Recognizing Scam Phone Calls

Scam phone calls have become one of the most common ways criminals target older Americans, and they're getting more sophisticated every year. The script is almost always the same: someone calls claiming to be from Medicare, the Social Security Administration, the IRS, your bank, or even a grandchild in trouble. They create a sense of urgency ("your account will be closed in one hour"), they create fear ("there's a warrant for your arrest"), and they demand that you act immediately, often by buying gift cards, wiring money, or reading off your account numbers. Real government agencies do not work this way. The IRS sends letters. Medicare doesn't cold-call you about new cards. Your bank will never ask you to "move your money to a safe account."

The single best defense is also the simplest: hang up. You are never rude for hanging up on a stranger, no matter how official they sound or how panicked they make you feel. If you have even a moment of doubt, hang up and call the organization back using a phone number you find yourself, on the back of your card, on a previous bill, or on the official website, not the number the caller gave you. The same goes for the "grandparent scam," where someone calls in tears claiming to be your grandchild who's been arrested and needs bail money. Hang up and call your grandchild or their parents directly. Real emergencies survive a five-minute pause; scams do not. And remember, no legitimate caller will ever ask you to pay them in gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. That request alone is proof it is a scam.