August 26, 2026 • 45 mins
In this episode of Aging Well, Gretchen Knowlton welcomes Courtney Hedderman, Senior Associate Director for Advocacy and Outreach at AARP Illinois, and a leading voice in fraud prevention. As scams become increasingly sophisticated and costly, Courtney shares why fraud can happen to anyone and how criminals are using technology, artificial intelligence, emotional manipulation, and impersonation tactics to target people of all ages.
Listeners will learn about the most common scams today, including imposter scams, romance scams, tech support fraud, and cryptocurrency-related schemes. Courtney explains the warning signs to watch for, why scammers create a false sense of urgency, and how simple strategies like "stop and verify" can help protect your finances and personal information.
The conversation also explores the emotional toll of fraud, including embarrassment, loss of trust, and threats to independence, particularly for older adults. Courtney shares practical steps for reporting scams, protecting loved ones, and staying informed through trusted resources. Whether you've encountered fraud yourself, are concerned about a loved one's vulnerability, or simply want to stay ahead of evolving fraud trends, this episode offers practical tools and expert insights to help you stay vigilant and safe.
Resources:
Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes YouTube Series
Report fraud:
AARP Fraud Watch Helpline: 877-908-3360
Find and Report a Scam | Better Business Bureau
Illinois Secretary of State Securities Department
Illinois Attorney General Consumer Protection Division
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Federal Trade Commission Fraud Reporting
Reach out to Courtney: Chedderman@aarp.org
Facebook: facebook.com/AgeGuide
Twitter: twitter.com/AgeGuide
Instagram: instagram.com/theageguidepodcast
Podcast: ageguide.org/the-age-guide-podcast
Website: ageguide.org
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:03):
Welcome to The Age Guide, the podcast where we give voice to older adults and caregivers, challenge ageism, and offer guidance to help you thrive on the journey ahead.
I'm Gretchen Knowlton, your host, exploring the policies, programs, and ideas transforming the aging experience. This season, we're diving into what it really means to age well, from staying safe from scams and keeping our minds sharp, to finding purpose and building more age-inclusive communities.
(00:39):
Today, we're tackling an issue that touches nearly everyone today, scams and fraud. Fraud schemes are becoming more sophisticated, more personal, and more costly.
In 2024 alone, more than 71,000 Illinois consumers reported fraud, including identity theft and imposter scams, with losses totaling more than $318 million.
(01:09):
And because so many victims never report what happened, the true impact is likely much greater. To help us understand how these scams work, and how we can protect ourselves, we're joined by Courtney Hedderman, Senior Associate State Director for Advocacy and Outreach at AARP Illinois.
(01:29):
Courtney has become one of Illinois' leading voices on fraud prevention, educating communities across the state, advocating for stronger consumer protections, and helping people recognize and stop scams before they happen.
She's also known by another title—Fraud Fighting Fraudlette—on her regular YouTube series about avoiding scams. Courtney, welcome to The Age Guide.
(01:59):
Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
So glad to have you. First, I'd like to start with your why. Courtney, fraud prevention has become a major focus of your work in recent years. What makes this issue so urgent, and what motivates you personally to do this work?
(02:20):
I think that no matter what someone's age is, where they live, anything, they can be absolutely indirectly or directly affected by frauds and scams.
And I think that's what a little bit drives some of the reason why I like this work and why I want to be in this space. And AARP is absolutely dedicated to this issue all the way from the top down.
(02:51):
Personally, I have known many people who have, you know, been touched by a fraud or a scam and have been a victim. Me, myself, and this is my personal kind of story is, you know, I, not too long ago, I received that text message saying that I owed a toll for, you know, because I was traveling on the tollway.
(03:15):
And I had to click the link to pay my toll. It was just perhaps the most ironic timing that I received that text because my transponder, my car, basically had been faulty.
And I truly thought that was a real text message. And I clicked on the link and I paid the toll. And now I paid ultimately $10. I wasn't, I was not defrauded of millions of dollars or anything like that.
