×

4 common scams and how to avoid them

Saint Cloud, MN, USA / KNSI
Nicole Pajer for Brookdale Senior Living
Oct 5, 2026 | 8:00 AM
pain au chocolat // Shutterstock

If it seems like there’s a new scam popping up every day, you’re not imagining it. Between email phishing campaigns, fraudulent calls or web popups, scams are increasingly common, especially in the day and age of artificial intelligence. In fact, a 2025 Pew survey found that 73% of U.S. adults have been the victim of an online scam or attack.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about scams occurring across the U.S. Brookdale Senior Living shares four common scams to be aware of and offers tips from experts on how to avoid them.

Recovery scams

This is a scam that targets a person who has already been scammed.

Here’s how it works: According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), scammers obtain “sucker lists” of people who have paid scammers in the past. Someone will reach out and offer to help a person recoup their lost investment funds for a fee. The people doing these scams may even be the same people who scammed the person in the first place.

This time around, they may pretend to be a government agent, lawyer, private investigator or a recovery firm. The scammer will ask for an upfront fee to help cover various costs, like processing fees, taxes and legal costs. There is often the promise of a money-back guarantee that this person can help recuperate your funds, but they’ll ask for unusual payment methods, such as cryptocurrency, gift cards, cash or gold.

If any of the above occurs, the FTC advises against engaging, sending money, or giving out personal information.

Romance scams

These scams are nothing new but have been on the rise in recent years, especially with older adults as the target. According to a November 2025 AARP report, nearly 1 in 10 adults aged 50 or over have been the target of a romance scam.

In these scenarios, scammers try to start a fast-paced digital relationship with someone, often through online dating apps or social media accounts. They may make plans to meet in person or even suggest marriage, but never follow through on these promises. Then, they come up with a reason for asking their “partner” for money: they need help with bills, they lost their job, need to help care for an ill family member, etc.

Grandparent scams

This is a scam targeting older adults, making them believe their grandchild is in trouble or in danger. Scammers impersonate a grandchild or other close relative who is in crisis and ask for money. These calls can spoof a caller ID to make an incoming call appear to be coming from a trusted source.

Artificial intelligence is making this type of scam increasingly more believable. Using AI, scammers can even clone the voice of a loved one, making the call seem even more believable.

If this type of call is received, write down the details, hang up, then call the relative who is said to be involved directly. If you cannot reach the person, call family or friends to check in to see if they have talked to them lately.

The National Cybersecurity Alliance also suggests coming up with a code word between loved ones to use in such a scenario to help weed out scams.

Government scams

These scams occur when people impersonate governmental officials, pretending to be from places like the FTC, Social Security Administration and IRS. The goal is to frighten people into making fake payments or to reveal personal information that could later be used against them.

The FTC says to do the following to avoid falling victim to government scams:

  • Don’t send money, especially when asked for payment in an unusual way (wire transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency).
  • Don’t share any financial or personal information with someone claiming to be from the government.
  • Don’t trust your caller ID. Scammers know how to spoof official phone numbers.
  • Don’t click on links in unexpected emails, texts, or social media messages. Just delete them.

Watch out for red flags

“Having practiced law for years, I find that most scammers don’t start with a complex scheme,” says Timothy S. Trecek, managing partner at Habush Habush & Rottier and adjunct professor at Marquette Law School. “They will apply pressure and wish for people to respond rather than think.”

Some usual signs of scams, he says, include:

  • Texts that say you owe unpaid tolls
  • Package delivery notices urging you to click a link
  • Bank fraud alerts telling you what number to call
  • Tech-support pop-ups warning that your computer was infected
  • Callers pretending to be with the IRS, Social Security Administration or local police
  • Anything that implies a sense of urgency, like you have X amount of days or hours to act now
  • When someone starts asking for gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, passwords or one-time security codes

Dara Gibson is CEO of Cybersecurity Readiness Advisors and president of InfraGard Arizona, an organization working with the FBI to protect national infrastructure. She warns that if you receive a message you think could be a scam it is important to “pause, reflect, protect.”

1. Pause for a moment and be slow to respond.

2. Reflect on:

  • Who this person is.
  • What is the request actually asking for?
  • Were you expecting this request?
  • Where did the request come from (the URL, email address, etc.)?
  • When is the response due?
  • Why did the request come in?
  • Why is it urgent?

3. Protect yourself by slowing down and knowing the answers to these questions.

If you suspect you or a loved one has been the victim of a scam, report it to the FTC.

This story was produced by Brookdale Senior Living and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.