The internet is a wonderful way for elderly adults to stay connected to loved ones. Unfortunately, it’s also an easy way for scammers to target them with online fraud schemes.
Seniors are a common target for fraud. From fiscal year (FY) 2021 through FY2026, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) has launched 255 elder fraud investigations, with alleged fraud costs reaching a little more than $885 million. More strikingly, 97 (38%) of those investigations were opened in FY2025, and 64 (25%) have been launched so far in the current fiscal year—two signs that fraudulent activity targeting seniors is escalating.
Online elder fraud isn’t distributed evenly around the country; some states receive far more fraud complaints from seniors than others. The amount of money older adults lose to scammers (both total and on an individual basis) varies significantly by state as well. But no matter where you live, or the assets you have, online elder fraud is a problem.
Let’s take a peek at which states have the worst online elder fraud problems. I’ll also offer up a few ways to prevent you or someone you care about from becoming a victim.
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Methodology
States have been ranked using composite Elder Fraud Risk Scores from The Elder Justice Firm, which represents seniors and families harmed by abuse, neglect, or exploitation in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other care settings.Â
They created the scores using the following four metrics and weights:
- Complaints per 100,000 residents: 35%
- Change in complaint rate since 2021: 20%
- Average loss per victim: 35%
- Real change in average loss per victim since 2021: 10%
All metrics were normalized to a 0-100 scale, with higher values suggesting greater risk, combined using the rates listed, and rescaled from 1 to 100. Higher scores represent greater online elder fraud risk.
Related: Elderly Scams: Beware These 15 Schemes Targeting Seniors
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- Up to $1 million in identity-theft insurance coverage per adult member
- Full protection regardless of tier
- Dark web monitoring
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- Includes antivirus, VPN, and password manager
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States Hit Hardest by Online Elder Fraud
Online elder fraud is more common than in other states, and the average amount of money lost is greater than in other locations. So this isn’t a list you want your state to be on.
The following data, from 2025, reflects residents ages 60 or older. All states have been listed in reverse order of their score (the higher the score, the greater risk of online elder fraud the state poses).
T9. Georgia
- Elder Risk Score: 55
- Complaints per 100,000 residents: 190
- Change in complaint rate since 2021: 98%
- Average loss per victim: $44,855
- Real change in average loss per victim since 2021: 146%
Tied for the starting spot on our list are Georgia and Nevada, so we’ll start with the former just based on alphabetical order. And it merited a spot largely thanks to its average loss per victim of $44,855, which was sixth-highest in 2025.
The Peach State isn’t the worst state for online elder fraud—its 190 complaints per 100,000 residents, for instance, is lighter than the national average (231). However, that complaint rate has roughly doubled since 2021, the real change in average loss per victim has well more than doubled during that time, and the nominal average loss is sky-high.
Related: 11 Best Ways to Protect Yourself From Financial Fraud
T9. Nevada
- Elder Risk Score: 55
- Complaints per 100,000 residents: 376
- Change in complaint rate since 2021: -26.7%
- Average loss per victim: $38,320
- Real change in average loss per victim since 2021: 125%
Nevada is the only state to experience a reduction in their complaint count when adjusted for their population growth, and not just by a little bit—it was a stark 27% drop.
And yet.
The Silver State still ranks fourth in complaints per 100,000 residents, sixth in average loss per victim, and ninth in the real change in average loss per victim. So while seniors aren’t being scammed as much, it’s probably just accurate to say that Nevada’s state of elder fraud is less terrible than it once was.
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8. Kansas
- Elder Risk Score: 56
- Complaints per 100,000 residents: 273
- Change in complaint rate since 2021: 184%
- Average loss per victim: $27,686
- Real change in average loss per victim since 2021: 83%
Spot No. 8 goes to the Sunflower State, which has suffered the greatest change in complaint rate since 2021. The frequency with which people are reporting elderly fraud has almost tripled in just a few years.
That increased rate has brought Kansas into the 10 worst states in terms of complaints per 100,000 residents, at more than 270.
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7. Texas
- Elder Risk Score: 57
- Complaints per 100,000 residents: 225
- Change in complaint rate since 2021: 89%
- Average loss per victim: $47,090
- Real change in average loss per victim since 2021: 69%
Texas, at No. 7 on the list, suffers the fifth-highest average loss per victim, at more than $47,000.
That particular statistic does a lot of barking. The Lone Star State’s complaints per 100,000 residents and complaint rate, as well as its change in average loss per victim, all sit roughly in the center third of the rankings.
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6. New Mexico
- Elder Risk Score: 59
- Complaints per 100,000 residents: 249
- Change in complaint rate since 2021: 74%
- Average loss per victim: $38,523
- Real change in average loss per victim since 2021: 303%
New Mexico has seen an explosion in the value of senior fraud sustained over the past few years, with elderly residents’ average loss roughly quadrupling since 2021.
That has also brought New Mexico’s average loss of more than $38,500 to just outside the 10 worst states by that metric, too. And the Land of Enchantment’s 249 complaints per 100,000 residents is within the worst third in the U.S.
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5. Maryland
- Elder Risk Score: 61
- Complaints per 100,000 residents: 295
- Change in complaint rate since 2021: 99%
- Average loss per victim: $38,570
- Real change in average loss per victim since 2021: 80%
Maryland makes the bottom half of this list despite really only sporting one glaringly bad metric: complaints per 100,000 residents, which at 295 are No. 4 on this list.