(03:43):
It was $10. So I guess I could swallow that pill to an extent. However, I, I do this work and I absolutely know government does not call or text you or do those things.
And yet I fell for it too. And it was, it was so innocent in so many ways and yet could be very catastrophic. And although again, I did not lose a lot of money. I lost probably more pride than money.
(04:09):
Obviously I realized how quickly, how easily, no matter again, what your age is, what your education is, what your situation is, you can absolutely become a victim no matter what.
So I've certainly had, you know, had that situation for me. And I don't know anybody who probably hasn't done something at one point and it's touched everyone. So I know that we need to be talking about this more and more so people can feel empowered and safe as much as they possibly can.
(04:44):
Yes. Yes. I think that's such an important message that it happens to all of us and it is embarrassing, but it's important that we talk about it. So I appreciate you sharing your story. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that Americans lose billions of dollars to fraud every year with older adults accounting for a really significant share of those losses.
(05:05):
So Courtney, from your perspective, what's driving this dramatic increase in scams and fraud? Has it always been there or is it really, truly increasing?
Both things are true. Fraud has always been there, sadly. But I think the alarming piece to this is the influx, the amount of volume that it's happening and the amount of lost money that's happening every single year over and over again.
(05:32):
I think these criminals are reaching thousands of people more instantly through AI and those artificial intelligence tools through phone calls and text messages and emails and social media and all sorts of things that, I mean, you know, we didn't have maybe 10, 15, 20, 30 years ago, right?
(05:53):
They are doing the volume much more. So think of that AI tool and their calling, right? They might be calling thousands of people at one time or texting or emailing at one time and think about how many people are then replying to that or responding to that.
So these kind of organized, I'll say, for lack of better words, but organized networks using this technology that just didn't even exist that long time ago are making things look very legitimate, very personalized and easier than to deceive people.
(06:27):
And then, of course, what happened is in what we know is just like what you said, the financial losses are rising exponentially. It's incredible. So more sophistication, for sure.
And the scale of these crimes are just so much more.
And it seems like even though all of us are affected by this, there are some specific harms that can be even more devastating for older adults beyond the financial losses. What other impacts have you seen on individuals and families?
(07:01):
It's truly heartbreaking, Gretchen. It's not just, I mean, first of all, anybody loses any money to any sort of fraud or scam is horrendous because, again, most of the time the volume is so much, too, in the sense of how much they're actually receiving or getting.
So the financial losses are more than just my $10, right? I mean, we're talking their lifetime of money that they have saved. So it truly is an extraordinary amount of money that they're then ultimately stealing.
(07:35):
But outside of the actual dollars, which is already a lot, independence. Because, again, if someone is being defrauded of their entire life savings, their independence is shot.
It just is. Their, like, literally long-term financial security is in jeopardy. But I think the stress, the anxiety, the embarrassment, just loss of trust in themselves and then what their family might feel and how then they respond, I think that I've actually seen families really torn apart by someone becoming a victim of a fraud and ascam. And it's all of a sudden it's because, again, it puts into play this loss of really ultimately independence. And then that emotional burden on the individual and the family members who love them and they're trying to recover losses, it just is this snowball effect that is so hard to recover from.
(08:40):
Yes, and I assume that when this happens, sometimes families want to jump in and take some control away from the person who's been, you know, the victim.
And that's a temptation there for children or loved ones to say, okay, mom made this mistake. Maybe we can't trust mom to take care of her finances anymore. Maybe we can't trust mom to drive anymore.
(09:06):
Maybe, you know, mom shouldn't be going to the bank by herself anymore. And just like you said, it can happen to any of us and we don't necessarily risk that loss of autonomy. So it's especially devastating to older adults and how, like you said, the family might respond to that.
Right. A hundred percent. A hundred percent.
