health.usnews.com
By Vanessa Caceres
January 30th, 2026
Older adults may not have the digital literacy skills to know that some of the messages they receive are scam-related, and certain emails or text messages can look legitimate. Learn “How to Stop Online Health Care Scams: 9 Critical Ways to Protect Older Adults”…
Key Takeaways
- Older adults can be targets of health care fraud due to trust in authority figures, lack of digital literacy and social isolation.
- To avoid being the victim of a health care scam, be a skeptic and verify links and requests directly. Never click on links, reply to suspicious texts or emails or share sensitive information. Instead, independently verify any communication by contacting the alleged agency, company or medical office using a trusted phone number or official website.
- Watch for red flags, like messages that create a sense of urgency (“act immediately”), demand payment through non-traditional means (like gift cards, wire transfers or apps like Zelle) or ask you to keep the request a secret.
- Review your online bank account and credit card statements at least every couple of days, if not daily, to catch fraudulent charges immediately. If you’re a caregiver, regularly review these accounts with the older adult in your life.
- If you or a loved one is scammed, immediately report the incident to the FTC’s fraud report website, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and your bank or credit card company.
