Anyone can fall victim to online fraud. But older people are increasingly, and deliberately, in the crosshairs. Understanding why is the first step to protecting yourself.
Research by Independent Age found that 61% of over 65s in the UK have been targeted by fraud or a scam, with 1.9 million having fallen victim and average losses of nearly £4,000 each. According to Cifas's Fraudscape 2025 report, those aged 61 and over were the most targeted group for identity fraud in 2024. A person over 65 is now nearly 46 times more likely to be a victim of cyber-enabled fraud than to be mugged.
Why older people are targeted
The reasons are straightforward, and none of them reflect on the intelligence or capability of those being targeted. Older people are more likely to have accumulated savings, property, and financial assets, making them valuable targets. They are also more likely to have grown up in an era when institutions, authority figures, and official correspondence could generally be trusted. Fraudsters exploit that trust directly, impersonating banks, government departments, healthcare providers, and even family members.
The digital environment compounds this. Scams that once relied on face-to-face interaction, where tone of voice and inconsistencies could give them away, now arrive as professionally designed emails, convincing text messages, and polished fake websites. The cues that might once have prompted suspicion are simply absent.
Loneliness is also a consistent factor. Older people are more likely to live alone or have smaller social networks, and that isolation, which is painful enough in itself, also reduces the opportunity to seek a second opinion before responding to something suspicious. It gives fraudsters the means to build a relationship gradually, offering connection and trust before asking for anything at all.
Why so much goes unreported
Many older victims do not report what has happened to them, and the reasons are entirely understandable. There is shame, and a fear of being judged, feelings that no victim of any crime should have to carry. Many also worry that disclosing a fraud will be interpreted as a sign of declining capacity, and that their independence may be called into question as a result. None of that is fair, and none of it is true. But this silence benefits no one except the fraudsters, who rely on it to avoid accountability and to repeat their offences.
What actually helps
Awareness is the most effective form of protection. Knowing that urgency is a tactic, that legitimate organisations will never ask for passwords or account details, and that it is always reasonable to pause, verify, and call back on a number you find yourself rather than one you are given, makes a meaningful difference.
If this is something you would like to think through in more detail, for yourself or someone in your family, we would be glad to help. Get in touch.