That makes it really hard. Now, experts also say that fraud is significantly underreported. Why are so many people reluctant to report a scam? And what would you say to someone who feels embarrassed or ashamed after being victimized?
(09:44):
Yeah. I mean, we've kind of already even touched upon this, just the feelings that people probably have. They're embarrassed. They are. I mean, I was embarrassed that I clicked on the link, you know. I was like, how did I do that?
Why did I do that? You blame yourself. Again, that fear of losing independence ultimately happens. They also, I think a lot of people think that nothing can be done to recover their money.
(10:10):
And I think that's a really large part of being underreported. So they're feeling absolutely horrified and embarrassed and shame. A lot of shame. So much shame. But the thing is, is frauds and scams have nothing to do with about someone's intelligence.
It happens. It absolutely happens. And I think somebody feels so much shame that they are stupid and that they made such a large mistake and the money can never be recovered. So I'm never going to report this.
(10:39):
No one is ever going to know that this happened because I'm so horribly embarrassed. And that is the last thing that should be done. And this is, I don't know any other statistic that could say, shed more light on this.
But like the Federal Trade Commission, you've already made reference to them. Like they, in 2024, they estimated that $2.4 billion were from fraud losses. But they gave another number that is more devastating.
(11:08):
They believe the true number is $80 billion. And when you think about that, that you go from an actual reporting of 2.4, but they actually think it's closer to 80, wow, we are way underreporting.
Right. That means a lot of us are really embarrassed and scared to come forward when it's happening.
(11:30):
100%. And I do think people don't fully understand where they can go to report. I do think that there's some missing information there too. Because when you think about like, oh, I can't call my local police department. Like that's, that, that's if there's like, if that's like a crime, somebody was like breaking into my house or they broke into my car.
They think of that type of crime that when you call the police, not when necessarily you've been defrauded or scammed.
Gretchen (11:57):
Right.
They think of it differently. Crime is considered different in contacting local law enforcement for whatever reason. And I think that part of, part of the process of reporting is who do I report to?
Do I, do I report to my local law enforcement? Do I report to the FBI? And the FBI sounds way scarier than my local law enforcement. Yeah, you know what I mean? This sounds really scary. Right. So, um, you think of all those things.
(12:25):
Well, I can understand. I don't know where I should report because I want to keep it on the down low perhaps too. Right. And if I hit calling the FBI, that sounds way bigger.
Helicopters are going to be flying over my house. Spotlight is on me.
Yeah. Yeah. That's exactly, that's a big, that's uncomfortable. You feel so uncomfortable and very foreign to what your normal experiences would be. So, I think there's a whole host of reasons why people don't report.
(12:54):
It's their own feelings and their own shame and their own embarrassment, but also where do they report and how that, and what's that process like?
Right. And it's probably different depending on what kind of scam. So, we'll circle back to this and talk about what people can do. I want to start giving people some real practical tips here. I know you've got those as a Fraud Fighting Fraudlette.
Courtney (13:17):
Yeah.
What are some of the most common scams targeting, let's focus on Illinois today, targeting Illinois residents right now, and how have those scams evolved over the past few years?
Yeah, sure. Absolutely. Okay. So, the biggest one in Illinois right now today is those imposter scams that you kind of made reference. That means that someone is saying there's someone else to get you to trust them, so then thus you do what they want you to do, right?
(13:47):
Usually giving your information and, of course, sending money. So, think of those imposter scams are like government agencies. They're saying that the IRS is calling, Medicare is calling, the bank is calling, utility company is calling, any of those types of things.
That is the number one scam for us. And I'll give you an example. This was not too long ago, but a woman got a call from what she thought was her banking institution. They had the last four digits of her account number.
(14:17):
They had several other data points. So, it sounded extremely, very legit, extremely authoritative. And they said that she, there was a, like, suspicious activity on her account. And then they asked her this.
They said, we need you to move your money while we investigate. And she moved her money into a cryptocurrency account, a wallet. So, it was ultimately not traceable.
