Technology
Identity theft losses surge 70% for older Americans
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The FBI has just released its latest annual internet crime report, and the numbers are staggering: Americans filed 1,008,597 complaints with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) last year, with losses nearing $20.9 billion.
Buried in the new data is an eerily familiar trend getting more expensive for older adults. Identity theft complaints involving Americans 60 and older totaled 5,359 complaints and $48.5 million in reported losses in 2025, a steep jump from the year before.
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DO YOU KNOW THE TRUE COST OF IDENTITY THEFT?
Identity theft tied to major data broker breaches has cost Americans more than $20 billion over the past decade, according to a Senate report analyzing hundreds of millions of exposed records. (Sara Diggins/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
Seniors account for a disproportionate share of losses
The report shows a clear fault line by age. Americans 60 and older filed more than 200,000 complaints in 2025, with reported losses reaching $7.7 billion, the highest total of any age group. By comparison, people in their 30s and 40s submitted more complaints overall, but reported lower total losses. Complaints from older adults more often involve bank accounts, retirement funds, and investment portfolios, where a single identity fraud incident can result in a large withdrawal or transfer.
IC3 data is based on self-reported complaints submitted by victims and businesses throughout the year. Each report includes details such as transaction type, payment method, and estimated losses. The FBI aggregates these submissions to identify where money is moving and which groups are being affected.
Identity theft appears within this data as one of several fraud types. Identity theft prompts fewer complaints than categories such as investment or tech support scams. In many cases, it’s used to get access to existing accounts, where stolen personal details can pass verification checks and move funds.
Identity theft losses trail other fraud types
Investment scams led all categories in 2025, with reported losses of more than $4.5 billion. Business email compromise followed, with losses exceeding $2.9 billion, while tech support scams accounted for more than $1 billion. These categories make up a large share of the $7.7 billion in total losses mentioned earlier.
Identity theft sits below those totals, though it remains part of how some of these cases unfold. Among victims age 60 and older, identity theft complaints added up to $48.5 million in reported losses last year. That’s a roughly 70% increase from 2024.
Other federal data shows how common identity theft remains. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) receives more than a million identity theft reports each year, placing it among the most frequently reported consumer issues, even as total losses remain lower than other fraud types.
5 MYTHS ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT THAT PUT YOUR DATA AT RISK
How are victims getting scammed?
Complaints from older Americans span a wide range of fraud types, with a few categories appearing consistently across IC3 reports.
- High-volume scams: The most frequently reported complaints include phishing and spoofing, tech support scams, and government impersonation, all of which involve direct contact through phone calls, emails, or online messages. Other commonly reported cases include non-payment or non-delivery scams, extortion, and personal data breaches, each contributing to overall complaint volume among victims aged 60 and older.
- High-loss scams: The categories tied to the largest losses are different. Investment scams, business email compromises, and confidence or romance scams account for a significant share of reported losses, even with fewer complaints.
- New categories also appear in the 2025 data. AI-related scams are included for the first time, with thousands of complaints and substantial reported losses among older victims. Charity fraud is also listed as a newly reported fraud type for this group.
An identity theft victim in Albany, New York, looks over documents he’s gathered. Victims of identity theft frequently spend weeks disputing fraudulent accounts, contacting lenders and restoring their credit reports after stolen data is misused. (John Carl D’Annibale/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)
How to avoid these scams
With losses climbing, knowing how these scams work and how to spot them early can make all the difference.
1) Limit how personal information is shared
Be cautious when asked for Social Security numbers or account credentials. Government agencies, banks, and tech companies do not request this information through unsolicited calls, emails, or messages.
2) Pause before sending money
Scams that lead to the largest losses often involve urgency. Requests to move money quickly – especially through wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or gift cards – should be treated with caution. Taking time to verify the request can prevent large losses.
3) Verify contacts independently
If a message claims to be from a bank or government agency, use a known phone number or official website to confirm. Do not rely on contact details provided in the message itself.
