AARP Hearing Center
Rob Dobi
Older Americans consistently rate being defrauded as one of their greatest fears. And with good reason. The Federal Trade Commission put an eye-popping number to it: In 2023, scammers stole as much as $158.3 billion from Americans. That’s $434 million a day, or about $300,000 every minute.
For AARP, combating this scourge is a top priority.
The AARP Fraud Watch Network continues to blanket the country with education on fraud prevention through hundreds of state-office volunteer fraud fighters who reach tens of thousands of people in local communities every year. We also produce our award-winning podcast, The Perfect Scam, and send biweekly “Watchdog Alerts” to more than 400,000 subscribers.
The Fraud Watch Network has a free helpline for those who want to check if something is a scam or get help after being defrauded. Call the helpline at 877-908-3360. And find emotional support through our Fraud Victim Support online group discussions.
Join Our Fight Against Fraud
Here’s what you can do to help protect people 50 and older from scams and fraud:
- Sign up to become a digital fraud fighter to help raise awareness about the latest scams.
- Read more about how we’re fighting for you every day in Congress and across the country.
- AARP is your fierce defender on the issues that matter to people 50-plus. Become a member or renew your membership today.
AARP is also working to change the way people think about fraud.
- We cofounded the new National Elder Fraud Coordination Center, which coordinates intelligence gathering to bring criminals to justice.
- Our fraud experts serve on the Aspen Institute’s National Task Force on Fraud and Scam Prevention to establish the first-ever national fraud strategy.
- We worked with lawmakers to pass legislation in 15 states to help prevent fraud through cryptocurrency ATMs. And we successfully pushed for laws to stop gift-card scams in 10 states.
- AARP is advocating for laws to help victims recover their losses through victim restitution funds.
- We are also shifting the perspective on victimization by spreading awareness that being defrauded is not the victim’s fault.
- AARP has launched a campaign to create a formula for recognizing and responding to scams: “Pause. Reflect. Protect.”
- And AARP launched a new video series, Fraud Wars, which shares victims’ stories to highlight the sophisticated tactics used in fraud. Visit the AARP YouTube channel to find more episodes.
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