TAMPA—They worked hard their whole life, saved their money, only to have it stolen by cruel opportunists. Every day, the FBI receives thousands of complaints about fraud schemes targeting the elderly. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2023 total losses reported by those over the age of 60 topped $3.4 billion, an almost 11% increase in reported losses from 2022. Tech support fraud was the number one crime type reported by complainants over 60, while investment scams continued to be the costliest to the senior population in terms of financial losses suffered.

Florida ranked second in the nation for the number of complaints and reported losses. Seniors in the Sunshine State reported losses of more than $90 million to investment schemes, $51,496,415. to Tech Support scams, and over $40 million to Romance scams.

“It’s disturbing to hear the stories of financial hardship these schemes create,” says FBI Tampa Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodney Crawford. “The FBI is committed to pursuing the heartless fraudsters who prey on older Americans. We will utilize all investigative means to bring them to justice.”

Combating the financial exploitation of those over 60 years of age continues to be a priority of the FBI. In partnership with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the FBI works vigorously to aid victims, and identify and investigate the individuals and criminal organizations that perpetrate these schemes and target the elderly.

If you or someone you know is a victim of fraud, contact law enforcement immediately. You can call the FBI at 1-800- CALL FBI, file a complaint with IC3 at www.ic3.gov , or submit your tip online with the FBI’s easy-to-navigate website: tips.fbi.gov.

2023 IC3 Elder Fraud Report and State Reports: https://www.ic3.gov/Home/AnnualReports