Myth vs. Reality:
A New Look at Scams and Older Adults

[00:02]

Marike: Welcome to Trend Micro’s Spotlight Session, where we aim to shine a revealing light on the hidden dangers lurking in today’s digital world. In each session, we bring together some leading voices from cybersecurity, government, and advocacy organizations to share real-world insights and practical tips. Today, we’re so pleased to be joined by Russell from the National Council on Aging, where he is the Director of Corporate Partnerships. His work includes collaborating with corporate partners around scams prevention, digital literacy for older adults, and mental health awareness for older adults. Russell, can you tell us a little bit about the NCOA’s mission? Maybe introduce yourself a bit further.

[00:44]

Russell: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for having me. First of all, I appreciate that, Marike. As Marike said, I’m Russell, and I work with the National Council on Aging. The National Council on Aging is the oldest national nonprofit organization in the United States, whose mission is to improve the lives of older adults. We were founded back in 1950, and we’re heading toward our 75th anniversary this year, so that’s very exciting. We’re really focused on healthy aging as well as financial and economic security for older adults. I’m really excited for this conversation today to talk about fraud and cybersecurity and different trends that are out there. Certainly, this is a huge area of focus for the National Council on Aging, and I look forward to this discussion.

[01:35]

Marike: Well, the National Council on Aging has such a worthwhile mission, so we’re really pleased to have you today. We’re going to be discussing some of the results from Trend Micro’s recent global survey, where we actually surveyed 6,000 adults across the globe. We examined some consumer attitudes and behaviors toward online scams, and we uncovered some surprising misconceptions that we’d like to discuss with you, Russell. We’d love to hear your perspective from the work you do at the NCOA, especially around supporting and educating older adults. So when people hear the term “older adults,” they often imagine retirees. How does the NCOA actually define this population, and what type of life stages or roles might this include?

[02:20]

Russell: Yeah, it’s a good question. At the National Council on Aging, we define the older adult as 55 and older. Certainly 55 and older, but we’re really focusing on a lot of different life stages for someone’s life. Many times, they’re still active in the workforce. As they get a little bit older, more into their sixties, and certainly seventies, we see more retirees. We’re also seeing more people go back to work part-time for a variety of different reasons—it could be extra income, could be from a social isolation standpoint and wanting to be in a community. A lot of different reasons. It’s hard to peg one size fits all, but it’s a lot of different people as they continue to age. It’s an exciting time to be an older adult. There are so many great things out there in the community, and we look forward to the technology and just making sure people are using that technology in a safe way.

[03:24]

Marike: So, given that variety of roles that you see, do you find that those older adults sometimes act as sort of helpers or tech helpers for friends and other loved ones within their families?

[03:35]

Russell: Yeah, there’s a segment of older adults that have embraced the technology and are very tech-savvy. For those folks who are tech-savvy, in some ways they might be a caregiver to someone else in the family; they might be a mentor from a technology skills standpoint. It’s very interesting to see, especially since the pandemic, we’ve seen a pretty rapid increase in digital learning skills. As the older adult population continues to age and transition, we are seeing more digital-first learning. It’s great to see. Some older adults are really in that support role, helping their friends, neighbors, or a loved one access technology and use it. We are seeing more of that than we did even five or ten years ago.

[04:36]

Marike: And often those folks in that age group that you mentioned, they’re supporting parents at the same time as they may have teens at home. For example.

[04:45]

Russell: Yeah, it’s true. There’s the “sandwich generation.” You have someone who’s taking care of an older adult as well as taking care of their family, and young kids. But even older adults—as people continue to live longer, they’re taking care of their parents in some cases. So you’re seeing multi-generational families together, sometimes under one roof; sometimes they’re scattered across the country, but technology is a way to bridge and connect that gap. You do see multiple generations working together and communicating with each other.

[05:24]

Marike: So, in your opinion, how important do you think it is for older adults to learn about scams and cybercrime, for example?

[05:31]

Russell: It’s extremely important. It’s an area that, as older adults continue to engage and embrace technology, the importance of education—the importance of understanding some of the pointers for scams and what to look for—becomes vitally important. I just want to throw out a recent study that I came across, where back in 2023, for folks over the age of 60 globally, $3.4 billion of fraud took place. That’s a staggering number, and for that reason alone, it’s so important to bring awareness and education around the prevention of fraud and scams.

