AI Scammers Targeting Elderly Americans with Fraud Schemes

Artificial intelligence is leading a surge in fraud schemes aimed at older Americans across the U.S. The founder of ScamSkeptic, Matt Sanner, appears on ‘America’s Newsroom’ to discuss how scammers are using AI to imitate voices and create realistic deepfakes. He also shares some helpful tips for families to spot these scams and safeguard their loved ones.

As someone moves into a new home, a scammer might already have a few details about them: their name, new address, and possibly their age—well, maybe not exact age, but enough information to make them seem like an appealing target.

There are federal rules regarding communities designated for those 55 years and older, stipulating that at least 80% of the units must have at least one resident who meets that age requirement. This comes from the Housing for Older Persons Act.

This means that just having an address in a 55+ community can reveal your information to scammers and data brokers. Once your name is linked to that address in public records, it can quickly be part of a much larger profile.

Surprisingly, this crucial detail often isn’t part of the moving checklist. Here’s how such profiles can be constructed in no time. More importantly, let’s discuss ways to limit the personal information that fraudsters can access.

Five Data Broker Opt-Out Myths That Leave Retirees Exposed

Scammers can easily combine property records, people-search listings, and community data to create detailed profiles of new residents in retirement communities.

How Moving to a 55+ Community Can Expose Your Data

Relocating to an age-restricted community doesn’t merely change your ZIP code; it can rapidly enhance your data profile.

Here’s what information might be readily available:

• Your name and new address will likely show in county property records as officials file the deed. This information is available to the public.
• Your homeowners association collects your contact details, and many communities also provide directories listing residents’ names, addresses, and phone numbers.
• Marketing companies track new movers and sell those details to advertisers.
• People-search sites may update their records with your new address, age range, and household information.
• Community Facebook groups, welcome committees, and bulletin boards sometimes share introductions that include names, photos, or unit numbers.

At first glance, each of these details seems harmless. However, when combined, they can help scammers form a convincing narrative about you.

Research Shows Scams Can Start Soon After a Move

Criminologists at Florida State University conducted extensive research on financial exploitation within a significant Florida retirement community. Their findings might shift your perspective on the initial months in a new home. Residents reported being targeted by scammers almost right after their move, facing scams much more frequently than before.

Julie Brancale, one of the study authors, stated that residents experienced targeting immediately upon moving in, and those efforts persisted. Her colleague, Thomas Blomberg, noted that people often move to gated communities expecting added safety during retirement, yet they might encounter repeated scam attempts.

AARP’s insights on The Villages—a large 55+ community with over 150,000 residents—highlight instances of financial exploitation. One case involved impostors posing as pool contractors, managing to acquire nearly $200,000 in down payments from six residents before being arrested. Additionally, a Leisure World resident in Maryland lost almost $800,000 in a gold-bar scam. An anti-fraud group estimated that they’ve helped recover around $40 million for Florida victims over time.

How Retirement Community Scams Can Target Your Family

Here’s a point to consider. When scammers seek information about you, they might also stumble upon details about your adult children. Data broker profiles might indicate they are relatives and link them to their current addresses. Consequently, a scam directed at a new resident can have repercussions for the entire family.

A criminal may not even need to deceive you directly. For instance, someone might contact your daughter, posing as representing your new HOA, and mention your actual address while asking for confirmation of a payment on your behalf. The inquiry could sound plausible, especially since the caller has prior knowledge of personal details. The more info they gather ahead of time, the easier it is to create a believable story.

How Big Is Fraud Targeting Older Americans?

This issue extends far beyond individual retirement communities. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center logged over 201,000 fraud complaints from Americans aged 60 and above in 2025, which amounted to losses exceeding $7.7 billion. The FTC estimates that the actual financial toll could soar to around $81.5 billion when including unreported incidents. An analysis of FBI data also revealed a concerning link: around 72% of fraud categories affecting older adults become significantly more dangerous when attackers have access to personal data.

The takeaway here is clear. Personal information provides fraudsters with the resources they need to make fraudulent calls, texts, or emails seem more credible.

How to Protect Your Privacy in a Retirement Community

You can’t stop every county property record from becoming public, but you can minimize how much additional information someone finds when they start looking.

Limit What Your Community Shares

First off, inquire with your HOA or community manager about the possibility of limiting or opting out of resident directory listings. Also, find out what information the community shares with other residents. If possible, remove your phone number, email address, and any photos from community directories.

Check What Personal Information Appears Online

Next, conduct a search using your name, phone number, and new address to see what’s listed. People-search sites and data brokers may have already associated your new location with your age range, relatives, and previous addresses.

Remove Your Information from Data Broker Sites

You can submit removal requests to people-search sites and data brokers directly, but doing it yourself can be time-consuming. A data removal service can manage those requests for you and continue to check if your information resurfaces.

Kurt’s Key Takeaways

Moving into a 55+ community can potentially create privacy risks sooner than many realize. What worries me the most is how quickly your new address can become associated with your age range, relatives, and other personal details through public records and data broker sites.

The research findings from Florida State University stand out as residents recounted scam attempts shortly after moving, which suggests that safeguarding your privacy should be a priority on your moving checklist well before the unpacking starts.

Also, keep a close watch on what your information reveals about your family. Data broker profiles often intertwine relatives, former addresses, and household details, offering scammers many avenues to create believable stories aimed at you or someone close.

With Americans aged 60 and older reporting over $7.7 billion in fraud losses to the FBI in 2025, it’s wise to take proactive steps to protect your information before scam attempts arise. Search your name and address online, inquire about community information sharing, and remove personal data from broker sites whenever you can.

Have you or someone you know experienced an uptick in scam calls, texts, emails, or suspicious offers after moving into a retirement community? Did any include personal details that made you wonder how the scammer had such knowledge? Let us know by reaching out.