Technology
Top 12 elderly fraud scams of 2024
Senior citizens are often targets for scams, and as scams are getting more sophisticated, it’s getting easier to deceive even the most tech-savvy person. Elder fraud involves a variety of scams targeting seniors, from fake prizes to pleas for help from their “grandchildren,” resulting in an annual loss of $3 billion, according to the FBI. Seniors are often targeted due to their good credit, financial security and trusting nature. Here are the top elderly fraud scams of the year:
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A man using his phone to shop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
1) Tech support or home repair scam
In this scam, people pose as tech support or home repair professionals from reputable companies like Amazon, offering to fix non-existent issues. Seniors should be wary of unsolicited calls and independently verify the caller’s identity. In some cases, they may even show up at your front door, telling you that they noticed your roof needs repair or something along those lines.
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2) Relative phone scam
This scam is one of the worst ones. Fraudsters claim to be a grandchild or close relative urgently needing financial help. The scammers will say something like their grandchild has been in an accident and needs money to help them get to the hospital or something along those lines.
If the senior catches on and realizes it’s a scam, the fraudster will say they have kidnapped their grandchild and won’t release them until the senior pays up. In most cases, it’s a scam. Before acting, always verify the story with other family members and try calling your grandchild. (This is a good excuse to encourage them to answer the phone more often.)
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3) Government impersonation scam
This is when scammers pretend to be officials from agencies like the IRS, DEA or FBI and threaten legal action unless a payment is made. Scammers can also do this by phone spoofing, making it so that when they call the person they are targeting, their name and number actually show up in the caller ID as one of these agencies. Remember, these agencies will never call to demand money, and most companies won’t, either.
4) Sweepstakes or lottery scam
Wouldn’t it be nice to find out you’ve just won the lottery? Well, chances are, the exciting news is actually a scam. The sweepstakes or lottery scam happens when seniors receive calls from a scammer claiming they’ve won a sweepstakes or lottery but must pay a fee to claim their prize. They’ll never ask you to pay money first if it’s an authentic sweepstakes.
A person holding lottery tickets (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
5) TV and radio scam
Scammers place ads for fraudulent services on TV or radio, tricking seniors into calling and handing over money, whether for a certain product or service. Always research companies thoroughly before buying from them.
A woman on her phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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6) Geek Squad phishing scam
In this particular scam, fraudsters send fake Geek Squad invoices via email, prompting seniors to call a provided number. During the call, scammers steal personal information under the guise of resolving a fake issue. Avoid clicking on suspicious links, and verify invoices through official company contacts.
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7) Overpayment scam
If you’re one to balance your checkbook the “old-fashioned” way, then you may have a hard time falling for this scam. Here, they’ll trick victims into believing they were accidentally overpaid for an item, service, bill or subscription, convincing them to refund the fake overpayment. To do this, they’ll ask for your sensitive data, including your bank account information. Always verify such claims with your bank or the relevant company before taking any action.
8) Unsubscribe email scam
Similar to the above, emails in your inbox that claim to help you unsubscribe from services are often actually phishing attempts to steal personal information. Sometimes, there will even be an “unsubscribe” link right in the email. Always use official websites to manage subscriptions and avoid clicking on unknown email links.
9) Health insurance scam
When it’s that time of year again to enroll in your health insurance plan, be on the lookout for scammers that take advantage of this. They’ll call offering fake health insurance plans or services, pretending to be health insurance brokers or what have you, often requesting personal information to “see what you’re eligible for.” Verify any health insurance offer with your provider directly.
A man using his laptop and holding cash (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
10) Charity scam
It’s not uncommon for elderly people to be generous with their giving. But you don’t want to give too much or give it to a charity that’s not really a charity! Another tactic by fraudsters is to manipulate elders by soliciting donations for fake charities, especially after natural disasters. In this day and age, it’s not very common for these charities to call, but they could. Never give out your information or money right away. Thank them for their call, take the time to research an organization and make sure it is legitimate before deciding what to do.
