What Long Island seniors should know about AI scams

Tom Beach, a tech-savvy communications support specialist, thought he’d never fall for a cyberscam. But in August 2023, Beach, now 59, was duped by a fake website — likely generated by artificial intelligence — that allegedly sold lawn mowers, and he was almost taken for $650.

“It was a built-up website. ... It looked very legit,” recalled the Baldwin father of two, who was elated to have found a store that stocked the discontinued mower he was looking for. “I also looked to see if they had bad reviews. All good. I did my homework, and they accepted PayPal ... further evidence that this was legit.”

To Beach’s dismay, it wasn’t. A week after placing the $650 order on the mock website and receiving several confirmation emails along with a tracking number and “in progress” messages, there was “dead air,” he recalled.

Beach was fortunate to receive a full refund from PayPal, but most fraud victims aren’t so lucky. In 2024, cybercriminals raked in $16.6 billion from U.S. consumers, a 33% increase from 2023, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center’s annual report. While cybercrime impacts the general population, older Americans, 60-plus, are disproportionately targeted by scams and fraud, losing $3.4 billion in 2023 to cybercrime, up 11% from the previous year.

AI — technology that enables computers and machines, like drones, cars and smart appliances, to learn and reason — can be used for good in such fields as health care, education and climate change. But increasingly “bad actors are leveraging AI to exploit vulnerabilities in [computer] systems and in people to access their information and data,” said Eva Velasquez, CEO of Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit headquartered in San Diego. “AI has become ubiquitous ... it’s involved in all types of scams.”

While much of the age-old advice for keeping your data safe still stands — including steps like using strong passwords and being wary of calls from unknown numbers — these advancements require awareness that new methods are being used to target potential victims.

'DEEPFAKES' ALERT

Cybercriminals use a number of tactics to deceive their targets, including “deepfakes,” manipulated videos that can depict someone saying or doing something they didn’t say or do; fabricated photos; cloned voices; phishing or fraudulent emails that pretend to be from a trusted, legitimate source; and robocalls that mimic a human voice, said Amy Nofziger, director of Fraud Victim Support for AARP Fraud Watch Network in Washington, D.C.

Some of the common, likely AI-driven, frauds targeting seniors include the decades-old grandparent scheme, where an impostor poses as a grandchild with a fake emergency and asks for money, said Nofziger, adding that lately she has noticed an uptick in celebrity impostor scams.

Now we are seeing the celebrity impostor saying to you, "Hey honey, good morning."

- Amy Nofziger, director at AARP Fraud Watch Network 

“It looks like Kelly Clarkson [the singer and television personality] is selling weight-loss gummies and it [the video] makes it appear that she is actually pitching the product directly to you and even having a romance or friendship with you,” she said. “Now we are seeing the celebrity impostor saying to you, ‘Hey honey, good morning.’ ”

IS IT REALLY TECH SUPPORT?

Digital scammers also impersonate technical support agents and use AI-generated emails, pop-ups, websites or voice calls to trick victims into providing remote access to their computers, leading to stolen data or malware installation, said Ebony White, director of economic security and social safety net initiatives at the National Council on Aging in Washington, D.C.

AI scams not only drain bank accounts. They also leave emotional pain in their wake, said Claire Rosenzweig, metro New York regional president of the Better Business Bureau. “They [victims] are angry, disappointed and frustrated,” she said.

Beach can attest to the feelings of frustration and regret. “I was so disappointed in myself,” he said. “Where we work, we’re tested by our IT department, and they send out a scam email with a bogus something or other. I’ve never fallen for it at work, and I thought I’d never fall for it at home.”

Beach could have employed one more safeguard by running the web address through a tool like Google’s website status checker, transparencyreport .google.com /safe-browsing/search, which he said he didn’t know about at the time.

White said cybercriminals target older adults with data breach phishing. Victims receive fake alerts about an alleged data breach, prompting them to click malicious links or provide personal information.

“These scams are especially dangerous because AI enables hyper-personalization [tailoring content to an individual] and realistic impersonation, making them harder to spot and resist,” she said.

While many older adults embrace technology, they express wariness about how AI can be used fraudulently to steal personal information, according to a 2024 AARP study.

WORRY ABOUT 'TOMORROW’S SCAMS'

Warren Sanderson, 82, who lives in Fountaingate Gardens, a Gurwin independent living facility in Commack, said even though he considers himself tech-savvy, he worries that he’ll be deceived by an AI scam.

“I know the old scams, but what about tomorrow’s scams?” said Sanderson, a professor emeritus of economics at Stony Brook University. “It’s [digital fraud] a gigantic enterprise with sophisticated operations. I hope I’ll be able to figure it out.”

Tech-savvy seniors like Sanderson are not the only ones who worry about falling for cyberscams. Velasquez, of Identity Theft Resource Center, said AI advances coupled with criminals’ increasingly sophisticated schemes pose challenges even for AI professionals.

“They [digital con artists] are always tweaking and refining their tactics,” she said. “It’s very hard to keep up with these scams — and I say that with no judgment. We all do this for a living and we say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that [scam] came out of the woodwork.’ ”

PERSONAL INFO ON SOCIAL MEDIA

According to a 2025 survey by AARP, 74% of adults ages 50-plus report using social media regularly. While Facebook remains the most popular in this age group, YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram are also favorite go-to sites.

There is so much data and information about us online. It’s very easy to scrape open media accounts and build a dossier on someone.

- Eva Velasquez, CEO of Identity Theft Resource Center

“There is so much data and information about us online,” Velasquez said. “It’s very easy to scrape open media accounts and build a dossier on someone.”

For example, a charity scammer could manipulate the emotions of someone who is “all about helping and wanting to make a difference,” she said, while a dating site user might believe they have found true love, only to be lured into an investment scam.

A strong emotional trigger like love is not a fraudster’s only tactic. AARP’s Nofziger said fear, trust, urgency and greed help online fraudsters extract personal information and money from their victims.

FAKE CALLER ID

Velasquez said scammers are increasingly posing as representatives from law enforcement agencies like the local police department or the departments of Justice or Homeland Security and use caller ID spoofing. Techniques include claims to have warrants for your arrest or demands that fines be paid. “They make you think you’re a victim and that they want to help you ... and then they make you move your money,” she said.

For too many years, Rhonda Eisenberg, 75, got bombarded with phishing emails, fake text messages and phone calls. After the Baldwin resident read that being on social media platforms could expose her to AI scams, she deleted her Facebook account.

Now, Eisenberg said she’s not bothered by nearly as many cyberscam messages. However, she recently received a text message that her E-ZPass account was in arrears.

“It said if I didn’t pay, I would be fined,” said the retired high school mathematics administrator with a laugh. “I have an automatic replenish. I know when E-ZPass gets used, so I deleted the text and reported it as junk.”

Eisenberg said she remains vigilant to digital fraud, but she worries that one day she’ll not be as “mentally sharp,” leaving her vulnerable to cybercrime.

Increasingly sophisticated and personalized AI scams pose a significant threat to Eisenberg and her peers, who now have to develop a “new literacy in terms of detecting what’s AI and what’s genuine,” said Lisa DeTora, director of STEM writing and a professor at Hofstra University in Hempstead.

“These people are in the Baby Boom generation, and they were alive when computers had to take up an entire room,” she said. “AI presents challenges and it’s one more thing to worry about — but one more thing to worry about that can be pernicious.”