(14:45):
And it was $500,000.
Gretchen (14:49):
Ouch.
So, to say, and that's a very extreme example, obviously, but a true one that we must take note of. They had, they had information on her. They thought, she thought it was absolutely true. Because of that, of course, you're going to automatically, number one, think this is true because they have too much on her.
(15:11):
Two, then they're saying there's something suspicious and she's got to do something. Of course, you're going to think maybe that's true. So, the catch was when they said she needed to move the money. And if she probably, I'm assuming, things back now, oh my gosh, I should have known that that was the red flag.
That was it. Why would I ever need to move my money? They should just freeze my account. They should, you know what I mean? But that is number one, the number one scam. The other ones that I think are very equally important, though, because they are very high on the list, is also tech support scams.
(15:45):
So, someone is saying they're Microsoft or they're Google or, you know, your iPhone is having issues and we need to provide tech support to you. You have clicked on the link. That is not safe.
And we need to get in and fix it. All sorts of types of things. Tech support is another very, very big scam that's going on right now. And then I would say, I mean, there's several other around cryptocurrency specifically that are extremely concerning.
(16:14):
So, when someone is asking for information and they're wanting someone to send money, they're wanting them to do that through investment in cryptocurrency fraud. And so, that's kind of the ruse. And that's super, super scary.
And then there's so many, frankly, but I would say the other one to really take note is around what I would define as romance scams. That's probably the term that people have heard the most. But it doesn't have to be romance.
(16:42):
It could be just that you're talking to someone and you might even start talking to someone that like, even through like a FaceTime or something, you're building a connection with them, they might actually be doing those kinds of conversations with someone for months, months and months.
(17:02):
Wooing you. Wooing that person. They make them feel very comfortable, heard, seen, all that stuff. And then the kicker is they're starting to get more and more information. And then they go for the jugular and ask for money through a gift card, through a wire transfer, through cryptocurrency, from these types of scams.
(17:25):
They are, again, you could say romance, you can say just connection, however you want to define it. But they think they're talking to a real person who is wanting to be their friend or be their romantic partner or whatever. And they are not.
And they are absolutely just trying to get their person's money. Those are the three kind of largest scams going on in Illinois. And there are a whole host of others, including the grandparent scam. And, you know, my grandchild is, you know, in, in jail and, you know, Europe and they, it's, everything is so legit.
(17:55):
And, and yet, you know, so those absolutely still exist. Mail delivery is an issue still. And just straight up identity theft. All those are, they still exist. Interestingly enough, they're further down on the list compared to these kind of imposter scams, romance scams, and those tech support ones.
Obviously, I would certainly say the, you know, again, any government who is saying that you owe something, you know, like, like my example of, of, of, of a toll, but IRS, health care, financial, anything that's saying that they're an entity that you owe money to, it's, it's, it's an, it's an imposter.
(18:34):
Yeah. They're not real.
Wow. So it's almost like these, in the first two examples that you gave, it's the scammers are using the prevalence of scams to scam you because we're all afraid that we're getting scammed.
They're able to tell us we're getting scammed and get us to take some kind of action and then we get scammed. That's
(18:55):
so. Is that not, I mean, I hate to say that like this, but like, is that not the most sophisticated thing a scammer could do? I mean, it really is. This is where, and I know we're going to talk about tips and stuff, but like, this is where you stop and verify, stop and verify.
You cannot go forward and think that someone who's calling or emailing is the real person. And you know what? If it's real, no one will care. No one will care. That
(19:21):
you're stopping and
verify. Stop and you change the direction and you verified.
So it's worth double checking, following up with your banking institution or with the government agency to make sure that it's legit. It's worth taking that time.
Extra step, but take it. It only will help someone in the end.
Yeah. It's so personal. It just feels so personally violating, especially when you talk about like the way they groom people and build that relationship in those romance or relationship scams.