11) Romance scam
Finally, scammers build fake romantic relationships online to extract money from seniors. A senior who’s feeling lonely and wants to build a connection with someone may fall for this scam without realizing it, assuming the person is genuine. If they do ask for money, they justify it by feeling connected to the person until it’s too late. Though plenty of seniors find genuine love online, sometimes meeting lifelong partners, be cautious about sharing personal information or sending money to someone you’ve only met online. There could be ulterior motives.
A woman sitting on a bench and looking out at the sea (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
12) Artificial intelligence scams
Artificial intelligence (AI) scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and pose a significant threat to seniors. These scams use AI technology to create convincing fake audio, video or text messages that appear to come from trusted sources. Here are some key points about AI scams targeting the elderly:
- Deepfake voice scams: AI can clone voices, allowing scammers to impersonate family members or authority figures in phone calls, making the “grandparent scam” even more convincing.
- AI-generated phishing emails: Scammers use AI to craft personalized, grammatically correct emails that appear legitimate, making them harder to detect as fraud.
- Chatbot impersonation: AI chatbots can mimic customer service representatives, tech support or government officials, tricking seniors into revealing personal information or making payments.
- Fake video calls: Advanced AI can create realistic video avatars, enabling scammers to impersonate loved ones or officials in video chats.
- AI-enhanced social engineering: Scammers use AI to gather and analyze personal information from social media, creating highly targeted and personalized scams.
To protect against AI scams, seniors should be cautious of unsolicited communications, verify identities through trusted channels, and stay informed about the latest AI-based fraud techniques. It’s crucial to educate older adults about these evolving threats and encourage them to report suspicious activities to the National Elder Fraud Hotline.
BEST TECH FOR SENIORS
12 tips to protect against senior scams
As scams targeting seniors become increasingly sophisticated, it’s crucial for older adults to arm themselves with knowledge and caution. The following 12 tips can help seniors stay one step ahead of fraudsters and protect their financial well-being and personal information.
1) Be wary of unsolicited calls, emails or messages. Never give out personal information or send money to unknown individuals.
2) Take your time and don’t act quickly under pressure. Scammers often create a false sense of urgency.
3) Verify the identity of callers claiming to be relatives in distress. Contact other family members to confirm the story before taking any action.
4) Be suspicious of requests for unusual payment methods like gift cards or wire transfers.
5) Keep computer and smartphone security software up to date and use two-factor authentication when possible.
6) Carefully review bills and credit card statements for unauthorized charges.
7) Be cautious of “free” offers that require payment for shipping or other fees.
8) Don’t trust caller ID alone, as scammers can fake legitimate numbers.
9) Be skeptical of unsolicited investment opportunities or deals that seem too good to be true.
10) Report suspected scams to local law enforcement, the National Elder Fraud Hotline (833-372-8311) or the Federal Trade Commission.
11) Don’t click on links in emails or text messages from unknown sources. If you’re unsure, go directly to the official website by typing the address into your browser. The best way to protect yourself from clicking malicious links that install malware that may get access to your private information is to have antivirus protection installed on all your devices. This can also alert you of any phishing emails or ransomware scams. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
12) Invest in personal data removal services. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of continuously removing your information from hundreds of sites over a longer period. Remove your personal data from the internet with my top picks here.
By staying vigilant and following these precautions, seniors can better protect themselves from falling victim to fraudulent schemes.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Scammers generally don’t care who their victims are, but they know who they can target to execute their tactics better. Don’t fall for them. If anything in your gut tells you the situation is unusual, it probably is. After all, you’ve gained much life experience to know if something isn’t right. The general rule of thumb is that the more urgent the situation is that they are asking for money, chances are it is a scam. Don’t let your emotions get involved, and take a minute to figure out what’s really going on.
Have you ever been in a situation like this where you realized it was a scam? Or, have you maybe even fallen for one of these before? What happened? What did you do? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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Technology
Honda’s hybrid future starts with new Accord and RDX prototypes
Honda revealed prototypes of two new hybrid models, an Accord sedan and the Acura RDX SUV, during its annual business briefing this week, built on a platform that it says will begin launching next year. The RDX was announced earlier this year as Honda’s first SUV to feature the next-gen version of its two-motor hybrid system.