4) Watch for unusual account activity
Regularly review bank and investment accounts for unfamiliar transactions. Small or unexpected changes can be an early sign of unwanted access.
5) Use account protections where available
Enable two-factor authentication and account alerts where possible. These tools can help flag or block unauthorized access attempts.
Monitoring can help catch identity misuse earlier
When identity theft happens, the first sign could be a new account or a transaction the account holder didn’t authorize. Credit monitoring and identity protection services can track activity across credit files and financial accounts, alerting users when new accounts are opened or when personal information appears in known data breaches.
That can give victims a window to act, such as freezing credit, locking accounts, or disputing fraudulent activity, before they lose money. Many services also offer identity theft insurance and fraud resolution support, helping cover certain losses and guiding victims through the recovery process.
If fraud does happen, that support can include working directly with banks, credit bureaus, and creditors to restore accounts and remove fraudulent activity.
For older Americans, where accounts often hold larger balances, timing can mean the difference between a small loss and a much larger one, and how quickly accounts are restored.
MICROSOFT ‘IMPORTANT MAIL’ EMAIL IS A SCAM: HOW TO SPOT IT
No service can prevent every kind of identity theft. However, monitoring tools and guided recovery support can make it easier to detect suspicious activity early and respond quickly.
See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at Cyberguy.com
Kurt’s key takeaways
OpenAI joins the Global Anti-Scam Alliance as bad actors use AI to scam victims out of money and data. (Halfpoint/Getty Images)
The numbers tell a clear story. While identity theft may not top the list of total losses, it plays a critical role in how many of the biggest scams succeed. For older Americans, the stakes are higher because the accounts being targeted often hold decades of savings. What stands out isn’t just the increase in complaints. It’s how fraud is evolving. Scammers are combining tactics, using identity theft to unlock accounts, then moving money through investment scams, impersonation schemes or social engineering attacks. Once they get in, the damage can escalate quickly. The takeaway is simple. Slowing down, verifying requests and adding basic protections like alerts and two-factor authentication can make a real difference. Catching suspicious activity early often determines whether a loss stays small or becomes life-changing.
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If scammers only need one piece of your personal information to get started, how confident are you that yours isn’t already out there? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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A Chinese-built humanoid robot beat the human half-marathon world record in Beijing on Sunday, marking a breakthrough moment in a high-stakes global race for technological dominance.
A robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor completed the 21-kilometer (13-mile) race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, beating the human record of about 57 minutes set by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo last month.
The performance marked a dramatic improvement from last year’s inaugural event, when the top robot finished in more than 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Dozens of humanoid robots competed alongside about 12,000 human runners, navigating a parallel course to avoid collisions.
CHINA’S COMPACT HUMANOID ROBOT SHOWS OFF BALANCE AND FLIPS
A robot crosses the finish line in the Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half-Marathon held in the outskirts of Beijing on April 19, 2026. (Andy Wong/AP)
Nearly half of the robots ran using autonomous navigation, while others relied on remote control, organizers said.
Despite the breakthrough, the race still saw glitches, with some robots stumbling at the start or veering into barriers.
Engineers said the winning robot was designed to mimic elite athletes, featuring long legs of about 37 inches and advanced cooling systems to sustain performance.
US TARGETS CHINESE ROBOTS OVER SECURITY FEARS
“Looking ahead, some of these technologies might be transferred to other areas,” said Du Xiaodi, an engineer with the Honor team. “For example, structural reliability and liquid-cooling technology could be applied in future industrial scenarios.”
Team members celebrate next to the winning Honor Lightning humanoid robot during a medal ceremony after the second Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half Marathon in Beijing, China, on April 19, 2026. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
Spectators reacted with a mix of amazement and unease at the machines’ rapid progress.
“It’s the first time robots have surpassed humans, and that’s something I never imagined,” Sun Zhigang, who attended the event with his son, told The Associated Press.
