Top five scams right now
Five scams that target adults over 50 — and one fridge cheat sheet.
These are the calls and texts we’re hearing about most this season. Each one comes with a calm script for what to do instead, and the printable summary at the bottom fits a single page — tape it to the fridge so it stays within reach.
Scam #1 of 5
The "package held" text
A text says your package can’t be delivered until you tap a link and pay a small fee.
How to spot it
- You don’t remember ordering anything that’s "waiting for you."
- The link is a short string of letters and numbers, not a real track-your-package page.
- It asks for a card number, a "redelivery fee," or a code from your phone.
Scam #2 of 5
The fake tech-support pop-up
A loud pop-up on your screen says your computer is infected and gives you a phone number to call right now.
How to spot it
- It’s screaming — a siren sound, flashing colors, a countdown that’s "almost over."
- It says "Microsoft," "Apple," or "Google" but the phone number isn’t one of theirs.
- It asks you to install a program so "the technician can take a look."
Scam #3 of 5
The new friend who needs help
A new online contact — on a dating site, a social page, or in your messages — becomes very attentive very fast, and then asks for money.
How to spot it
- They say they’re far away: military overseas, on an oil rig, a doctor abroad. You never meet in person.
- They love you within weeks. They ask you to move your conversations off the platform to a text or a private email.
- A "sudden emergency" lands and they ask for gift cards, a wire transfer, or a crypto payment.
Scam #4 of 5
The "Medicare / IRS" call
A caller says they’re from Medicare or the IRS and that you owe money right now — or your account will be shut down today.
How to spot it
- They call YOU. Real Medicare and the IRS reach you by mail first, never by surprise phone.
- They want payment today, in a form they pick — gift cards, a wire, or a strange app.
- They tell you not to tell your family or your CPA.
Scam #5 of 5
The "bail a grandchild" call
Someone calls pretending to be your grandchild (or your niece, your nephew, an old friend) in trouble, and asks you to buy gift cards to "fix" it.
How to spot it
- The voice sounds "a bit off" — hoarse, or whispering — and they tell you that’s why they can’t come to the phone themselves.
- They say "don’t tell Mom and Dad." They want you to keep this between you two.
- They want Target, Walmart, Apple, or Google gift cards — the specific dollar amounts, read back to them over the phone.
Free session · 30 minutes
Book a scam-awareness session with us.
We’ll spend 30 minutes with you and a family member reviewing what to do when one of these lands — a real human reads this within one business day and replies with three session times that work.
Tape to fridge
Scam cheat sheet
Read this if a call or message feels rushed. Print at home or share with a family member.
Scam 1 of 5
The "package held" text
Sign: No link, no fee. Open the delivery app yourself — never the link in the text.
Scam 2 of 5
The fake tech-support pop-up
Sign: Pop-ups never call YOU. Close the browser and breathe.
Scam 3 of 5
The new friend who needs help
Sign: Real help never arrives as a gift card. Talk to family first.
Scam 4 of 5
The "Medicare / IRS" call
Sign: Medicare and the IRS never call to collect money. Hang up, call back on the real number.
Scam 5 of 5
The "bail a grandchild" call
Sign: Nobody collects bail in gift cards. Hang up, call your grandchild
Quietloom · Patient tech coaching for grown-ups 50-plus.