[6:22]

Marike: Wow, yeah, those are big losses. So I’ll dip a little bit into our survey data. We actually found that when we surveyed folks globally—people of all ages 18 and over—a third of respondents believe you can only be scammed if you share too much online. For example, posting a lot of personal information on social media. From your experience, why might that be a really dangerous assumption, especially for older adults?

[06:56]

Russell: Yeah, that’s pretty dangerous, and it’s interesting that’s what some of the data was showing. Certainly, the more information you share, the more risk you put yourself at. But from a technology standpoint, scams and fraud don’t take a lot of information. It’s the information they seek. If someone’s asking for money through a wire transfer or using a gift card or a Social Security number, one or two pieces of information could make the difference in getting scammed or not. It’s not so much the amount of information—certainly you want to be very conservative with your digital footprint—but you need to be extremely careful with what information, if any, you decide to share online.

[07:53]

Marike: Yeah, and I imagine a lot of that information could easily be lost to the dark web if there’s a data breach where your information is held—at a bank, a company, or an insurer. If they experience a data breach, that information might just be online for people to find, potentially. So even if you’re not sharing it…

[08:13]

Russell: Yeah, even if you’re not sharing it, there are so many data breaches that happen across the world now, all the time. So there is information already out there in many cases. You really don’t want to feed into that, and you want to be very selective about what you share, who you share it with, and how you share it.

[08:33]

Marike: For those of you joining us live, I just want to point you toward the Q&A if you’re interested in submitting any questions as we’re having this discussion. Feel free to put your questions in the Q&A, and we’ll try to get them to Russell as we chat. So, Russell, nearly half of our survey respondents also think that spotting grammar or spelling errors is enough to identify a scam. However, this is quickly becoming a bit of a myth, as scammers now have access to Gen AI tools that can write content with perfect grammar in different languages, without errors. When you engage with older adults, do you see them relying on that type of cue, or do they recognize that scammers are getting more sophisticated?

[09:18]

Ruseell: I think it’s a mixed bag. I think as more education is provided, more older adults are becoming aware of what AI can do and some of its capabilities. Having said that, I’d say, in many cases, the older adult doesn’t truly understand sometimes how complex and how sophisticated AI is. AI is evolving extremely fast, and it’s hard to keep up with the different trends. An older adult might, in some cases, answer a question posed in a chat or provide a voice answer, not recognizing that their voice signature could be repurposed later and used against them if someone is trying to access a different account. People are starting to understand the impact of AI, but there’s still a huge learning curve. It really takes a village to bring it all together for the older adult audience.

[10:38]

Marike: What kinds of scams does the NCOA actually see the community being targeted by or becoming victims of the most?

[10:46]

Russell: There are really four different types of scams we see more often than others. Financial scams tend to be the most widespread, which could be through banks or mortgages and things like that, where people are being approached and it seems legitimate. It seems like a trusted source or a trusted organization, but scammers are very clever in how they present themselves. There are a lot of financial scams regarding mortgages and rent payments, and things like that, which is one of the larger areas of exposure for an older adult. Secondly is the grandparent scam. I’m not sure if everyone’s familiar with the grandparent scam, but that’s more of an emotional relationship scam, where someone preys on the older adult by asking for something like gas money, pretending to be their granddaughter or grandson. As a grandparent, you want to support your family. The scammer is thinking, “Oh, how quickly can I get them to wire me some money?” Unfortunately, the grandparent scam is widespread and is deeply concerning. From a technology standpoint, we’re seeing a lot more tech support-type scams as older adults embrace digital tools. There’s more need for tech support, so sometimes fraudulent actors pose as tech support to access someone’s hard drive remotely. And the third or fourth area is more of a government impersonation, where someone pretends to be from the IRS or the Social Security Administration, or maybe related to Medicare. These are trusted institutions, and older adults historically trust those, so they might let their guard down if they believe it’s a government official calling. That’s an area where you really need to keep your guard up because many times it’s not actually the government.

[13:16]

Marike: A really important reminder going into tax season, isn’t it?

[13:19]

Russell: A hundred percent. Yeah, especially right now.