(19:53):
And I think a lot of us just assume that we would never fall for a scam. You know, oh, that's not going to happen to me. I'm smart enough to avoid this. But like you said, these criminals are very skilled at what they do.
And, you know, it's going to be hard for all of us to stay on top of this. So it's important that we continue to have these kinds of discussions. What tactics do scammers use to build that trust and create that urgency and maybe manipulate emotions?
(20:24):
You've given us some kind of broad examples. Do you have any specifics of what we should be watching for?
Yeah. You just nailed it on the head. It's the urgency, the sense of urgency, the sense of fear, the sense of excitement or any emotional connection. That is the number one thing they create. The goal ultimately is to pressure people into acting quickly, like full out acting quickly before they have any time to verify the information.
(20:50):
So they're just working off of adrenaline in the moment. There's a stressful situation presented to them and you have to take action right away if you want to fix this.
That is the number one. If there is a red flag, it's that. Again, they want to put them in an emotional state, whether it's excitement or fear or anything. Emotional state. You are not calm, collected and cool. And then they need them to act immediately because if you don't, right, then you're not going to get scammed, right?
(21:16):
Because you're going to think rationally. You're going to be like, I'm not in an emotional state. This doesn't sound right. This is a scam. Bye-bye. I'm hanging up or I'm not answering that. Um, and if you're somebody who is completely like sucked in and feeling emotionally charged in any way, shape or form, you're not going to stop.
(21:37):
You're not going to stop and verify so that, and, and they don't want you to do that. So they need to keep pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing. Do not hang up. If you don't do this, the police are coming to your house because they're arresting you.
You don't do this right now. You, you know, like it's that fear and that urgency that it hooks people immediately. It really does. And it's a human nature, like we are all human beings.
(22:04):
Yes. Any other red flags that people can watch out for this? So there's the urgency.
Courtney (22:10):
Yeah.
Gretchen (22:10):
The hurry.
So I think requests for immediate payment, again, they're looking for like demanding payment of something, the gift card, the wire transfer, crypto, those kinds of things. The threat of arrest. I think when they're also requesting personal information, passwords and account numbers, their social security number, things like that.
(22:32):
Those are huge warning signs and red flags for sure. And it's, there is that, there's the pressure to keep the situation secret. Like don't tell, don't tell anybody.
Like, cause somebody's like, well, I'm going to call my daughter and talk to them and make sure that this is okay for me to do. And the scammer, the criminal is don't tell your daughter. Oh my gosh, she would be, she, she would think that you're dumb.
(23:00):
She would think that you're, she, they put them in a place of the shame. Like you don't want to verify with your child or your grandchild, or you want to verify period, like, because that's going to make you look bad and you don't want to do that.
You're an independent person. You can handle this yourself. And it puts them in as a place of then keeping the situation private. And I think that's, that's another huge, huge red flag for sure, for sure.
(23:28):
But just pressure to take action of information, give information, immediate payment, um, and, and ultimately keeping it quiet.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. What about, um, the cryptocurrency? Do you think there's ever a time when somebody asking you to put some money toward cryptocurrency is legitimate?
(23:51):
Okay, so let me say this very, uh, kindly, um, cryptocurrency is a legitimate currency. It is a digital currency. And if someone wants to dabble in cryptocurrency and, and really get involved in that, they should, um, in the sense of learning all the, the, the tricks of the trade and the tips and all that stuff.
(24:12):
So not against cryptocurrency.
Okay. Um, however, if someone is asking for payment in cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency, the more likely is it's a scam. Um, if you are making transactions with a person that you do not know nor trust, or it's again, a situation where you've built trust with someone and they're asking for a transfer of dollars into cryptocurrency.
(24:37):
I will, I will put my money where my mouth is, probably 10 out of 10, it's a scam. And the reason why is because it's not as regulated. And once that money has been transferred, it is so hard to trace.
