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How Seniors Can Spot and Avoid Tech-Related Scams: A Consumer Alert Recent reports have highlighted a troubling trend: fraud cases targeting people aged 50 and older are on the rise, and scammers are increasingly using technology to reach their victims. A CBS News story published in late April 2026 underscored the urgency of this issue, noting that older Americans are being hit by a wave of high-tech schemes that can be difficult to recognize. This article explains what’s happening, why it matters, and what you can do to protect yourself or a loved one. ...

Gift Card Scams Are on the Rise: How to Spot Them and What to Do If You’ve Been Targeted If you’ve ever received a call, email, or text demanding payment via a gift card, you’ve encountered one of the most persistent fraud tactics in use today. Gift card scams cost U.S. consumers hundreds of millions of dollars each year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The schemes keep evolving, but the warning signs remain largely the same. ...

Latest Scam Trends from the FTC: Protect Yourself from These Common Frauds Every March, the Federal Trade Commission uses National Consumer Protection Week to release fresh data on the scams hitting Americans hardest. This year’s webinar, held during the first week of March 2026, offered a detailed look at what fraudsters are doing right now and how consumers can spot the patterns before losing money. The trends are not entirely new, but the methods are shifting in ways that make them harder to recognize. ...

Gift Card Scams Are Surging: Here’s How to Spot and Stop Them Gift cards make convenient presents, but they’ve also become a favorite tool for scammers. In December 2025, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb issued an alert warning District residents about a rise in gift card fraud. The warning isn’t just local—gift card scams are one of the most common types of payment fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) year after year. If you’ve ever received an urgent call, email, or text asking you to buy gift cards for payment, you need to know the red flags. ...

Latest Scam Trends from the FTC’s 2026 National Consumer Protection Week Webinar Every year, National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) gives the Federal Trade Commission a platform to update the public on the newest fraud tactics. This year’s webinar, held during the first week of March 2026, covered the scams that have been costing consumers the most money and offered clear steps to avoid becoming a victim. If you missed the live session, here is a summary of what was shared and how you can apply it. ...

Fraud Targeting Older Adults by Phone and Online Is Surging – What to Watch For Recent reports from AARP and CBS News underscore a troubling trend: technology‑enabled fraud against people age 50 and older is rising sharply. According to AARP, Floridians over 50 lost more than $258 million to scams in 2025 alone. Nationwide figures are likely higher, though exact numbers are still being collected. This consumer alert explains what’s happening, why older adults are a frequent target, and what you can do to reduce your risk. ...

Gift Card Scams Persist: What the D.C. Attorney General’s Recent Warning Means for You Gift cards are convenient presents for birthdays and holidays, but scammers have turned them into a preferred payment method for fraud. In December 2025, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb issued an alert reminding residents that gift cards are for gifts, not for paying unexpected bills, taxes, or fees. This warning echoes similar advisories from consumer protection agencies across the country, and for good reason—gift card scams remain one of the most common and costly types of fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). ...

Key Scam Trends from FTC’s National Consumer Protection Week Webinar Every year, National Consumer Protection Week gives the FTC a platform to share the latest data on how scammers are operating. The agency’s most recent webinar, held during that week, outlined which fraud tactics are growing and how consumers can defend themselves. If you missed it, here’s a summary of what was covered—and what you can do about it. ...

What Is a “Pig Butchering” Scam? How to Spot and Avoid It If you’ve been getting unexpected messages from someone who seems too charming or too eager to help you invest, you might be in the early stage of a “pig butchering” scam. The name comes from scammers “fattening up” their victims with friendship or romance before stealing large sums of money—often in cryptocurrency. ...

Fraud Alert: Scams Targeting People Over 50 Are Rising Fast—Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’re over 50, a recent string of news alerts may have caught your attention—and for good reason. Fraud cases involving older adults are climbing sharply, and technology is increasingly the tool scammers use to reach their victims. In April 2026, CBS News issued a consumer alert highlighting this trend, while AARP reported staggering losses in Florida alone. Understanding what’s happening and how to protect yourself is more urgent than ever. ...