Stop the Scam

March 14, 2026

NYS Alliance for Retired Americans, National Alliance Coordinating Campaign to Help Seniors “Stop the Scam” involving Online Fraud

The New York State Alliance for Retired Americans (NYSARA), in coordination with the national Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA), is launching a long term  public education and advocacy campaign to “Stop the Scam” and help older New Yorkers better protect themselves against online scams and fraud and press for stronger measures to hold scammers and technology corporations that enable and profit from them accountable.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, in 2024 Americans lost $4.8 billion to online scams, often powered by artificial intelligence and spread across social networks, such as Meta’s Facebook and Instagram. For example, a Reuters investigation found that Meta projected that 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods and it estimated that its platforms show users 15 billion scam ads a day.

“Too many older adults and families are victims of online scams and fraud which dupe them out of billions of dollars and create needless heartbreak every year,” said NYSARA President Barry Kaufmann. “Scams and fraud against older adults is not a new problem, but the losses are accelerating and artificial intelligence is making them harder to detect. Behind the statistics are real people whose savings and retirement security are being stolen.”

Older adults can protect themselves starting with 1) broader education about common scams and how to reduce online risk, 2) sharing true stories of their experiences, 3) supporting measures to ensure that all who have a hand in the fraudulent activity are held accountable for both their actions and inaction in the face of widespread evidence, 4) understanding what to do if you are a victim of a scam, and 5) understanding there are tools that currently exist to identify scams/fraud before they happen.

Jack Rohl, a NYSARA  and CSEA leader from Albany County knows firsthand about how targeted scams can put individuals at risk. While shopping with his wife last December, he discovered his email had been hacked when friends began contacting him after receiving a false message that he had suffered a broken leg and was in need of medical support..The message sought donations in the form of gift cards, a common red flag, to help pay for his medical bills and recovery.

Fortunately he closed down his account and his friends were not taken in.

“Ït’s a dangerous world and these scammers don’t seem to care how much damage they do to people’s lives, Rohl said. “I hope everyone will take steps to protect themselves and verify information before acting.”

As a starting place for the campaign, NYSARA Chapters will present programs across New York starting this spring to better inform members and other older New Yorkers about the risks and methods scammers use to defraud them and how to protect themselves. NYSARA will also place priority on building a network of allies and highlighting access to valuable resources that help seniors protect themselves.

NYSARA’s effort has the support of some of New York’s leading voices on issues for older adults.

Senator Cordell Cleare, chair of NYS Senate Committee on Aging “I commend NYSARA for their dedication and effort to STOP THE SCAM!  It is heartless, offensive and unconscionable that people would take advantage of Older New Yorkers through scams of any kind, including those facilitated by technology.  I look forward to this continuing campaign, which we will supplement with multiple bills to end Elder Fraud and provide Elder Justice.”

Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, chair of NYS Assembly Committee on Aging: “As Chair of the New York State Assembly Committee on Aging, I have seen firsthand the devastating financial and emotional toll these scams take on seniors and their families. Older New Yorkers are being targeted at alarming rates by increasingly sophisticated online scams, many of which now exploit Artificial Intelligence to impersonate loved ones, trusted institutions, and even government agencies. That is why I am proud to stand with the New York State Alliance for Retired Americans in launching the ‘Stop the Scam’ campaign and to sponsor legislation that strengthens consumer protections, enhances penalties for bad actors, and expands education and prevention efforts across our state. Protecting older adults from fraud is not optional — it is our responsibility. We must ensure that every senior has the tools, information, and legal safeguards necessary to stay safe in an increasingly digital world.”

Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi, chair of NYS Assembly Committee on Children & Families: “New Yorkers are being increasingly targeted through sophisticated scams, which are preying on trust and utilizing technologies we have never had to previously contend with. With older adults targeted at disproportionate rates, our response must evolve accordingly, and must safeguard dignity, security, and peace of mind for all New Yorkers. I am extremely grateful to the Alliance for Retired Americans for leading this effort to educate communities and strengthen protections, and proud to continue working with my colleagues on this immensely important issue.”

Greg Olsen, Director of the New York State Office for the Aging: “We are thrilled to join this campaign and broaden our efforts to stop scams and fraud before they happen. While scammers are getting more sophisticated, protecting yourself is pretty easy, and this campaign will provide the needed education and training not only on how to protect yourself, but what to do if you fall victim to a scam. I appreciate the leadership of NYSARA for taking this on as well as the many other organizations that work to mitigate scams and fraud.”

Becky Preve, Executive Director of the NYS Association on Aging: ”The Association on Aging in New York applauds the work of NYSARA and partners on ensuring up to date, accurate, and actionable information on how to prevent scams from impacting Older New Yorkers and Families. As scams continue to escalate and intensify, actions by organizations to spread the word are now more than ever necessary to combat this enormous issue”.

Daniel Lyon, Fraud Scam Identity Theft  Program Mgr, Lifespan: “Older Americans lose hundreds of millions of dollars to online scammers annually. These loses are not recoverable and people are more than embarrassed about it when they discover they’ve been victimized. But it’s not really their fault. These scammers are well-trained criminals who are part of organized crime rings that prey on the vulnerability of individuals.

Learning the warning signs helps reduce risk. Help is available with  a call to 911 to report a crime. You can also contact your County Office for the Aging for assistance.”

Kaufmann also recognized the leadership of New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli in seeking to address these challenges and ensure NY seniors have the resources available to help them.

NYSARA represents more than 600,000 older New Yorkers across the state including retirees of NYSUT, CSEA, PEF, AFSCME District Council 37, NYSNA, UAW and other AFL-CIO unions along with other community-based organizations. NYSARA is the largest affiliate of the 4.4 million member national Alliance for Retired Americans, which is piloting the “Stop the Scam” campaign in 9 states.

NYSARA was joined at the announcement by representatives of its member unions, Statewide Senior Action Council, United Way of New York State, Live On New York and Lifespan. 

Resources

The First ARA national online Stop the Scam webinar was held recently. It can be viewed on the ARA’s YouTube Channel and view the presentation slides here.

Alliance for Retired Americans

Other Resources

New York State Office for the Aging

Upstate Elder Abuse Center at Lifespan

https://www.lifespan-roch.org/upstate-elder-abuse-cen-ter

NYS Attorney General’s Office

1-866-454-5110

Phone scams: https://ag.ny.gov/publications/

phone-scams

Filing a complaint: https://ag.ny.gov/file-complaint/

consumer

NYS Office of Victim Services

https://ovs.ny.gov/help-crime-victims

Elder Abuse Helpline for Concerned Persons

844-746-6905

https://elderabuse.weill.cornell.edu/programs/el-

der-abuse-helpline

NY Connects

1-800-342-9871

https://www.nyconnects.ny.gov/

Department of Financial Services

(800) 697-1220

https://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumers

Division of Consumer Protection

https://dos.ny.gov/consumer-protection

Adult Protective Services

1-844-697-3505

https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/adult-svcs/aps/

Common Scams and Crimes — FBI

https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/

Written by
Topics: Blog
Tags:
0 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *