The fastest growing segment of the population in the United States are older adults. This group is uniquely vulnerable to financial scams. Con artists find them as attractive prey because older adults are thought to have a “nest egg,” have excellent credit, won’t say “no” because they were raised to be polite and trusting, are less likely to report the fraud for fear of appearing to have a weakened mental capacity because they were taken advantage or they do not know how to report it. Older adults need to be aware and prepared to protect themselves from financial fraud.

Some tips for avoiding...