It's so difficult to get back. And so cryptocurrency, you know, you can do cryptocurrency from your home computer. And, and one of the biggest fraudulent things happening in cryptocurrency is these kiosks, these ATM kiosks.
(25:04):
So they just look like ATM machines like we would use for our regular banking. They are in your grocery store, in your gas station. You probably haven't even noticed them, but they're there. They give them a wallet number. That's what it's called, but they're giving them a basically an account number.
And they are then transferring from what, you know, their, their dollars over to this criminal through cryptocurrency kiosks. And it's incredible, but there are around 90 to 95% of those transactions that those kiosks are fraudulent.
(25:37):
Wow.
Um, which is why we are on, uh, the move to ban them and, and, or have them regulated in a bigger way. So people are as safe as possible. Because again, we're not against cryptocurrency.
It's, it's, you can use it and, and, um, buy things, sell things, all sorts of things in a safe way, but you don't necessarily go to an ATM kiosk and where there's mostly fraud happening, um, and, and then give your hard earned money away to a criminal.
(26:08):
Bad news, man. So AARP Illinois, I know has taken a creative approach to fraud education through initiatives like your fraud fighting YouTube series. Um, and, um, the new fraud fighters campaign.
Tell us a little bit about these efforts.
Yeah, sure. Thank you so much. So, you know, AARP nationally has what's called the Fraud Watch Network. Um, and so that's, you know, something that, you know, there are tips and, um, tricks and all sorts of things, prevention, um, that is happening kind of at the national level.
(26:43):
And so people can go to the website, AARP.org/FraudWatchNetwork. We do have a toll free number. So someone actually could ask, like, so say somebody's afraid to call their law enforcement, right?
They're afraid. And they could call the Fraud Watch Network just to talk to somebody and get some advice and referral. And they, and so we have like thousands of calls that come in every single month from people just like that.
(27:09):
And they're like, I think I might've been scammed. Is this a scam? And can you help me? Like, what should I do next? And so that, think of that as a resource for sure. Um, and so that's kind of happening at our national level. What's happening here in Illinois is, is really exciting because yes, we do have a Facebook and YouTube series called the Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes.
(27:29):
It's, it's myself and another, um, AARP Illinois volunteer. Her name is Annetta Works Salley. She's just a delight. She's a diamond dynamo and has, has her own fraud story. And she's a veteran and she has so, um, she brings so much, um, information and expertise to our talk.
But we, we meet at the end of the month, uh, that's the last Monday of every month, um, at 10 a.m. Central. And certainly someone can tune in live or they can certainly watch the recording afterwards. But we even take questions live, which is really fun. Uh, last month we actually, um, we're talking about AI fraud specifically and those kind of deep fakes, those voice pieces, right?
(28:10):
And we had a guest on from the AI safety awareness project. We had so many questions come in last time. So it just shows how much people really want information around AI and how to stay safe and stay away from, you know, the fraud that takes place.
And in addition to our Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes series, um, we, uh, have launched a campaign this year called becoming an Illinois fraud fighter. And it truly is people who want information, who want up-to-date information from a, from trusted resource and resources, and then ultimately having the information to then do something about it.
(28:47):
So part of our efforts isn't just information and education, although that is huge, right? That's a big part of us. The other part is actually advocacy because we know when the rubber hits the road, we need policies.
We need stronger protections. We need these consumer protections that are going to keep us all more safe than we already are. And that's where the advocacy part comes in. So when we're hearing things on our Fraudlettes series, or we're hearing things from when we're out in person or a virtual or whatever, um, we know when the rubber hits the road, what's working and what's not and what's happening.
(29:21):
And so then we can then translate that into real change by advocacy efforts. So for that cryptocurrency kiosk, for example, we passed legislation in 2025 around that for our state, which is the first time crypto and any digital asset has ever been regulated in our state, which is huge.
Wow.