HUMANOID ROBOTS HIT MASS PRODUCTION IN CHINA
“The robots’ speed far exceeds that of humans,” spectator Wang Wen told the outlet. “This may signal the arrival of sort of a new era.”
A robot starts alongside human runners at the Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Half Marathon on the outskirts of Beijing on April 19, 2026. (Ng Han Guan/AP)
Experts say the race highlights China’s accelerating push to dominate robotics and artificial intelligence, even as widespread commercial use of humanoid robots remains limited, according to Reuters. The experts said Chinese robotics firms are still working to develop the AI software needed for humanoids to match the efficiency of human factory workers.
Runners take pictures of a humanoid robot during the second Beijing E-Town Half Marathon and Humanoid Robot Half Marathon in Beijing on April 19, 2026. (Haruna Furuhashi/Pool Photo via AP)
“The future will definitely be an AI era,” engineering student Chu Tianqi told Reuters. “If people don’t know how to use AI now … they will definitely become obsolete.”
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The competition underscores a broader technological race between China and the United States, as Beijing invests heavily in advanced robotics as part of its long-term economic strategy.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
According to Nikkei Asia, even as suppliers ramp up DRAM production, manufacturers are only expected to meet 60 percent of demand by the end of 2027. SK Group chairman has even said that shortages could last until 2030.
The world’s largest memory makers — Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron — are all working to add new fabrication capacity, but almost none of it will be online until at least 2027, if not 2028. SK opened a fab in Cheongju in February, but that is the only increase in production among the three for 2026.
Nikkei says that production would need to increase by 12 percent a year in 2026 and 2027 to meet demand. But according to Counterpoint Research, an increase of only 7.5 percent is planned.
The new facilities will primarily focus on producing high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which is used in AI data centers. With the companies already prioritizing HBM over general-purpose DRAM used in computers and phones, it’s not clear how much these new fabs will help alleviate the price crunch facing consumer electronics. Everything from phones and laptops, to VR headsets and gaming handhelds have seen price increases due to the RAM shortage.
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Most people assume scammers need to hack something. A database. A password. A bank system. They don’t.
In most cases, everything a scammer needs to target you is already sitting online, publicly available, completely legal to access, and surprisingly easy to find.
Here’s what they’re actually looking at before they ever pick up the phone.
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Data broker listings often include sensitive details like your address, phone number and relatives, making removal a critical first step. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Your personal profile is already out there, and it’s more complete than you think
There’s an entire industry built around collecting and selling your personal information. It’s called data brokering, and most people have never heard of it.
Right now, without your knowledge or consent, your details are being published by dozens of websites, including:
- People search sites (like Whitepages, Spokeo, and BeenVerified): your full name, current address, phone numbers, and age.
- Address lookup tools: your current and past home addresses, sometimes going back decades.
- Relatives databases: the names and contact information of your family members, automatically linked to your profile.
- Property records: whether you own your home, what it’s worth, and when you bought it.
None of this requires a hack. It’s all pulled from public records, voter registrations, court filings, real estate transactions, marriage and divorce records and assembled into a profile that anyone can search for a few dollars or sometimes for free.
They’re not guessing. They’re researching
In 2024, federal prosecutors indicted a network of scam call centers operating out of Montreal that had defrauded hundreds of elderly Americans out of more than $21 million. What made the scheme so effective wasn’t sophisticated technology. It was a spreadsheet.
The scammers were working from lists of potential victims that included names, ages, and household income information pulled from commercial databases. They used those lists to identify targets, then called them pretending to be grandchildren in trouble. The calls were convincing enough that victims handed over thousands of dollars, sometimes in cash picked up at the door.
They didn’t hack anyone. They just did their research first.