[13:21]

Marike: We found that about 62% of participants in our survey think only “easily fooled” people become victims of something as specific as a romance scam, which is interesting to chat about. Could you describe what a romance scam might look like, and what makes that belief problematic? Do older adults face any stigma because of it?

[13:50]

Russell: It’s interesting with romance scams. We certainly find that older adults are impacted by these scams, especially from a social isolation standpoint. Many times, someone is living in a rural community or is isolated, even in urban centers, and they’re seeking friendship or companionship, building relationships online. Sometimes that’s on the dark web, or they’re just connecting through platforms where they can build a trusted relationship. Eventually, the scammer reaches a point where they start asking the victim to wire money or send a gift card. A lot of different things, but it really comes down to isolation and loneliness, and not having a community of people they once had. Through technology, they’re seeking that. That’s something older adults and caregivers need to balance, because it is a growing issue.

[15:04]

Marike: Many of us seek connection online—folks of all ages are on these dating apps—but there’s this persistent perception that if you happen to become a victim of a scammer’s clever tactics, it’s just because you were gullible or easily fooled. That’s a bit of a problem, I would think. Would you agree?

[15:30]

Russell: It is. It’s interesting. When an older adult is scammed, they’re more likely to share it if it was through some type of financial institution or a government scam or something like that. But when it comes to a romance scam, the data has shown that people are less likely to share they were scammed. A lot of it has to do with trusting that individual, feeling hurt, upset, and having that emotional attachment to the person. There’s also the shame aspect—feeling like, “How did I get fooled by X, Y, or Z?” So for romance scams, older adults don’t always share that piece. They’re more likely to share when it’s a different type of scam.

[16:32]

Marike: So how do we break that cycle, potentially, of older adults suffering in silence?

[16:38]

Russell: It’s really hard, but there’s good news. For older adults, we believe at the National Council on Aging that knowledge is power. From a knowledge standpoint and education, there are tools out there to help older adults. Organizations like Trend Micro want to get the message out there: here are some clues to look for as you navigate relationships online, or as you work on your banking. There are certain things you should always look for. There are certain rules you can put in place as you manage your daily communication. If you put some best practices in place, hopefully you’re setting yourself up for a productive and safe use of the internet.

[17:33]

Marike: And I believe the NCOA provides members of the community with programming. What sorts of things do you offer that might support older adults with their digital literacy and knowing where to go if this happens to them?

[17:49]

Russell: Yeah, good question. At the National Council on Aging, we do a lot of work in the community. We have over 2,700 senior center affiliates that we work with across the United States, and at these senior centers, we do a lot of local programming on various topics. This year, we’re focusing on a digital literacy campaign to help train older adults on how to use different digital tools. We’re training 10,000 older adults by later this spring, and we’re well on our way. Part of that includes training around fraud and cybersecurity—just what to be aware of and how to handle different threats. Part of our education in the community is making sure people have the resources right in front of them. Things that are important to older adults—we want to share and get the message out about not relying on things like caller ID. Caller ID was great back in its day, but a lot of people have been scammed because of it. So there are a lot of different things out there right now that we recommend, like how to manage robocalls and things like that. There are so many different types of scams, so through our workshops in the community, we try to help people on the ground, giving them the tools and resources to manage scam prevention and fraud protection.

[19:22]

Marike: That’s fantastic. It sounds like a very empowering program. On that caller ID note, we see scams coming through all the time where even well-known numbers are being spoofed—scammers mimic a number you think you know. You think a trusted person is calling you, or maybe a business, maybe Google or your bank, but it’s actually a cybercriminal who has hijacked that identification as it’s coming through your phone. You think you’re speaking to someone you know, but you’re not, right?

[19:55]

Russell: Yeah, people can be so clever in how they spoof you. One of the things we always recommend is having that safety plan in place ahead of time. Keep a list of phone numbers for your bank, Social Security, or the agencies that might contact you. If someone suddenly asks you to wire money, use a gift card, or do any financial transaction, that light bulb needs to go off: “Wait, I need to slow down, ask more questions, and check my records.” Is this the right phone number? I can do a quick search to verify. Don’t just take everything at face value.