In March, Honda announced it would take a writedown of up to 2.5 trillion yen ($15.7 billion) on its EV investments. Now Honda says its EV-related losses will be “resolved” by 2029, and that it will reevaluate its EV plans in 2030.
Technology
New cancer tech sends chemo straight to tumors
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Chemotherapy can save lives, but anyone who has watched a loved one go through it knows how hard it can be. The nausea. The exhaustion. The infections. The days when even getting off the couch feels like too much.
That happens because standard chemotherapy travels through the bloodstream. It attacks cancer cells but can also harm healthy cells along the way. For some pancreatic cancer patients, that approach may be changing.
A targeted drug-delivery system from RenovoRx is designed to send chemotherapy directly near the tumor instead of through the entire body. The system, called Trans-Arterial Micro-Perfusion, or TAMP, is being studied in a Phase III clinical trial for locally advanced pancreatic cancer.
For 83-year-old Hernando Salcedo, who had been left weak, nauseous and overwhelmed by standard chemotherapy, the trial offered something he desperately needed: a reason to hope. He enrolled at Miami Cancer Institute and soon began to feel the shift in his own body. His appetite started coming back. His energy improved. He felt more like himself. “The difference was tremendous,” Hernando said. “I completed eight sessions, one every 15 days, and I felt dramatically better than I did with the original chemotherapy.”
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Cancer patient Hernando Salcedo attended a family wedding after RenovoRx’s Trans-Arterial Micro-Perfusion system delivered chemotherapy directly near his tumor, helping him feel stronger during treatment. (Hernando Salcedo)
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How the RenovoRx drug-delivery device works
RenovoRx’s platform uses the FDA-cleared RenovoCath device to deliver chemotherapy through a catheter placed in an artery near the tumor. A physician guides the catheter into position using X-ray imaging.
Shaun Bagai, CEO of RenovoRx, said the platform is designed to localize chemotherapy delivery near the tumor instead of relying on the drug to travel through the whole body.
“Once in position, two small balloons on the catheter are inflated, and the system is adjusted to isolate a targeted segment of artery adjacent to a tumor,” Bagai said. “The chemotherapy drug is then infused between the balloons, creating pressure to push the drug across the vessel wall and near the tumor, directly bathing the target tumor.”
That setup allows doctors to focus treatment in a specific area rather than exposing more of the body to chemotherapy. “The procedure itself is minimally invasive and is typically performed in an outpatient setting without the need for patients to be put under general anesthesia,” Bagai said.
For patients already dealing with pain, fatigue and fear, that outpatient approach may feel less overwhelming than a major hospital procedure.
How targeted chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer works
To understand why this approach matters, it helps to start with the problem doctors are trying to solve. Dr. Ripal Gandhi, a vascular interventional radiologist and interventional oncologist at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Miami Cancer Institute, explained why standard chemotherapy can be so hard on the body.
“With IV chemotherapy, the drug travels through the bloodstream, affecting both cancerous and healthy cells, which can lead to side effects,” Dr. Gandhi said. TAMP takes a more targeted route. A doctor places a catheter in an artery near the tumor, then delivers chemotherapy into that area instead of relying on the drug to circulate throughout the body.
Dr. Gandhi compared it to “a drip irrigation system for individual plants instead of watering an entire lawn.” For patients, that means doctors are trying to focus more of the treatment near the cancer while reducing how much chemotherapy reaches the rest of the body.
Why pancreatic cancer is so difficult to treat
Pancreatic cancer has a reputation for being one of the hardest cancers to fight, partly because the tumor itself can block treatment from working the way doctors want it to.
Dr. Gandhi said that creates a major challenge for standard IV chemotherapy. “Studies have shown that less than 10% of chemotherapy administered intravenously actually reaches tumor cells due to the few blood vessels in the tumor as well as dense fibrous stroma, which serves as a physical barrier in the tumor microenvironment,” Dr. Gandhi said.
That helps explain why targeted delivery could play an important role. TAMP sends the drug closer to the tumor rather than depending on the bloodstream to do all the work.
