Every May, for more than 60 years, we’ve celebrated Older Americans Month; it’s a time for all of us to honor the contributions by older adults to our society – in the past and present –while at the same time, we, collectively, come together to reaffirm our commitment to support them with our compassion and respect.

This year’s theme, Flip the Script on Aging, focuses on transforming how society perceives, talks about, and approaches aging. It encourages individuals and communities to challenge stereotypes and dispel misconceptions. As part of the celebration, we’re also invited to explore the many opportunities for staying active and engaged as we age and highlight the opportunities that come with aging.

With that in mind, one of the issues that we need to “flip the script on” is taking the steps to help older Americans avoid being the victim of online fraud and cyber scams.

In 2024, according to a report from the FBI, older Americans reported that nearly $4.9 billion was stolen from them through fraud, with the average loss coming in at $83.000. That’s an increase of 43 percent. What’s more, adults 60 and older submitted the most complaints of any age group (more than 147,000).

Here in Indiana, in the same report, senior citizens experienced the largest financial losses due to cybercrime in 2024, losing more than $37.2 million. The figure represents a substantial portion of the total $125.1 million in losses reported by Indiana residents due to internet crime in 2024. All told, there were 23,659 internet crime complaints last year.

It doesn’t stop there, as these figures represent just a fraction of the actual amount, for two reasons. Some victims who submit reports to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov don’t include their age. Add to that, many victims are reluctant to come forward to report these crimes, either because they’re embarrassed or they believe that there’s no point due to the fact they believe their money is gone for good.

There are four categories, nationally, that account for the biggest financial losses on victims, 60 and older including:

• Investment scams totaled more than $1.8 billion.
• Tech support scams at $982 million.
• Confidence/romance scams : $389 million
• Business email compromise (where cybercriminals impersonate leaders of a company or an organization to get employees to send money or share data) at $385 million.

Fortunately, there are steps we can take every day, both in terms of following a range of best practices designed to keep us safe, and reminding ourselves to listen to the numerous trusted sources who are out there providing their expertise and guidance to help all of us gain an even greater measure of awareness for all things cyber.

Among the steps that the FBI recommends includes:

• Pause and take time to think – and talk to someone. The agency has a Take a Beat campaign, advising people to stop and think before responding to unsolicited communications, and certainly before sending money to a stranger. Most importantly, get a second opinion from someone you trust. Say, ‘Hey, does this make sense that someone would offer me a guaranteed 20 percent return on this investment?’”
• Practice good digital hygiene. Among other safe practices, don’t click on unsolicited links or respond to unsolicited calls or messages. To learn more, check out a great story from AARP Magazine on 15 ways to prevent fraud.
• Report fraud. Report these crimes to local law enforcement and the FBI through IC3.gov. “Reporting is one of the first and most important steps in fighting crime so law enforcement can use this information to combat a variety of frauds and scams. As with most agencies, they’re only as successful as the reports they receive.

Through the state of Indiana, there are also free resources that you can download by visiting the Indiana Cyber Hub website, including a page (and more FREE resources) devoted to helping you in the event that you need to report a cyber incident. If you think you’re a victim of identity theft, the page includes advice on the immediate steps you need to take, along with a full list of the resources that are available to help you!

At a time when cybercrimes have been all too frequent and more sophisticated than ever, it’s easy to feel – regardless of our age or where we’re at in our life – to think that we won’t allow ourselves to get tricked out of our personal or financial information.

Maybe that’s what we need to do to celebrate Older Americans Month, is to flip the switch on the cybercriminals by trusting our instincts, but, at the same time, being willing to show that it’s OK to adapt to today's technology, just as we’ve done with a lot of other things that are popular in the world we live in. You got this.