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As Fraud Losses Rise, Advocates in Texas Fight Back

AARP is hosting free document shredding events, workshops and telephone town halls to help educate Texans about how to spot and avoid scams.

Stacey Shepard,

AARP

Published March 01, 2026

a fish hook pulling a 50 dollar bill from a wallet

Getty Images

When Caryn Gulas and her husband were away on a cruise several years ago, her mother-in-law received a call from someone claiming to be her grandson. He said he’d been arrested and needed help immediately.

Gulas’ mother-in-law — then in her 80s — went to the store, bought gift cards and read the numbers over the phone to the caller. Within minutes, she lost around $2,000 to scammers.

“She was in such a panic and in such an agitated state that she didn’t stop to think, and she didn’t make a phone call to find out where he was,” says Gulas, 66, an AARP Texas volunteer who lives in the Austin area.

Such episodes are becoming more common across the state.

In 2024, Texans reported fraud losses totaling $1.35 billion — marking a 32 percent increase from the prior year, FBI data shows. Among Texas consumers over 60, the increase in losses was even higher. That age group reported $490 million in 2024 fraud losses, a 76 percent jump from 2023. Officials note that those losses are likely far higher since fraud is underreported.

“You can’t trust an incoming phone call. You can’t trust a text message or an email. You can’t click on a link. You can’t go online and confidently click on an ad on social media ... and on and on,” says Kathy Stokes, senior director of AARP’s fraud prevention programs.

To help fight back against fraud, AARP Texas is focusing heavily on education and outreach, as well as advocating for state legislation to better protect consumers.

On Saturday, April 25, AARP will also hold free document-shredding events in Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio. At them, Texans can safely dispose of old tax forms, bank statements, medical bills and other types of paperwork that contain sensitive personal information. Doing so can help protect against identity theft.

AARP Texas also hosts fraud prevention workshops statewide, offers virtual presentations and telephone town halls, and shares alerts through newsletters and local media partnerships.

Volunteers like Gulas play a key role. She has led fraud presentations for community groups, walking audiences through common scams and explaining how criminals manipulate emotions to override rational thinking.

“It is such an awful issue,” says Gulas, noting the importance of spreading awareness.

Request a free presentation by emailing txaarp@aarp.org or calling 866-227-7443.

Curbing Crypto ATM Fraud

AARP Texas is also expanding education around cryptocurrency kiosks — also known as crypto ATMs — which have become a popular tool for criminals to steal money in fraud schemes.

Crypto ATMs convert cash into digital currency that is often immediately transferred to overseas exchanges, making the money very difficult to recover. The machines can resemble traditional bank ATMs and are found in gas stations, grocery stores, bars and other common businesses.

“When we were talking about this at the Legislature this last session, a lot of people didn’t even know what a crypto kiosk is,” says Kathy Green, AARP Texas director of state and federal strategy.

During the 2025 legislative session, AARP Texas supported a bill that would have imposed new consumer protections on crypto ATMs, including licensing requirements and transaction limits. It faced opposition from the cryptocurrency industry and did not pass.

Nationwide, 17 states have passed laws aimed at regulating crypto ATMs, and AARP anticipates that most states without laws will consider such legislation in 2026 and 2027. Green says AARP Texas plans to revisit the issue when state lawmakers reconvene next year.

Gulas recently learned that one of her favorite grocery store chains has crypto ATMs. She says knowing that the kiosks are often used in scams makes her want to urge the retailer to reconsider hosting the machines.

“The little bit of real business that’s done on those is so miniscule,” she says. “And yet, there they are.”