Seniors Targeted—FBI Issues Cyber Attack Advice For The Over 60s

InnovationCybersecuritySeniors Targeted—FBI Issues Cyber Attack Advice For The Over 60sByDavey Winder,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Davey Winder is a veteran cybersecurity writer, hacker and analyst.Follow AuthorMay 16, 2026, 11:41am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.FBI warns seniors of scam threat.gettyTo coincide with National Senior Fraud Awareness Day on May 15, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a warning to the over-60s as cybercriminals place them firmly in the crosshairs of scam attacks. Seniors are primary targets for these despicable scammers for a whole bunch of reasons. Not least, FBI Special Agent Rebecca Keithley said, “they tend to have accumulated significant savings throughout their lives.” Here’s what you need to know to stay safe from such attacks, whether you are a senior yourself or you have family members to help protect. ForbesGoogle Play ‘Show Calls And SMS For Any Phone Number’ Scam Cons MillionsBy Davey WinderHere’s How Seniors Can Stay Safe From Scammers—The FBI WayCyber scam attacks take a lot of different forms, from Android users being conned out of millions by fraudulent apps, to bogus messages from social media support teams looking to harvest account passwords, to SMS pumping attacks that target your bank account by way of your phone bill. What they all have in common is money. That’s the driving force behind the scams, and that’s why the over-60s are such a prime target, according to the FBI.According to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, more than 200,000 complaints were received in 2025 alone from victims who were over 60. That’s an increase of some 37%, the FBI said, and losses were also on the up: a 59% increase over 2024 took the total to a staggering $7.7 billion. And, yes, you read that number right.As well as the pure financial factor that attracts the cybercrim...