Elder fraud is surging. Here are three simple steps to combat it.

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/07/07/three-step-fix-halt-epidemic-elder-fraud/

In 2025, according to the FBI, Americans 60 and older reported a total of $7.7 billion stolen. That is roughly eight times the 2020 figure. Older adults filed 20 percent of internet-crime complaints last year but absorbed 37 percent of the losses. And research cited by the Federal Trade Commission suggests that only about one in 20 fraud victims ever even reports it.

If our ledger proves anything, it is that awareness of elder fraud is the one thing the U.S. does not lack. There is no shortage of warnings from sheriffs, attorneys general and agencies. What older Americans need — and what can make the difference — is one number to call, one rule to remember and one day on which the system moves as fast as the money does.