[20:58]

Marike: Those scammers really try to make things feel urgent, right? Like you need to act now, or something is at stake. They say you need to do this right away, or you’ll lose access, or someone’s in trouble. They really try to make you feel like you must rush, don’t they?

[21:12]

Russell: A hundred percent, and that’s probably the number one factor for an older adult. They try to create a sense of urgency. There’s a reason why you need to wire the money today, or pay your rent right now, or your electric bill. Anytime someone’s putting that urgency on you, we see that as a red flag. Then pause, gather more information—don’t commit to anything right then. Double-check your records. They do try to create panic, and in many cases, an older adult is wired to want to help, to take care of someone, to help family, and…

[22:04]

Marike: Good intentions, right?

[22:06]

Russell: It’s human nature to want to help and give, so that’s where you need to provide education. Take a step back.

[22:15]

Marike: Actually, in our study, we found that only a small minority have proactively discussed with loved ones what to do if they’re targeted by a scam. Why are these conversations important, and how can older adults initiate them?

[22:34]

Russell: You’re right. I think knowledge is power. The more you can educate people before they get scammed, the better. They’ll have the tools and resources to ask better questions and recognize red flags. If someone creates urgency or requests money in an unusual way, those might be warning signs. As older adults use more technology for banking and communicating with loved ones, it’s important to have these conversations. Historically, there’s been a stigma, but over $3.4 billion of fraud took place in 2023 for people over 60, up around 11 or 12% from the prior year. This is a huge problem, and it continues to grow.

[24:01]

Marike: So if we’ve been mostly speaking to older adults here, what if you’re a person supporting an older adult—maybe you’re a family member, friend, or loved one? How could you help them, and how would you initiate these conversations without making them feel singled out?

[24:23]

Russell: It’s a good question. One thing to do is come from a place of trust. If you’re a caregiver working with an older adult, have these conversations when you’re going over monthly budgets or planning retirement. You want to include scam awareness in that conversation. It needs to become part of daily living. With AI and the rapid pace of technology changing, you need to really stay up to speed on what to look for, how to ask questions, and how to protect yourself and your family. Starting from a place of trust is always key. Obviously, you don’t want to scare anybody, but at the same time, laying out the facts of what’s out there helps them consider taking steps to protect themselves.

[25:31]

Marike: Any conversation starters you could suggest around the dinner table tonight for folks?

[25:36]

Russell: The biggest thing is to talk about phone calls that happen at dinnertime—those 5 or 6 PM robo-calls. Who’s calling at that hour? Look at the caller ID. Does it match what you expect? That’s a good teaching moment. Integrate it into your conversations. Don’t just talk about it once in a while; make it part of your routine as you discuss bills and review statements. Gradually lead into different conversations related to this topic.

[26:39]

Marike: It’s an act of love, I think, to raise awareness when you notice a new kind of scam or something coming through your phone. Let your family know what it looks like. There are new toll-road scams coming through SMS. I think it shows care for those around us if we talk about it. Great advice, Russell.

[27:09]

Russell: Yeah, and you can weave it into different times of the year. Back in the fall, during U.S. elections, there was a lot of texting happening about donating money, and that was a good time to talk to loved ones about scams. Now, during tax season, there’s a lot of texting going on too. Later in the fall, there’s open enrollment season with Medicare and Medicaid. Depending on the season, it’s another opportunity to revisit the topic.

[27:47]

Marike: Absolutely. Another finding in our study is that 74% say it’s worth reporting a scam if it happens to you, which is great news, but 25% aren’t convinced. How do we encourage more people—especially older adults—to come forward, report, and seek help?

[28:12]

Russell: One of the things we recommend is providing a list of resources on where to report scams and fraud—like the FTC, your local police department, and in some cases the FBI. We want people to feel empowered, and they should want to report this information. The more data that’s out there, the more professionals can investigate and shut things down as quickly as possible. It’s in everyone’s best interest to report. Hopefully, that will lead to protecting the good people and making sure everyone’s safe. So we do recommend reporting things to the FTC and other reputable organizations. For those who aren’t sure, the FTC is the Federal Trade Commission, and they have wonderful resources, I believe.

[29:11]

Marike: Yes, they do. They have a lot of resources around scams and fraud and excellent FAQs as well. How would somebody find that reporting site? Would they just do a Google search?

