Debra Berlyn: Older Adults Can Shop Safely Online This Holiday Season Despite Scams

Two weeks: That’s how long it took two older adults to repair the damage due to a scam, with every waking hour spent at the bank, the police station, on a friend’s phone, and then many hours to reestablish all their email and phone contacts.

They were one of the lucky ones: There wasn’t any financial loss. Scams, scams, and more scams. The question is no longer who isn’t receiving an attempted scam via text, email or phone, the question is who ISN'T getting scammed? 

As the holiday shopping season comes to a peak, everyone needs to be extra diligent to avoid scams and fraud while enjoying the benefits of the online environment.  Older adults are finding that scams are bombarding their devices with fake texts about orders and deliveries and payments due for tolls and emails to click a link that look like they are from a real source.   The scams aren't just confusing, recipients of these scams can lose significant dollars

FTC data released earlier this year reveals that the dollars lost to scams and fraud are astounding. Consumers lost 12.5 billion dollars to scams and fraud in 2024, an increase of over 25% from the previous year.  The data reports that losses are due to investment scams, imposter scams and online shopping scams.  

The notion that only the most vulnerable get scammed isn’t true today.  As recent research has shown, even the smartest people fall for the manipulative schemes perpetrated by scammers. A NYT writer recently penned an article about his personal experience of almost falling for a creative scam involving a caller claiming to be with a bank trying to help him recover an unauthorized account charge. 

New innovative technology using AI and Gen AI provides scammers with additional tools to develop realistic and sophisticated schemes. Spear phishing and pig butchering may sound like hunting terms. They are actually scams that use the latest technology to access consumers personal information in order to drain financial accounts and steal sensitive information such as social security numbers that lead to identity theft.  The retail industry and law enforcement are also using the latest AI tools to help stop scams.  but the bad guys are still staying one step ahead of the game and it can be a challenge to remain “scam-free” today.

My own personal experience with a scam text revealed that it’s important to always stop and carefully review any text for common “tips” to avoid a scam. The text I received was from what appeared to be a valid parking app requesting additional money for a parking fee, and I had just actually parked using the app. 

However, the text message included these three important “red flags” that scammers use to get consumers to act.  1) Threatening language. If I didn’t pay the requested charges, it indicated that I could lose access to the parking app, and then, more alarming, possibly have my driver’s license suspended.  2) Hurry-up and “act now” message:  Scammers are eager to get the receiver to respond quickly before anyone has an opportunity to thoroughly check the validity of the scam and 3) A link to click to “resolve” the problem that will request some personal financial information for submitting payment.  In this case (I didn’t click to find out), it was likely a request for a credit card number to submit for the “fake” parking charges.   

With the holiday online shopping season underway, thankfully there are superheroes that are fighting the good fight against scammers to help protect customers and ensure all have a safe online shopping experience.  Amazon takes proactive steps to battle these scam artists and protect their customers, publishing a Monthly Scam Trends Report to provide the latest information on scam trends and best tips to help consumers avoid scams online.  

Amazon also offers ongoing support to its customers to prevent scams and fraud and to combat counterfeit products and also notifies all parties of suspicious activity.  In today’s customer service environment, when consumers have problems online (or off), it is often impossible to find a real customer service representative to help. In the case of the two older adults caught in a scam noted at the start of this piece, Amazon was actually the first to notify them of the scam that hacked their personal phone and email accounts. 

A collaboration of industry partners including Walmart, Google and other companies along with AARP have established the National Elder Fraud Coordination Center (NEFCC) to work together to fight against elder fraud.  Tips and tools for combating scams and fraud are available at non-profit organizations and government agency sites.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has taken a leadership role in assisting consumers on all fronts, from providing the latest scam statistical analysis to offering tips and tools for combating scams and fraud.  In addition, the BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust has shifted how we view those who fall for these scams to define consumers who have been scammed as “survivors,” rather than “victims.”  The Institute has developed materials available on its website that include a scam prevention guide, a scam survivor toolkit and a scam tracker for anyone to use to report scams and help warn other consumers.

The Federal Trade Commission offers helpful information with tips and tools for identifying and avoiding scams, and provides a reporting tool with steps to take if you are actually scammed.  The National Cybersecurity Alliance has tips for older adults on avoiding scams and Project GOAL’s website includes information on scam resources and tips and tools for the aging community.

Fighting scams and fraud takes a village, and for older adults, it involves consumer education and awareness, federal legislation, a public - private partnership, law enforcement, and companies that are willing to design customer service systems that allow consumers to seek immediate help and information to deal with scams.

Online shopping offers an incredible convenience for older adults, as well as discounted purchasing opportunities.  Can we shop online safely this holiday season? Yes, if we employ an abundance of caution, stay educated, only shop on trusted online sites, and watch-out for those scam red flags!

Debra Berlyn is the Executive Director of the Project to Get Older Adults onLine (Project GOAL), which works to promote the adoption of broadband for older adults, and to advance technology applications for the community. She is also president of Consumer Policy Solutions, a firm focused on developing progressive policies for consumers in a competitive and innovative marketplace. Ms. Berlyn currently serves on the Federal Communication Commission’s Consumer Protection and Accessibility Advisory Committee and serves on the board of the National Consumers League and is a board member and senior fellow with the Future of Privacy Forum.  This Expert Opinion is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.

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