Elder fraud in U.S. is staggering $2.3B problem that has local victims, DA says
Sedgwick County’s top prosecutor is reminding the public to remain vigilant against scams following the recent release of a U.S. Department of Justice report that reveals the staggering cost of financial fraud for America’s oldest residents.
In the one-year period from July 2024 to June 2025, thieves attempted or were successful in stealing more than $2.3 billion from just over 1 million seniors, according to the DOJ’s 2025 Annual Report to Congress on Department of Justice Activities to Combat Elder Fraud and Abuse.
It’s a figure so staggering that Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett is again calling on the public to watch out for this sort of criminal activity so people don’t fall victim.
“The figures released in this report are a reminder of the pervasiveness of elder financial abuse. While this is a national report, the threat is local,” Bennett said in a news release Monday.
“These sophisticated criminal networks do not discriminate by location, and we want to ensure the citizens of Sedgwick County are aware of the scale of this problem so they can better protect themselves and their loved ones.”
Warnings about scams seem almost as common as the scams themselves. In the past year, law enforcement, government agencies and lawyers have warned Kansans against fake toll texts, deceptive mailers, romance scams, package delivery hoaxes, people impersonating government employees, bank transfer scams, email phishing scams and more.
In September, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office announced that an 84-year-old Sedgwick County woman had been scammed out of $255,000 in gold from two men posing as FBI agents who convinced her that her social security number had been compromised.
In July, a scammer tried to convince former Kansas U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom that he had a $45,000 arrest warrant for failing to appear for federal court duty.
Last fall, a Wichita man got an official-looking letter from a phony attorney promising an $11 million cash payout if he helped claim a dead doctor’s life insurance policy.
These are just a few examples.
According to the DOJ’s latest report, investment fraud cost older adults the most at $1.83 billion between July 2024 and June 2025, followed by tech support scams ($982 million), confidence games and romance scams ($389 million), business email compromise scams ($385 million), personal data breaches ($254 million) and government impersonation scams ($208 million).
Thirty-six percent involved international scams, which are often more difficult to recover money from.
Although the DOJ pursued 283 cases against 608 defendants during the reporting period, including many operating overseas, the problem remains widespread.
Bennett’s office is urging residents to watch out for “red flags” associated with scams, including scammers claiming a situation is an emergency so the victim can’t think clearly or ask questions, telling victims to not talk about their conversations or financial withdrawals with family or bank tellers, and demanding that payments be made with cryptocurrency, wire transfers or gift cards.
Anyone who thinks they or a loved one has been the victim of elder fraud should contact their local law enforcement agency immediately, Bennett said.
Reports can also be made to the National Elder Fraud hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
“If you suspect you or an elderly family member has been targeted, please do not stay silent,” Bennett said. “Reporting these crimes is the first step in stopping them.”