It's not as generous as we hoped. And we want to keep people more safe than they, you know, than they currently are. We know there's fraud still happening around this. And so in 2027, we're going back to the Illinois General Assembly and asking for a full ban of cryptocurrency kiosks, which is really exciting.
(29:55):
So, you know, that's because of the efforts though, when, when we're hearing from people, what is again, working and not working and what's the fraud that's existing. So then we can go and, and try very hard at that advocacy level, at that policy level, at the local state and federal government levels to, to really institute some change.
(30:17):
And that's really, truly the ultimate goal. And so our fraud fighting, you know, our, not just our Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes, our fraud fighters across the state, they get this really cool fraud kit.
It's a red box and it has all sorts of prevention tips in there. They get a fraud fighter pin and, and ultimately they stay connected. And, and I think that's the biggest part. They stay connected with us. They know then what's happening, what they need to be aware of, what they need to then engage in.
(30:48):
Um, and, and that is, um, where we are by the hundreds now, which is really exciting. And we just really kind of launched only a couple of months ago. So, um, for having such a short amount of time out there, we're now having hundreds of people come on, um, as fraud fighters and we will welcome anyone.
So anyone could go to AARP.org/IL and become a fraud fighter, get their fraud fighter kit and stay connected with AARP around this whole issue and would love to have them.
(31:20):
Yeah. Excellent. Good to know all of the things that you're working on and ways that people can get involved. So definitely connecting with AARP. Um, we'll put a link to that webpage in our show notes as well.
What else for listeners who want to better protect themselves and their loved ones, what other practical steps could they take today?
(31:46):
Yep. A hundred percent. So one, stop and verify. I know I said that, but that, that is the biggest one. Stop and verify. Don't send money. Don't provide personal information.
Click links until you independently confirm the request or whatever their, the ask is. Um, so stop and verify is the biggest advice I could ever give, but it's also take your time.
(32:15):
Take a breath. Don't feel the pressure. Don't be pressured into immediate action because that's when trouble happens too. Again, if it's real, then you, then you're fine. You're going to be fine. It's, it's not a problem to take your time and take a breath.
Stop, verify all that. Um, you know, using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication is a really big deal. Um, I know I'm guilty of it too. I have a lot of, I have a lot of passwords, but I tend to keep some of them, you know, the same or very similar.
(32:45):
And, and I haven't always had the, you know, multi-factor authentication, but it's worth doing that. I, I've, I've tried very hard to, to change that.
Courtney, I don't want to do that. Let's talk about passwords. Passwords are the bane of my existence. What do you guys recommend at AARP for people who've got too many passwords?
(33:07):
Okay. So I actually have a little notebook right here.
Okay.
And I have a little section where I've written down my passwords and I keep that at
Gretch (33:15):
pen and paper, Courtney.
Pen and paper, baby. Pen and paper. Okay. But I will say, I know other people, okay, that's my personal preference. Um, but people will use an app. Um, there's apps to keep all of your passwords. It keeps them in one spot.
So you can go to your smartphone, um, and, and use an app that, that helps you keep kind of connected to that. Or again, organized. It's truly the best way. So good old fashioned Pen and paper or use an app would be my, my, my best, uh, my, my best advice for sure.
Gr (33:49):
Thank you, Courtney. I know.
I get it. I get it. Um, but I, I will say, you know, just we have to take extra steps to make sure we're safe and I think we get very guilty of being creatures of habit. And again, I, I'm preaching to my own choir here because we can get very, uh, just a little careless.
(34:10):
And so, you know, monitoring our financial accounts, all of our accounts, whether it's finance or not, but like anything that you have your information within it's monitoring that regularly enough to make sure there's no suspicious activity or things coming in.
Um, that just don't make sense or you're paying for things that don't make sense. And, um, so take the extra steps. It's going to be worth it. And then just please, please, please, everyone report, report when something doesn't feel right or seem right.
