FTC: Senior fraud losses hit $3B in 2025, driven by surging investment scams
Federal Trade Commission data shows fraud losses for adults over 60 surged five-fold since 2020, driven by large investment scheme payouts.
Key points
- Adults aged 60 and over lost $3 billion to fraud in 2025, a five-fold increase from 2020 levels.
- Investment scams accounted for over $1 billion of those losses, rising 42% year-on-year.
- Scammers increasingly use social media platforms to initiate contact with older victims.
The Federal Trade Commission released its annual report to Congress on protecting older adults, revealing that adults aged 60 and over lost $3 billion to fraud in 2025. This figure represents a five-fold increase compared to the $600 million reported five years prior in 2020. The surge is largely driven by growing reports of extraordinarily large individual losses rather than a higher volume of small incidents.
Root cause
According to the CNET report summarising the FTC findings, fraud losses due to investment scams jumped 42% in 2025 to exceed $1 billion. Consumers reported that scammers often reach them on social media. Older adults continue to report much higher individual dollar losses than younger demographics, with those aged 80 and over suffering the worst outcomes.
Attack path
Scammers utilise various deceptive tactics targeting older consumers. Beyond investment schemes, victims are more likely to fall for tech support scams, prize and lottery fraud, romance scams, and government impersonation attempts. Perpetrators also impersonate friends or family members to extract money. The FTC notes that legitimate government officials will never direct individuals to transfer money to protect it or threaten benefit suspension without immediate payment.
Affected versions
This report covers complaints submitted to the Consumer Sentinel Network in 2025. It analyses fraud trends across all age groups but highlights specific vulnerabilities among adults aged 60 and over. The data reflects consumer experiences throughout the calendar year 2025, summarising the most prevalent scam types and financial impacts reported during that period.
Mitigation
- Educate older adults on the FTC’s ‘Never Ever’ campaign red flags regarding payment methods.
- Monitor for requests involving gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or money apps.
- Verify any claims of suspended government benefits through official channels.
- Report suspected fraud to the Consumer Sentinel Network for investigation.
Signals worth monitoring
Security teams should monitor for unusual financial transactions initiated by older employees or family members linked to corporate accounts. Look for communications referencing urgent government actions or unexpected investment opportunities from unknown contacts. Check for requests to pay via non-reversible methods like gift cards or crypto. Verify any claims of suspended benefits or legal threats through direct contact with the alleged agency.
What to do and how to stay safe: FTC
- Review social media privacy settings for older family members to limit unsolicited contact.
- Establish a family protocol for verifying unexpected financial requests before acting.
- Bookmark the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network to report incidents promptly.
- Discuss the ‘Never Ever’ campaign red flags with older relatives regularly.
General security guidance from the Firewall Pulse newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
How much did seniors lose to fraud in 2025?
Adults aged 60 and over lost $3 billion to fraud in 2025, according to the FTC report.
Which scam type caused the most losses?
Investment scams caused the most losses, accounting for over $1 billion in 2025.
How do scammers typically contact victims?
Consumers report that scammers often reach them on social media platforms.