WHY WIDOWS AND DIVORCED WOMEN ARE TARGETS FOR RETIREMENT SCAMS
A call that sounds personal or urgent often relies on real information found about you online. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Three ways scammers turn your public data into a weapon
Scammers use your publicly available data to make their attacks more personal, believable and harder to detect. Here are three ways they do it.
1) Impersonating your bank
A scammer calls and says, “Hi, this is fraud prevention at [your bank]. We’re seeing suspicious activity on your account ending in 4721.”
They already know your bank, your name, and possibly your address. That’s enough to sound legitimate. From there, they walk you through “confirming your identity,” which is really just you handing over the information they need to access your account.
This kind of scam starts with a simple people-search lookup. Your name and address lead to property records. Property records suggest your income range.
2) The family emergency call
Imagine getting a call: “Meemaw, it’s me. I’m in trouble. Please don’t tell Mom.” Scammers don’t guess. Instead, they research your family first. They use relatives’ databases to find your children’s names, ages and connections.
With that information, they build a story that sounds real. For example, they know to call you “Meemaw.” They also know which grandchild to impersonate. In some cases, they even mention a sibling’s name to make the story more convincing.
As a result, the call feels personal and urgent. However, none of it is random. It’s all based on information that was publicly available the entire time.
3) Targeted phishing with your own details
A phishing email that says “Dear Customer” is easy to ignore. One that says “Dear [your full name], we noticed unusual activity on your account registered to [your home address]” is a lot harder to dismiss.
Scammers use publicly available data to personalize attacks, adding your real name, city, or even a reference to your neighborhood to make a fake email or text look authentic. The more specific the details, the more likely you are to believe it.
“But I’m not on social media.” This is the most common objection, and it misses the point entirely.
You don’t have to be on social media for your information to be online. Data brokers pull from public records, not your Facebook profile. Your information is likely already listed on dozens of sites because of:
The less they think they’ve shared, the more surprised people usually are when they search for themselves on a people-search site for the first time.
DATA BROKERS ACCUSED OF HIDING OPT-OUT PAGES FROM GOOGLE
The more details a scam includes, the more likely it is built from your publicly available data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How to reduce your exposure
You don’t have to accept this as permanent. A few practical steps can help:
- Search your full name on Whitepages, Spokeo, FastPeopleSearch, and other people-search sites and submit opt-out requests.
- Look up your address directly, not just your name, since many listings are organized by location.
- Ask elderly family members to search for themselves, too, since older adults are disproportionately targeted.
- Be skeptical of any call that opens with personal details, as it can be a sign that someone researched you first.
How to remove your personal data and stop scammers from finding you
The challenge is that there are hundreds of data broker sites, each with its own removal process. Manually opting out of all of them can take hours, and your information often reappears weeks later when brokers refresh their databases.
That’s why ongoing automated removal is the only approach that actually works. That’s why I recommend using a trusted data removal service.
These services automatically contact data brokers on your behalf and request the removal of your personal information. They also continue monitoring those sites and submit new removal requests if your data reappears.
Many services remove personal data from hundreds of data broker and people-search websites, and some plans allow you to request removals from additional sites as needed.
Some have also received third-party assurance from independent firms, helping validate their claims.
The goal is simple: make it much harder for strangers, scammers, and cybercriminals to find your personal information online.
These services often include a money-back guarantee, so you can try them risk-free and see how much of your information is exposed online.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com
Kurt’s key takeaways
Most scams don’t start with a breach. They start with a search. Your name, address, relatives and even income clues are already out there, quietly fueling more convincing and more dangerous attacks. That’s what makes this so unsettling. You can do everything “right” online and still be exposed because the system itself is built to share your information. The good news is you’re not powerless. Once you understand how scammers build their playbook, you can start disrupting it. Removing your data, limiting exposure and staying skeptical of anyone who knows a little too much about you can dramatically reduce your risk. The goal isn’t to disappear completely. It’s to make yourself a much harder target.
What should be done to stop scammers from using your publicly available data against you in the first place? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
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