Beware Romance Scammers

Posted on 12/31/21 by The AARP Bulletin

The pandemic took a fiscal toll on many older Americans, who lost $139 million to online romance scammers in 2020, according to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report.

Con artists persuaded romance seekers to send money or gift cards. The losses were 66 percent higher for people 60 and older, compared with the previous year, and represent the single biggest financial loss to fraud for that age group. 

Pennsylvania ranked 10th in the nation in per capita cases of fraud in 2020, the FTC reports, with $74.7 million in total losses. 

AARP Pennsylvania encourages Keystone Staters to sign up for the AARP Fraud Watch Network alerts. Learn about new scams and how to avoid them at aarp.org/fraud

This story is provided by AARP Pennsylvania. Visit the AARP Pennsylvania page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.

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