[29:17]

Russell: Yeah, they could do a quick Google search for the FTC. It’ll come up, and they should be all set. They can also check the National Council on Aging. We have tremendous resources as well. If you go to NCOA.org, go to our site, we have a whole section on fraud and scams with articles, resources, and links for older adults to access different tools.

[29:45]

Marike: That’s wonderful—great for folks to know. There’s often this narrative of vulnerability around older adults and online safety. How can we shift this to one of agency and capability? Can you recommend one step older adults can take to feel more in control of their online lives?

[30:05]

Russell: Yeah, I think for older adults to feel that control and empowerment, since the pandemic, we’ve seen more of that mantra: technology can be great, and we just have to use it in a wise and effective way. There are so many incredible things about technology that can help people connect socially. For an older adult, especially someone dealing with social isolation, it can build community. We want people to embrace technology and feel empowered, but also say, “Take baby steps.” You don’t have to become an expert overnight. Start small, get educated, meet yourself where you’re at—don’t overwhelm yourself. Use technology in a wise, safe way, and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.” Go to people who have the expertise to answer questions for you. That’s one of the hardest things: people are afraid to ask for help.

[31:30]

Marike: People are often really happy to help. They’re happy to be that tech person in their family.

[31:34]

Russell: Yeah, 100%. The more you do to ask questions, the more it builds your confidence.

[31:46]

Marike: We’ll be speaking to more experts worldwide sometimes about these survey findings, but also about the scam landscape in general. From the NCOA’s perspective, are there any pressing issues you’d like to see addressed to better protect older adults from digital threats?

[32:05]

Russell: Yeah, one of them is tech support scams. As older adults use more digital tools, there’s more need for tech support, and some people will pose as fake tech support. That’s an area that continues to grow, where scammers try to access someone’s computer or ask them to click on a different window. For older adults, the more we can help them as technology changes, the better—making it as easy and safe as possible, with tools like antivirus software. We want to do everything we can to protect them because scammers are very clever and creative, often one or two steps ahead. Proactively providing the right software and safeguards helps. Education remains extremely important, especially as AI changes the landscape so quickly. Focusing on signs like urgency or requests for certain types of payments is key. Take a pause—ask questions, step away from the call, or don’t respond immediately to suspicious emails. Those steps really help.

[34:10]

Marike: Yes, I see that it’s up to individuals to seek out education and build awareness into their routines, but also up to organizations like NCOA, government organizations like the FTC, and companies like Trend Micro to raise awareness. We love that you’re talking about tech tools because it’s important. We can’t stay safe 100% of the time as scammers become more sophisticated—even our threat researchers say it’ll happen eventually due to the scale of scams with AI. It’s important to protect ourselves with anti-scam software, antivirus software, identity theft protection, etc. We have products like that for the general public, and we see that interplay of education plus the right tools on your devices.

[35:29]

Russell: We agree, a hundred percent. It’s that education piece, and then companies like Trend Micro have the right tools and software to make a difference.

[35:38]

Marike: So before we close, would you like to share one key piece of advice or a resource from NCOA that listeners should know about? Maybe something in particular?

[35:56]

Russell: Yeah, one thing, and this goes back to romance scams because it is a growing area. There’s a level of embarrassment and sometimes shame when an older adult gets caught in a romance scam. We want to empower older adults to know they’re not alone. This happens across all ages. Scammers are very clever, calculated, and intentional in what they do. We don’t want people to feel embarrassed; we want them to report it—report it to the police department and other organizations—because these scammers are a threat to the community. You’re not alone, and we know it can take a huge emotional toll if you invested time in a relationship. This is bigger than just you. It takes a village of organizations like Trend Micro and others to help make a difference and support you.

[37:11]

Marike: Thank you so much, Russell. We really value your input and insights, especially around a conversation as important as this. Thank you for joining us today and for the work you do to support older adults across the country. We appreciate you.

[37:28]

Russell: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

[37:29]

Marike: Alright, and thank you to those who joined us. We’ve been taking some of those Q&A questions as they’ve popped up and passing them to Russell, so we hope you’ll join us again next time when we meet another guest. Keep your eyes peeled on social media for our posts, where you can grab the link and join us live. We hope to see you again soon. Take care, everyone.