4 in 10 Older Americans Have Lost Money to Fraud, AARP Survey Finds

A new report explores people’s concerns about scams and understanding of criminals’ tactics

Jessica McMaster,

AARP

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Published April 07, 2026

a collage of fraud, scam and security related items

Photo Collage: Paul Spella

Key takeaways

About 38 percent of U.S. adults say they’ve lost money to fraud, rising to 41 percent among those 50 and older.
Fraud worries are widespread, with older adults more likely than younger ones to report high concern.
While awareness of common scam tactics is improving, many adults still take risks that leave them vulnerable.

A new AARP report has found that an estimated 38 percent of American adults (about 103 million people) have had money stolen due to fraud or sensitive information obtained and used fraudulently. The numbers are even higher among adults age 50 and older, with 41 percent saying they’ve been victims, compared with 35 percent of those ages 18 to 49.

The figures are based on a survey of 1,696 U.S. adults that was designed to assess their understanding and awareness of various types of scams. Its findings are summarized in the AARP report “The Fraud Crisis in America: How Adult Consumers Feel, What They Know and Their Exposure to Risk.”

Incidents of fraud have exploded in recent years, with Americans reporting a record $12.8 billion stolen in 2024, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). But that’s likely a small fraction of the total: While the FTC received reports of $10 billion stolen in 2023, the agency later noted that, when accounting for underreporting, losses could have been as high as $158.3 billion that year.

Join Our Fight Against Fraud

Here’s what you can do to help protect people 50 and older from scams and fraud:

Tell lawmakers to stop criminals from using crypto kiosks to steal from us.
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.

“Every day, we must remember that criminals are constantly looking for new ways to steal our hard‑earned money,” says Amy Nofziger, senior director of fraud victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network. “By working together, we can fight back, so that next year, the number is even closer to zero.”

The AARP report found that most of those surveyed (59 percent) are significantly worried about these crimes, and becoming a victim tops the list of fears for many (30 percent overall). Adults 50 and older are more likely to express a high level of concern about fraud, with 63 percent rating their level of worry between 6 and 10 on a scale of 0 to 10. That’s compared with 55 percent of respondents ages 18 to 49 who reported being very worried.

Black respondents are the most likely to have been fraud victims: 45 percent versus 39 percent for Hispanic respondents, 37 percent for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) respondents and 36 percent for white respondents.

AAPI adults, along with Black and Hispanic adults, express high levels of worry about becoming fraud victims: 73 percent of AAPI adults, 69 percent of Black respondents and 61 percent of Hispanic respondents rate their worry at 6 or above, compared with 54 percent of white respondents.

Fraud risk awareness: the good news

The results suggest that people's understanding of fraud is improving in some areas:

Most people (87 percent) know that fraud can happen to anyone. Most also understand that scammers use sophisticated emotional tactics and often operate within large international rings.
Most (85 percent) of adults now use a passcode, password, facial recognition or fingerprint to unlock their smartphones, tablets and computers.
The majority (82 percent, an estimated 218 million adults) correctly identify that being asked to buy gift cards to handle an urgent financial matter is a common scam tactic.

Room for improvement

Many people can do much more to protect themselves from scammers. For instance:

Avoid unsolicited communications. A significant percentage of those surveyed (21 percent) answer phone calls from people they don’t know at least half the time, and 10 percent reply to unknown texts at the same rate. Criminals will take any opportunity to separate potential victims from their cash and often do so by manipulating their target’s emotions, which is why responding to unsolicited communications can be risky. Younger adults are more likely to pick up (25 percent) than those 50 and older (16 percent). When in doubt, let the call or text go to voicemail.

Use distinctly different passwords for every account. About 65 percent of respondents say they don’t do so. Yet a hack on one account puts the others at risk if the passwords are similar. Older adults are apparently more aware of this: They are more likely to use different passwords for different accounts — 40 percent, versus 31 percent for respondents 18 to 49. Password managers can help you keep track of them all.

Be careful about activity on social media. About 50 percent of those surveyed say they take online quizzes or surveys, or download free apps on social media. It’s best to avoid them, however, because they can be a way for criminals to gather information for identity theft: Your responses might match your answers to the security questions you use to log in to your online accounts, for example. And 13 percent of respondents accept friend requests on social media from people they don’t know — also risky.

Use protective software. About 30 percent of consumers don’t use protective tools such as antivirus software, antispyware, a firewall, or a call- or pop-up-blocking feature or app.

Protect yourself when using public Wi-Fi. Only 38 percent of adults use a virtual private network when on public Wi-Fi. A VPN protects your personal information and privacy. Turn on a VPN — or avoid checking email, logging into banks or shopping — whenever you’re on public Wi-Fi.

Report fraud. Only 25 percent of respondents who’d been victims of fraud reported the crime to local law enforcement, and 14 percent reported it to the FBI or the FTC. If you spot or have been a scam victim, it’s essential to report it to your local police, as well as the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The more information authorities have, the better they can identify patterns, link cases and ultimately catch the criminals.

Spread the word about fraud. Only about 43 percent of respondents who were fraud victims warned others (such as family members and friends) about their experience. If someone is aware of a specific scam, they are far less likely to engage with a scammer, so sharing your story can prevent others from becoming victims.

You can stay up on the latest scams and learn ways to protect yourself from fraud at AARP’s Fraud Resource Center and by listening to the award-winning The Perfect Scam podcast. AARP also has a free Helpline (877-908-3360); trained specialists provide guidance on what to do next and how to avoid scams.

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

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