AARP’s ‘Fraud Wars’ Episode 4: A Sympathetic Ear for Scam Victims

Retired defense attorney Stew Abrams, 68, takes his skills from the courtroom to the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline

Dru Strand,

AARP

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Published October 17, 2025

For decades, Stewart Abrams, 68, stood in federal courtrooms across South Florida defending people accused of crimes. Today, the retired attorney is still fighting for justice, but this time he’s working on behalf of older Americans targeted by scammers.

Abrams, who now volunteers with the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline (877-908-3360), fields calls from people who think they may be targeted by a scammer or are scam victims. The calls can be emotional, he notes, with many victims expressing feelings of shame, anger, shock and, in the case of some romance scams, heartbreak.

“They need a sympathetic ear. We listen to them; we talk to them. We tell them, ‘Look, you’re not alone,’ ” Abrams says. He will also add, “Do not feel that you did something that was not intelligent. You were the victim of someone who’s very practiced at doing what they do.”

From public defender to fraud fighter

Abrams served as an assistant federal public defender for 40 years, representing individuals charged with crimes like drug smuggling, gun possession and laundering money stolen through fraud. He recalls listening to scam victims testify about their devastating experiences. Those testimonies pulled at his heartstrings.

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“After having been on the criminal defense side for such a long time and representing people charged with criminal offenses, [volunteering for the Helpline] was an opportunity for me to give something back and assist the people who were the victims of the scams,” Abrams says.

His perspective made him an ideal fit for the AARP Fraud Watch Network, whose Helpline is one of the largest operations of its kind in America, receiving between 300 and 500 calls a day from scam victims or their loved ones to get free advice and help with next steps. His wife, Jackie Abrams, who is also a volunteer, first spotted the opportunity in an AARP newsletter. She said the role aligned perfectly with her husband’s work throughout his legal career, during which he had seen how scammers operate.

“I’m very familiar with various frauds and how some of these schemes work — how individuals prey on innocent victims to get them to do things they would not otherwise do,” says Abrams, one of more than 150 trained Helpline volunteers from 30 different states. That’s why, he says, “I like to ask for the more difficult cases. It really motivates me to help people as best I can.”

Tough cases

Abrams has heard stories of people who spent their entire lives building up a nest egg for retirement only to see it stolen by scammers who are willing to take victims’ every penny, and then some. He has talked to countless people who exhausted their savings, took out mortgages on their homes and fell behind on bills to keep sending money to criminals posing as romantic partners.

The toughest cases are often those where the victim is in denial that their new “friend” is a fraud, he notes: “Sometimes I only get one hour, one shot with a person to say to them, ‘Let me get you off the hook here. This is a scam.’

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“I’ve had people who have said to me, ‘I don’t care what you say; I am still going to keep talking to this person,’ ” Abrams says. In these cases, he will often suggest that the caller set up an in-person meeting with their supposed friend or romantic partner and not send them another dime until that meeting takes place.

Then, Abrams says, two things almost always happen. The scammer invents another urgent emergency, claiming their car has broken down or they have had a sudden hospital stay, and asks for more money. Or they agree to meet, only to cancel at the last minute. Either scenario can sometimes convince the victim that the relationship is a sham.

The calls can be emotionally wrenching, but he considers that the price he pays for his work. “If you lose your compassion,” he says, “you can’t be effective. It’s been a whole lot of years, and I’ve never lost the compassion.”

Spotting red flags

Abrams tries to give each caller his best tips on how to avoid scams. Among them:

1. Take a minute to think. Don’t let your thinking get clouded by emotion (scammers often try to make victims anxious). Stop and consider whether the interaction makes sense. AARP spreads this message with its “Pause. Reflect. Protect” campaign.

2. Think twice before sending gift cards as a form of payment. “The reason the scammers want gift cards is because it is virtually impossible for law enforcement agencies to trace the proceeds,” Abrams says.

3. Don’t click suspicious links. Scammers are sending far more bogus texts, often posing as companies you routinely deal with. Never respond to an unsolicited text or click on an included link. If you believe the message may be legitimate, contact the organization directly or visit its official website.

4. Talk to someone. Scammers often instruct victims not to tell anyone about their interactions. That’s a sign that you really should tell someone. Before sending or sharing personal information, call a trusted friend, family member or the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline.

We offer more tips for lowering your risk of scams in this story.

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