Over $130M Lost To Elder Scams In San Diego County In 1 Year

SAN DIEGO, CA — Scams targeting the elderly in San Diego County resulted in losses of more than $130 million over the course of a single year, the county's Elder Justice Task Force announced.

Officials released the statistics this week as part of an ongoing outreach campaign to educate seniors, their loved ones, caregivers and the public about internet and phone scams that are leading to escalating losses for victims. The campaign began in September and will continue through the end of the year.

"We've had enough of criminals aggressively targeting some of the most vulnerable people in San Diego County and, in some cases, bilking them out of their life savings," San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said. "We want to educate senior citizens and their families about how to recognize scams and what specific actions they should take if they suspect they are being targeted. At the same time, our collaborative work through the Elder Justice Task Force is reaping rewards in both prosecutions and restitution for victims who previously were devastated by their losses."

The county's Elder Justice Task Force, which was formed in 2020, has tracked or identified more than 4,600 victims and over $325 million in losses since its inception. The multi-agency task force's work has resulted in state and federal prosecutions of more than 70 defendants.

The figures are likely much higher, however, since elder fraud is underreported by victims who feel ashamed or embarrassed that they have fallen prey to scammers, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.

"Ensuring seniors are safe is part of our mission and we take this violation seriously," said Mark Dargis, special agent in charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office. "We aggressively investigate those who seek to destroy the financial livelihood of our elder community and are committed to holding scammers accountable for their crimes to help restore justice to their victims."

Scams against older adults have grown more sophisticated, with tactics ranging from government impersonation to AI-generated voices mimicking family members, according to the task force.

The campaign advises seniors to "Stop. Hang Up. Tell Someone" when faced with suspicious requests from scammers. Common scams involve phone calls, texts or pop-up ads from people pretending to be from a government agency, bank or major company and warning of supposed issues that require urgent resolution.

Victims are told to transfer funds, deposit cash into Bitcoin ATMs, or even hand over money or gold to couriers.

The San Diego County District Attorney's Office said that seniors can protect themselves by remembering to "Stop. Hang Up. Tell Someone."

People should remember that legitimate agencies will not ask someone to move their money elsewhere to "keep it safe." Seniors should hang up and call back using a number they know is real and also use call-blocking tools to reduce scam attempts.