🆕 Sweet Windows 11 upgrade: A new optional update lets you pass files between your PC and Android phone faster and more easily using Microsoft’s Phone Link app. Bonus upgrade: Windows Narrator (the screen reader function) can scan more text. To update: Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. Make sure you download KB5041587 and then Restart your PC.
Elder fraud is on the rise – These are the most common scams
© Diman Oshchepkov | Dreamstime.com
Here’s a stat that blows me away: One in every 10 seniors is a victim of identity theft each year. Americans over the age of 60 lost $3.4 billion in fraud schemes in 2023. That’s almost an 11% increase from the year before, and things are only getting worse.
As much as 68% of elder fraud cases start with personal information that’s leaked online. (I use Incogni to fix that problem for me, but more on them later.) Let’s dive into which scams hit the hardest and what you and your loved ones can do about it.
A troubling trend
Things aren’t looking any better this year, by the way. From January to May, $1.6 billion in elder fraud losses were reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) — almost $300 million more than during the same stretch last year.
So, why do criminals target older adults? It all comes down to money. Crooks rightly assume many older folks have a bigger nest egg and own real estate.
Older adults are also less likely to report fraud, especially when they feel ashamed. For every case of elder fraud reported, as many as 44 cases aren’t. If they do want to report it, many scam victims don’t know where to start and stall out after contacting their local police department.
Worst of the worst
Here are the top reported elder fraud schemes, according to the FBI:
- Tech support scams: Fraudsters pose as tech support agents to trick victims into handing over personal info or paying for scam services.
- Data breaches: Everything from passwords to Social Security numbers end up posted for sale on Dark Web marketplaces.
- Romance scams: Scammers woo their targets and manipulate their emotions to get their money.
- Investment scams: Promises of high returns from trading everything from crypto to real estate with little risk, all that go bad.
- Non-payment or non-delivery scams: Victims order something online and then receive a cheap imitation or nothing at all.
- Government impersonation scams: Bad guys pretend to be police, IRS agents, Medicare employees and others in positions of power.
In 2023, tech support scams were the most widely reported type of elder fraud. Roughly 18,000 victims ages 60 or older reported incidents to the IC3. Investment scams were the costliest, with a staggering $1.2 billion in losses.
‘Yikes, OK. What can I do about it?’
Be on the lookout for the common warning signs of a scam, such as unsolicited calls or texts, strangers contacting you on social media, requests for personal information, offers that sound too good to be true, pressure to act quickly, and demands for payment through unconventional methods (e.g., gift cards, gold bars or wire transfers).
Capt. Grace Hopper on future possibilities: Data, hardware, software and people (Part 1, 1982)
Part 1 of “Future Possibilities: Data, Hardware, Software and People,” presented by Capt. Grace Hopper at NSA in 1982.
Which company was the first to launch its Halloween merchandise online this year? Was it … A.) Michaels, B.) Target, C.) Party City or D.) The Home Depot?
200M weekly active users
On ChatGPT, twice the count from a year ago. OpenAI says 92% of Fortune 500 companies (and mine!) use it. Upgrade your AI skills with my easy-to-read guide that’s great for beginners.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Better luck this time: Google is relaunching its AI photo tool. They pulled it in February after users posted pics of Nazi soldiers depicted as Black or Asian, along with a female pope. For now, it’s exclusive to paid Gemini Advanced, Business and Enterprise subscribers.
Satellite puns never land: Starting this fall, certain smartphones can access Verizon’s emergency messaging and location sharing via satellite for free. So far, it’s confirmed for the Google Pixel 9 Pro, Pro XL and Pro Fold. Next year, customers can send text messages via satellite, too. FYI: The Apple iPhone 14 and later models already have this feature.
Chic-Fil-A's new streaming service
Chick-fil-A’s new streaming service might not be a game-changer, but at least you’ll have a side of drama with your nuggets!
🤩 I’m a Barbie girl: For $129, you can have your very own hot pink flip phone that looks just like Barbie’s. Manufacturer HMD (the folks who own Nokia) call it a vacation, as in no social media apps — just calls, texts and a 5MP camera. Accessories include stick-on charms, vintage Barbie stickers and a beaded strap. Preorders open Sept. 23. People want it so badly that they’re lining up in a Barbie queue.
Fasting retreats are a bad idea
Just because you bring your phone, doesn’t mean you have to use it.
🎮 New Xbox consoles drop Oct. 15: The 1TB Xbox Series X now comes without a disc drive and starts at $450 ($50 less). The Xbox Series S gets a storage upgrade to 1TB (up from 512GB), but the price jumps to $350. The special edition Xbox Series X with 2TB of storage? $600. If you already have an Xbox, save your money and get a storage expansion card. Yup, Santa’s bag is going to be loaded.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
September is the apple of my pie: Apple’s set to show off the new iPhone 16 line, Watch Series 10 and AirPods on Sept. 10. The iPhone Pros and Watch have bigger screens, and the new AirPods look like a cross between 3rd-gen AirPods and the AirPods Pro. If you need a new iPhone (JoJo, talking to you!), just wait a little longer.
The Echo is a resounding success: Amazon is yanking the main feature of the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition: Showing your photos endlessly. Starting Sept. 23, it will display ads after three hours. Btw, this model costs $10 extra, plus there’s a $2 monthly subscription. I’d be mad, too.
Why is Duolingo so mean?
Would this type of reinforcement motivate you to keep going?
The second Neuralink brain-chip patient is doing well
“Alex” is using design software to create 3D objects and play the first-person shooter game Counter-Strike, all controlled with his mind. The next frontier? Connecting the brain chip to the physical world. Think full-control robotic arms. Incredible stuff.
🧑🍳 They knead more dough: Smart sous vide company Anova has been a fan fave for a decade — and they must be hard up for cash. Starting Aug. 21, anyone who makes a new app account will pay $2 a month (or $10 a year). If you have one, make an account while it’s still free! Links here for iPhone and Android.
Jeff Bezos shows off at Blue Origin factory
Jeff Bezos took a break from, you know, counting his money to show off New Glenn, one of the largest rockets ever built at 320 feet tall.
Where there’s smoke: Mark Zuckerberg has three weeks to tell Congress why drug dealers are allowed to advertise on Facebook and Instagram. We’re talking ads featuring piles of pills, weed and bricks of cocaine, all directing you to chat apps and drug dealers. Wonder how he’ll spin this one.
New Google goodies: Big announcements at the Aug. 13 event include the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL (out Aug. 22) and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (out Sept. 4). The lineup also contains two new AI apps — Pixel Screenshots for searching screenshot info (I want that on my iPhone!) and Pixel Studio for text-to-image generation. Ahem, soon you’ll be able to get a Pixel 8 model as cheap as they come.