“This targeted approach via TAMP does not rely on chemotherapy circulating through the body to carry the drug to the tumor via tumor feeder vessels,” Dr. Gandhi said. “Trans-arterial micro-perfusion is a drug-delivery platform that delivers chemotherapy directly near the target tumor where it is needed most.”
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Chase McCann, associate director of the cell therapy lab core, demonstrates how cancerous T-cells from a child are used to develop an autoimmune treatment to fight cancer at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 26, 2025. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Patient says targeted chemotherapy gave him hope
Hernando’s cancer journey began after he went to the doctor with a swollen stomach and hip pain. Doctors diagnosed him with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. When he started standard chemotherapy in August 2025, the side effects hit hard. “My body was going through an incredible amount of stress,” Hernando said. “My stomach was inflamed, I had persistent pain in my head, and I had almost no energy.”
He was also receiving chemotherapy and radiation at the same time. “It was a very difficult period, both physically and emotionally,” he said. “I remember feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and unsure of what the future would look like.”
When doctors presented the targeted treatment option, Hernando saw it as more than another medical procedure. “To me, it felt like a new opportunity to live,” he said. “It gave me hope at a time when my family and I really needed it.”
He credits Dr. Gandhi and the team at Miami Cancer Institute with helping him through it all. “From the beginning, he was honest, supportive and clear with my wife, my family and me,” Hernando said. “That meant everything.”
Fewer chemotherapy side effects changed daily life
“Before, I was losing weight, had no appetite and felt drained,” Hernando said. “After switching treatments, things began to change. I stopped losing weight, my appetite came back, my color improved and I had more energy.”
Cancer treatment can sometimes take over everyday life. When side effects ease, patients can get pieces of their normal life back. “After about eight weeks, we could see real progress,” Hernando said. “I was eating more, moving more and feeling excited about life again.”
One moment still stands out. Hernando was able to attend a family wedding and dance the entire night. “That moment meant everything to me,” he said. “After everything I had been through, being able to celebrate with my family in that way felt like a gift.” For Hernando, it was a chance to feel like himself again. “That night at the wedding, I was not thinking only about cancer or treatment,” Hernando said. “I was living.”
Early trial results show survival and quality-of-life signals
The early data from RenovoRx’s Phase III TIGeR-PaC trial suggest the targeted approach may offer both survival and tolerability benefits for some patients.
Dr. Gandhi said completed clinical studies with TAMP in pancreatic cancer showed “a potential for better outcomes and less side effects for patients.”
“In the initial interim analysis of the TIGeR-PaC clinical trial, there was a trend towards improved overall survival by 6 months and improvement in the progression free survival by 8.1 months with 65% fewer adverse events in the TAMP arm of the study,” Dr. Gandhi said.
Who may benefit from targeted chemotherapy delivery?
This approach isn’t for every pancreatic cancer patient. Doctors still need to look at the cancer stage, tumor location, treatment history and whether the cancer has spread.
Dr. Gandhi said Hernando was the kind of patient who could be a strong fit. “He is precisely the type of patient who would benefit best from this approach because he has a tumor which is too far advanced to be treated surgically, but it has not spread to other organs,” Dr. Gandhi said.
He also pointed to clinical trials as an important option for pancreatic cancer patients.”I discussed with him that the recommendation of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network is that the best management for pancreatic cancer patients is participation in a clinical trial whenever possible and he was an ideal candidate,” Dr. Gandhi said.
He went on to say that TAMP may be an option for patients who are not candidates for surgery, patients who have failed chemotherapy or patients who no longer want to continue IV chemotherapy because of side effects.
“TAMP can be used at any point within the treatment landscape, before, during or after other treatment modalities such as IV chemotherapy or radiation,” he said.
PANCREATIC CANCER PATIENT SURVIVAL DOUBLED WITH HIGH DOSE OF COMMON VITAMIN, STUDY FINDS
The RenovoCath device uses a catheter-based system to deliver chemotherapy near the tumor instead of through the whole body. (RenovoRx)
What comes next for RenovoRx’s cancer treatment platform
RenovoRx says the RenovoCath catheter is already FDA-cleared for general therapy and chemotherapy delivery. The company is also nearing the end of enrollment in its Phase III TIGeR-PaC trial.
