Alert : Fake calls targeting seniors – scammers exploit trust and urgency to steal money or data

Scammers target older people by phone by pretending to be a relative, a bank, an official service or a trusted professional.
Stay alert: these calls often play on fear, urgency or isolation to trigger a quick reaction.

Fake calls targeting seniors

This scam mainly targets older people, but it can affect anyone who is vulnerable when faced with a pressing or highly credible call.
The fraudster is trying to obtain a payment, banking codes, personal information or access to an account.

How it works

The scammer calls while pretending to be a bank adviser, a police officer, an administrative officer, a technician, a delivery driver or sometimes a family member in difficulty.
They create an urgent scenario: a hacked account, a card that needs to be blocked, a parcel that must be paid for, a relative in danger, a debt to settle or an intervention to confirm.
Their goal is to push the victim into acting without thinking, sharing codes, making a bank transfer, handing over a bank card or calling back a fraudulent number.

Warning signs: unexpected call, alarmist tone, request for secrecy, immediate pressure, request for codes, urgent payment, refusal to allow time to check, unknown or spoofed number, wording designed to trigger fear or guilt.

A few tips:

• 📞 Hang up if the call seems urgent, confusing or too insistent.
• 🔐 Never share your banking codes, passwords or codes received by SMS/text message.
• 🏦 Always call your bank back using the official number shown on your card or in your customer account.
• 👪 Check with a relative if the call claims to involve a member of your family.
• 🚪 Never hand over a bank card, cash or documents to someone sent after a phone call.
• ⏳ Take time to think: urgency is one of scammers’ main tools.
• 🧾 Note the number, the time of the call and the scenario used to make reporting easier.
• 🗣️ Regularly talk about these scams with the older people around you.

Conclusion

A serious call should never force you to act within the minute, or to provide sensitive information over the phone.
If in doubt, hang up, check through an official channel and ask a relative for advice before making any decision.

Report this type of scam on an official platform such as Report Fraud (UK), the National Cyber Security Centre (UK), ReportFraud.ftc.gov (US), the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (US) or the competent national service in your country, then inform the older people around you to help reduce the number of victims.

To better understand the mechanisms used by scammers and learn how to react, these resources may help:

• 👉 Understand common frauds and know how to react
• 👉 Adopt the right reflexes when faced with scams
• 👉 Consult useful anti-fraud resources for consumers

Free tools are also available to guide you, check a situation or train yourself to recognise traps:

• 👉 Interactive guide to help fraud victims
• 👉 Reporting assistant to find the right official channel
• 👉 Anti-fraud simulator to learn how to spot suspicious signs
• 👉 Suspicious link checker to assess a URL before clicking

Written by : René Ronse
Methodology : Our alert articles are based on regular monitoring of national reporting platforms, feedback from victims, and statements issued by relevant authorities.
About the author : René Ronse, manager of ArnaqueOuFiable.com. Expert in consumer cybersecurity, specialist in detecting online fraud, product transparency, and digital compliance. He has over 20 years of experience analyzing hidden subscription mechanisms, unreadable terms and conditions, aggressive sales tactics, and deceptive commercial practices on the web.
Sources : safeonweb.be | ic3.gov | fbi.gov | consumer.ftc.gov
Last updated : 23 May 2026.
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