Protecting Seniors from Identity Theft: Essential Steps and Precautions
In 2025, Americans aged 60 and older lodged 201,266 complaints with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, leading to reported losses of $7.7 billion, the highest among any age group. Older victims experienced an average loss of nearly $38,500, almost double the amount for younger complainants. According to a Federal Trade Commission report to Congress from December 2025, fraud cost older adults between $10.1 billion and $81.5 billion in 2024, depending on the level of underreporting considered.
Increased Risks for Older Adults
Many older adults maintain accounts with numerous institutions, including banks, brokerages, Medicare, Social Security, pension administrators, and mortgage holders. Each of these has unique verification processes. Scammers who access one account may find substantial reserves in others. The combined losses reported by older adults topping $100,000 jumped from $55 million in 2020 to $445 million in 2024, as per FTC data.
AI voice cloning has compounded the challenge, allowing scammers to mimic voices and bypass verification steps. The FBI noted AI-related scam losses at $893 million in 2025, with $352 million attributed to victims aged 60 and above.
Strengthening Security Measures
Before securing accounts, sit with your parents to ensure they comprehend each step. Aim to protect without taking control away. Key actions include:
- Credit Freeze: Freeze credit at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. All freezes have been free since 2018 and can be lifted when applying for credit.
- IRS Identity Protection PIN: Obtain a PIN from irs.gov/ippin, which prevents fraudulent federal tax returns being filed against their Social Security Number.
- USPS Informed Delivery: Register for this service to monitor mail deliveries using usps.com, preventing criminals from claiming mail like replacement credit cards or benefits letters.
- Opt-out of Pre-screened Credit Offers: Use optoutprescreen.com to stop unsolicited credit offers.
Beyond these, consider credit monitoring to spot any irregular activities swiftly.
Pre-Claim Federal Accounts
Help your parents secure accounts including a my Social Security account at ssa.gov and a MyMedicare.gov account. If needed, aid in setting up two-factor authentication and using a trusted password manager.
For Medicare, review Summary Notices quarterly with your parents to identify unfamiliar charges. The federally funded Senior Medicare Patrol can assist with suspicious billing inquiries.
Handle Suspicious Calls
Set up a family code word for phone verification. If a call claims urgent matters but lacks the code, terminate the call. Educate your family about what legitimate federal agencies won’t ask for, such as full SSNs or payments via gift cards. Place a reminder near the phone listing these do-not-volunteer details.
Response to Identity Fraud
Prepare a financial power of attorney beforehand to allow authorized actions on a parent’s behalf if fraud occurs. Immediate responses include obtaining credit reports, filing at IdentityTheft.gov, placing fraud alerts, and contacting affected creditors.
Identity theft protection services may offer additional support for resolving fraud and might include insurance for recovery costs. However, such services don’t prevent misuse, so proactiveness remains key.
Protecting an older parent’s identity involves basic yet critical steps: freezing their credit, claiming essential government accounts, setting an IRS IP PIN, and establishing a code word for calls. These efforts, alongside fast monitoring and action when something seems amiss, can shield them from potential financial distress.