- They pretend to be from an agency you know.
- They say there is a problem or a prize.
- They pressure you to act immediately.
- They tell you to pay in a specific way.
Specific red flags SSA lists include threats of arrest or legal action, claims that your Social Security number will be suspended, demands to pay with gift cards, gold, prepaid cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or mailed cash, instructions to move money to a “protected” account, requests for secrecy, and texted photos of badges. In July 2026 SSA added a warning about fake call transfers. Legitimate companies and other agencies cannot transfer your call directly to SSA or its Inspector General.
SSA will not ask for sensitive information through social media, email, or text. If something feels off, hang up and call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 using the number you look up yourself. Report the attempt at oig.ssa.gov/report.
Medicare fraud and medical identity theft
A stolen Medicare number can be used to bill Medicare for equipment, lab tests, or services that were never provided. That can leave false diagnoses in medical records and use up benefit limits.
Protective steps:
- Treat the Medicare card like a credit card. Medicare replaced Social Security numbers on cards with a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier in 2018 and 2019. That number still has value to criminals.
- Be wary of “free” offers. Unsolicited calls or visits offering free braces, genetic tests, or medical supplies in exchange for a Medicare number are a common setup.
- Know when Medicare calls. Medicare.gov explains that Medicare or its representatives will only call and ask for personal information in limited situations, such as when you already belong to the plan calling, or when you called 1-800-MEDICARE and asked for a callback.
- Read every Medicare Summary Notice or plan explanation of benefits. Question anything unfamiliar.
- Report suspected fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE or the HHS Office of Inspector General. The Senior Medicare Patrol, funded by the Administration for Community Living, offers free local help reviewing statements and reporting problems.
Other common scams, by reported losses
The FBI’s 2025 report lists the costliest crime types for victims 60 and older. The biggest categories:
| Scam type | Reported losses, age 60+ (2025) | The usual tell |
|---|---|---|
| Investment (often cryptocurrency) | About $3.5 billion | A new online “friend” or advisor with guaranteed returns |
| Tech or customer support | About $1 billion | A pop-up or call about a virus, a refund, or a hacked account |
| Confidence or romance | About $584 million | A relationship that never meets in person and eventually needs money |
| Government impersonation | About $413 million | Threats, urgency, and unusual payment demands |
| Lottery, sweepstakes, inheritance | About $136 million | Pay a fee or tax to collect a prize |
The common thread is a request to pay in a way that is hard to reverse: wire, crypto, gift card, cash, or precious metals.
If it already happened: the order of operations
Speed matters most when money has just moved.
- Call the bank or payment company immediately to try to stop or reverse the transfer.
- Report and get a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC site walks through a personalized checklist and generates letters and an Identity Theft Report.
- Place a fraud alert. Contact one credit bureau, and it must notify the other two. An initial fraud alert lasts one year. Identity theft victims can get an extended alert that lasts seven years. Keep or add credit freezes.
- Close or secure affected accounts and change passwords, starting with email.
- Report the crime. Use ic3.gov for internet-enabled fraud, oig.ssa.gov/report for Social Security scams, and 1-800-MEDICARE for Medicare fraud. File with local police if a creditor requires a report.
- Handle tax identity theft with the IRS if a fraudulent return was filed. The IRS lists the steps, including Form 14039.
- Get help. The Justice Department’s National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311 connects older victims and families with case managers.
Watch for “recovery” scams afterward. People who promise to get lost money back for a fee are often the same criminals, or new ones working from a list of victims.
The family’s role without taking over
- Talk about it often and without judgment. Share a scam story you heard this week. Shame keeps people from reporting.
- Offer to be the second opinion. “Call me before you send money to anyone” is a simple, respectful rule.
- Plan for help with finances before it is needed. The CFPB’s Managing Someone Else’s Money guides explain powers of attorney, trustees, and Social Security representative payees, including their legal duties.
- Remember that exploitation can come from people the person trusts. If you suspect a caregiver, relative, or new “friend” is misusing funds, contact Adult Protective Services through the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.
A word on paid identity protection services
These services can monitor credit, scan databases for your information, and assist with recovery. Monitoring tells you about a problem after it starts. It does not block new accounts the way a freeze does. The FTC notes that you might be able to do some of what recovery services offer on your own for little or no cost, and that identity theft insurance generally will not reimburse money stolen from you. If you consider a plan, read what it monitors, what the insurance actually pays, and how to cancel. We do not rank or recommend any.
FAQ
What is the single most effective free step?
A credit freeze at all three bureaus. It is free by law, blocks most new accounts in the person’s name, and can be lifted temporarily when needed.
Will Social Security ever call and threaten to suspend my number?
No. SSA lists threats to suspend your Social Security number, arrest threats, and demands for gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or cash as signs of a scam. Hang up and report it at oig.ssa.gov/report.
Does a credit freeze hurt my parent’s credit score?
No. A freeze does not affect the score or existing accounts. It blocks most new credit applications until it is lifted.
What should we do if someone got my parent’s Medicare number?
Watch Medicare Summary Notices closely for services not received, report suspicious charges to 1-800-MEDICARE, and contact the Senior Medicare Patrol for free help.
Where do we report identity theft?
Start at IdentityTheft.gov or 1-877-438-4338 for a recovery plan. Report internet fraud to ic3.gov, Social Security scams to oig.ssa.gov/report, and Medicare fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE.
How can we protect against grandparent scams with cloned voices?
Agree on a family verification word, as the FBI recommends. If a caller claims to be a relative in trouble, hang up and call that relative back at a number you already have.
Do seniors need a paid identity theft protection service?
Not necessarily. Freezes, free weekly credit reports, account alerts, and online SSA and Medicare accounts cover much of what those services do. The FTC suggests asking exactly what a paid plan and its insurance cover before buying.
Who can help if a family member is exploiting my parent financially?
Adult Protective Services handles suspected exploitation. Find your local office through the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116. The National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311 can also help.
Sources
Recovery steps trace to the FTC and IdentityTheft.gov. Scam signs trace to SSA and SSA OIG. Medicare fraud guidance traces to Medicare.gov and HHS OIG. Loss figures trace to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report. Last verified September 23, 2026 (ET).
- FTC: IdentityTheft.gov
- FTC: Credit freezes and fraud alerts
- FTC: Free credit reports
- FTC: What to know about identity theft (monitoring, recovery services, and insurance)
- SSA: Protect yourself from Social Security scams
- SSA OIG: Report fraud, waste, or abuse
- Medicare.gov: Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse
- HHS OIG: Report fraud
- IRS: Get an Identity Protection PIN
- FBI IC3: 2025 Internet Crime Report
- FBI IC3: Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud (public service announcement, December 2024)
- DOJ Office for Victims of Crime: National Elder Fraud Hotline (1-833-372-8311)
- CFPB: Managing Someone Else's Money
- FTC: National Do Not Call Registry
- ACL: Senior Medicare Patrol and Eldercare Locator