The Old Line State’s 80% real change in average loss per victim is actually below the roughly 100% average across the country. And while its near-doubling in complaint rate and its $38,500-plus average loss are both worse than the mean, they both fall outside of the top 10 states.Â
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4. Utah
- Elder Risk Score: 66
- Complaints per 100,000 residents: 382
- Change in complaint rate since 2021: 131%
- Average loss per victim: $28,170
- Real change in average loss per victim since 2021: 9%
The Beehive State has become a hornet’s nest of fraudulent activity over the past few years, with a 131% jump in adjusted complaint count translating into a third-worst 382 complaints per 100,000 residents in 2025.
If there’s any consolation, it’s that the real change in average loss, at just 9%, has barely budged since 2021; the average loss of $27,686 is below average, too. But the spike in frequency is enough to put Utah within the five worst states for online elder fraud.
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3. California
- Elder Risk Score: 72
- Complaints per 100,000 residents: 241
- Change in complaint rate since 2021: 58%
- Average loss per victim: $63,365
- Real change in average loss per victim since 2021: 62%
It should be no surprise that California, which has one of the highest per capita personal incomes in the country, also claims America’s worst average loss per elderly online fraud victim, at a whopping $63,365 each.
The Golden State’s complaints per 100,000 residents are just slightly above average, while its change in complaint rate and change in average loss are actually both below the national mean. But the enormous financial strain per victim puts California on an unenviable podium.
2. Hawaii
- Elder Risk Score: 74
- Complaints per 100,000 residents: 222
- Change in complaint rate since 2021: 84%
- Average loss per victim: $60,399
- Real change in average loss per victim since 2021: 183%
Along a similar vein, the high-income Aloha State also racks up significant online fraud bills, with the average loss per victim coming out to just more than $60,000.
Past that, its complaints per 100,000 residents, as well as the change in its complaint rate and average loss, rank right around the middle among its 49 peers.
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1. Arizona
- Elder Risk Score: 99
- Complaints per 100,000 residents: 486
- Change in complaint rate since 2021: 183%
- Average loss per victim: $34,979
- Real change in average loss per victim since 2021: 72%
Arizona tops the list with the highest elder risk score by far, and it’s not even particularly close.Â
The Grand Canyon State posts the highest number of complaints per 100,000 residents, and it’s one of only two states with a number that exceeds 400. (The other? Alaska, at 420 per 100,000 residents.) Arizona also had the second-highest percentage change in complaint rates at 183%, which was just a hair behind Kansas’ 184%.
The only solace here is that the average loss per victim could be worse, at nearly $35,000 each, and that the real change in average loss of 72% was actually much lower than the national average.
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How Can You Fight Back Against Online Elder Fraud?
The best way to not fall victim to fraud is to know the red flags that indicate scams, such as:
- Somebody asking to be paid in gift cards. Fraudsters like gift cards because they’re difficult to trace and can’t be refunded.
- Anybody putting extreme urgency into a situation. Scammers want you to act before you think. When pressured to take immediate action, tell them you’ll call back using the official number of the business or organization. If they try to stop you from getting off the phone, it’s probably a scammer.
- Someone reaching out to you asking for personally identifiable information. Don’t assume everybody is who they say they are. Again, look up the official number, email, etc. and reach out to see if they asked you for personal information.Â
Another way to stop online elder fraud in its tracks is for seniors to check in with trusted loved ones before they send money or share sensitive information over the Internet. Consider this, from a legal expert from The Elder Justice Firm:
“Families play a big role in preventing elder fraud. Seniors who have someone they can call and check with before sending money or sharing personal details are far less likely to lose anything. … Online criminals specifically target people who are isolated or who feel embarrassed to ask for help. Taking that embarrassment away can save someone their life savings.
You can also equip computers and phones with identity-protection platforms, such as Aura.
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You can check out plan prices in the box below, and you can sign up through our link to get started.
- Aura offers one of the most comprehensive offerings for identity protection. All subscription plans include Aura's full suite of identity monitoring, credit protection, and device security features.
- Unlike many ID-theft platforms, Aura also offers device-safety features such as VPN, antivirus software, and a password manager.
- Any plans that include children also offer a variety of parental controls.
- Kids plan covers unlimited kids and devices. Individual plan covers one adult and 10 devices. Couple plan covers two adults and 20 devices. Family plan covers five adults, unlimited kids, and unlimited devices.
- Special offer: Save up to 68% when you sign up with our link and choose to be billed annually.*
- Up to $1 million in identity-theft insurance coverage per adult member
- Full protection regardless of tier
- Dark web monitoring
- Credit monitoring
- Includes antivirus, VPN, and password manager
- VPN features limited compared to traditional VPN providers
Data Sources
The scores and rankings in this article come from a recent study by The Elder Justice Firm.
The study focused on seniors aged 60+. The data for fraud complaints and losses came from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), taken from the 2025 IC3 Annual Report. When compared to 2021 numbers, the data is from the 2021 IC3 Elder Fraud Report.
To control for state population differences, complaints and losses were converted into rates per 100,000 residents using the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 population estimates.
Note: The ranking includes the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, but it doesn’t include Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories.
Median household income for homeowners aged 65+ is from the American Community Survey 2024. Changes in average loss were adjusted using CPI-U, which increased 18.8% from 2021 to 2025.
