How big the problem is
In the United States, people report internet fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). For 2025 the IC3 writes: over 201,000 victims aged 60 and over reported losses of more than $7.7 billion. That was 37 percent more than in 2024. The average loss of a victim over 60 was above $38,000. Source: IC3 Elder Fraud brochure (PDF)
These figures count only what was reported, only in the United States, and all kinds of internet fraud, not only email. In the same figures, people over 60 reported higher losses than any younger age group.
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The common elderly scams
The FBI lists these schemes as common in elder fraud. They can start with an email, a text message, a phone call or a message on social media.
| Scam | What the scammer does |
|---|---|
| Investment | Offers an investment that does not exist or is unsuitable, for example in cryptocurrency. |
| Tech support | Pretends to be a support agent and offers to fix a problem that does not exist, such as a virus or a hacked account. |
| Romance | Pretends to be romantically interested, on social media or a dating site, and then asks for money. |
| Grandparent or emergency | Pretends to be a relative, usually a child or grandchild, who needs money at once. |
| Government impersonation | Pretends to be an official and threatens arrest or prosecution unless the victim pays. |
| Sweepstakes, lottery, inheritance | Says the victim has won or inherited money, but must first pay fees or taxes. |
Questions that unmask a scam
The FBI turns the schemes into questions. A “yes” to any of them is a warning sign. They are a good list to go through together with a parent:
- Has someone you never met said they love you, and then asked for money?
- Has someone who claims to be from tech support asked for money to remove a virus or to secure your account?
- Has someone said a family member is in danger or in jail, and that you must send money now?
- Has someone who claims to be from a bank or the government asked you to pay or to move your money?
- Have you been asked to pay fees or taxes for a lottery you did not enter?
- Has someone asked you to buy gift cards or to put cash into a cryptocurrency machine?
One rule covers most of them: nobody honest needs your money today. Agree with your parent that they call you before they pay anything they were asked for by email, text or phone.
How to set up email protection for a parent
Guard Mail connects to the mailbox your parent already has. They keep their email address and their usual email program. There is no new program to learn.
- Ask first, and do it togetherIt is their mailbox. Explain what will happen: scam emails are moved into a folder, and Guard Mail itself never deletes an email.
- Connect the mailboxOutlook and Hotmail connect through a Microsoft sign-in. Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud and others need an app password. The setup explains each step.
- Decide what is movedScam and phishing emails go into a folder called “Suspicious”, spam goes to the spam folder. If your parent wants, newsletters, advertising and notifications get their own folders.
- Show them the folderOpen “Suspicious” together once. The scam and phishing emails that Guard Mail moved are there and can be looked at any time.
- Keep the phone ruleNo filter catches every scam email. The rule “call me before you pay” stays.
Be open about this: to check an email, its sender, subject and text are sent to our servers and to an AI model. Tell your parent, and read the privacy policy together if they want to know more.
Price: $6 a month or $60 a year for up to two mailboxes, for example your mother’s and your father’s. Each further mailbox costs $2.50 a month. It is free to try.
Guard Mail, scam email filter
Protection for the mailbox your parent already has.
Free to try.
If it has already happened
- Call the bank or card company at once, using the number on the card.
- In the United States, file a complaint with the IC3 at ic3.gov. The National Elder Fraud Hotline of the US Department of Justice helps with reporting: (833) 372-8311.
- Do not blame. It can happen to anyone, and blame makes it harder to ask for help the next time.
Our sister site has a step-by-step list for the first minutes: I clicked on a phishing link. What now?
Questions and answers
What are the most common scams targeting seniors?
The FBI lists investment fraud, tech support fraud, romance scams, grandparent or emergency scams, government impersonation and sweepstakes, lottery or inheritance scams as common schemes in elder fraud.
Can I set up Guard Mail for my mother or father?
Yes, together with them. Guard Mail connects to the mailbox your parent already has: Outlook and Hotmail through a Microsoft sign-in, Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud and others through an app password. Your parent keeps their usual email program.
Does my parent have to learn a new program?
No. Scam and phishing emails are moved into a folder called “Suspicious” inside their own mailbox. Everything else stays where it is.
Will Guard Mail delete my parent’s emails?
No. Guard Mail itself never deletes an email; it only moves emails into folders. The “Suspicious” folder is never emptied automatically. Mail providers empty their own spam folder after a while, usually after around 30 days, so look into it now and then.
Sources
Official pages we opened for this guide, as of November 2026.