LITHONIA, Ga. — Romance, healthcare, grandparent and financial scams are on the rise according to FBI officials.
The FBI held an event to educate the community at the Lou Walker Senior Center at 2538 Panola Road in DeKalb County.
FBI agents and local law enforcement passed out placemats to seniors at the center with printed tips on how to spot these scams and avoid becoming a victim.
Sean Mullis said his team has recovered about $170 million this year alone from healthcare fraud schemes. He said the amount of money lost to these crimes is much higher because many seniors don’t report being scammed.
Resident Debora Hunter said many of her friends and family aren't aware that they're targets.
“I see so many seniors, my mother included, who are very trusting. I’m not. But they are very trusting and they get those crazy phone calls and aren’t checking their bank accounts," said Hunter.
Every year, the FBI said seniors lose over $3 billion to scammers, with losses increasing by 84% in one year between 2021 and 2022. Mullis said scammers are getting very creative and it's hard for seniors to tell what’s real and what’s not.
"One of the best ways to combat this problem is to arm potential victims with the knowledge of what to look for," the FBI said.