That trial is evaluating intra-arterial gemcitabine (IAG) delivered through RenovoCath for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Bagai said enrollment is expected to be completed in mid-2026, with final results expected in 2027.
“If positive, data generated from this trial could potentially support a new drug application for this combination product to the FDA for IAG,” Bagai said. RenovoRx also sees potential beyond pancreatic cancer. “The challenge we are addressing is not unique to pancreatic cancer,” Bagai said.
He said the platform could apply to other solid tumors with limited blood supply, including bile duct cancer, certain lung cancers and sarcomas. “The platform is designed to work with different types of therapies, not just one drug,” Bagai said. “That opens the door to future combinations and potential partnerships, with the goal of expanding options for patients who have limited treatment choices.”
What this means to you
If you or someone you love has pancreatic cancer, this story is worth paying attention to. Clinical trials can open up options when standard treatment feels too hard to tolerate or stops working.
Drug delivery matters, too. The medicine itself is only part of the story. Where it goes inside the body can affect side effects, energy levels and quality of life. Targeted chemotherapy delivery remains a specialized treatment approach. Some cancer centers may not offer it, and every diagnosis will not be a fit. Your care team can review imaging, staging, prior treatments and overall health to see whether it makes sense.
Start with direct questions. Ask whether a clinical trial makes sense. You can also ask about targeted delivery options or a second opinion from a pancreatic cancer specialist. Hernando’s advice to other patients is simple. “I would tell them not to lose hope and not to wait to ask questions,” he said.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Pancreatic cancer has a way of turning normal life upside down fast. One day, a family is making plans. The next, they are trying to understand scans, treatment choices and side effects that no one feels ready for. That is what makes Hernando’s story so powerful. The part that stays with you isn’t only the technology. It is the fact that he started eating again. He had more energy. He felt more like himself. And he got to dance at a wedding after wondering what the future would look like. The final Phase III trial results will be important. Doctors still need to see how widely this approach could help patients. But the promise is easy to understand. If chemotherapy can get closer to the tumor while taking less of a toll on the rest of the body, patients may get something that matters just as much as treatment itself: more good days.
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If you or someone you loved needed chemo, would targeted delivery change how you think about treatment? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Technology
Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard
When Oregon resident Isabelle Reksopuro heard Google was gobbling up public land to fuel its data centers in her home state, she didn’t initially know what to believe. “There’s a lot of misinformation about data centers,” she said. “Google has denied taking that land.”
Technically, she explains, The Dalles, a city near the Washington state border, sought to reclaim that land, “and Google is just a big, unnamed power user.” The city had in fact asked for ownership of a 150-acre portion of Mount Hood National Forest, claiming it needs access to Mount Hood’s watershed to meet municipal needs as its population — 16,010 as of the 2020 census — grows. But critics, including environmentalists, say the city is trying to secure more water for Google, which has a sprawling data center campus in The Dalles that already consumes about one-third of the city’s water supply.
This controversy made Reksopuro curious about the backlash to data centers being built in other communities. So Reksopuro, a student at the University of Washington who studies the connections between tech and public policy, decided to map it out. Using information collected by Epoch AI and data scraped from legislation on data centers, she built an interactive map tracking AI policy around the world. She designed it to be simple enough for anyone to use. “I wanted it to be something that my younger sisters could play through and explore to understand what are the data centers in the area and what’s actually being done about it,” Reksopuro said. She hoped to shift their opinions that way, “instead of like, through TikTok.”
Four times a day, the map searches for new sources and checks them against the existing database Reksopuro built out. “Once it does that, it will write a new summary, add it to the news feed, and populate it on the sidebar,” she said. “I wanted it to be self-updating, since I’m also a student.”
Reksopuro isn’t against data centers, but she thinks tech giants benefit from a lack of transparency around data center policies. “Right now, it’s this really opaque thing — and all of a sudden, there’s a facility,” she said. “I think that if people knew about data centers beforehand, it would give them leverage. They would be able to negotiate: ask for job training programs, tax revenue, environmental monitoring, things to improve their community.”
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