(34:41):
And something's occurred. You, not only are you going to ultimately help yourself, you really will help yourself because maybe, maybe you're, there's money lost, it's recoverable, or your identity has been stolen and it needs to be secured, but you're not only helping yourself, you're helping somebody else because then we know what are the scams, what are the things that are going on that will help us communicate to others.
(35:05):
So then we can share the tips, like, don't pick up the phone. Don't like, look, if your bank is calling, don't, don't think that your bank is calling. Why are they calling you? Please stop. Verify that's really your bank calling about something.
You know, like when I use that first example, um, of the woman getting the, the bank calling her and saying that there was suspicious activity, we wouldn't know that if she didn't report that.
Gretchen (35:30):
Right.
So please report if you, and nothing is too small. No amount is too small.
Okay.
We wouldn't have known about those tolls. Those tolls, you know, again, mine was 10 bucks, right?
Yeah.
Um, we wouldn't know that if somebody didn't report that ultimately. So please report. And there, there are people like AgeGuide, AARP, we have resources around this, making sure that people know what those latest frauds and scams are, the tips to stay safe, and ultimately then to report.
(36:01):
And where should they report? You talked about the FBI, you talked about the police, you talked to the AARP also has a phone number to call. What do you recommend as the first step? The,
the, okay, so the very first step is actually calling your local law enforcement and you don't have to call 9-1-1. Um, you can call your, you know, the non-emergency phone number or go into your police station.
(36:23):
Okay.
So, because the reason why is that people can actually do, um, it can, can complete a police report. A police report is part of that evidence.
Okay.
Um, I would also keep, you know, notes, keep the information. Like if you're, if you've exchanged emails with the, um, you know, the imposter, if you have anything that is a receipt of your transactions, any of those types of things, keep all of that stuff, right?
(36:51):
Okay.
Um, but ultimately outside of your local law enforcement, cause they're always ready and, and ready to help and assist. But yes, the FBI, um, the federal trade commission, the better, better business bureau, any of those entities, um, the Illinois secretary of state's office, not just cause of tolls, but they actually have a securities team.
(37:13):
Um, your, the Illinois attorney general's office, all of them have consumer division, um, divisions and they are absolutely taking cases to help people get their money back or their identity back or, you know, all of those types of things.
So any of those entities are perfectly reliable sources to go. Obviously you made reference to AARP, like again, that fraud watch, uh, network, AARP.org/FraudWatchNetwork.
(37:41):
I'll give the phone number as well. If you're okay with that, Gretchen, um, it's 877-908-3360. So again, that's 877-908-3360.
And that's, that's a great resource too, because again, if someone's thinking, well, I think I might have, and I, I just need to talk to someone because this is again, where the embarrassment might come through, um, then they can really help decipher is, is this a fraud or scam?
(38:11):
And here's the steps then to take next. And they're that really diving into, to connecting them to the right place to
go. Okay. So is it important to report, even if you haven't actually gone all the way to getting scammed or victimized, if you come in contact with a scammer and you're pretty sure it's a scammer, is it best to, to call the, the police department?
Courtney (38:34):
Yes.
Gretchen (38:35):
Okay.
Oh my gosh. A hundred percent. Because of one, the fraud or scam can be stopped in the, in its tracks and they might actually be able to catch the individual criminal or criminals in that. So it helps all of us.
It helps them in their tracks. Yes. Oh my goodness. It stops them in its tracks and it really does help maybe then try to get the person caught or individuals caught. That's what we know. Whatever the situation is. So, oh my gosh.
(39:01):
Yes. If you think you're, it's happening as it's happening, call them. Absolutely call them. They will be, they'll be there lickety split. Trust me.
Right. Good.
Courtney (39:11):
Yeah.
For our listeners who are passionate about this issue. And I think a lot of our listeners are, how else can they get involved? What's, what's a good plan for them to get involved in AARP's fraud prevention efforts and become a volunteer fraud fighter?
Oh my gosh. Thank you so much. Yes. We would love to welcome anyone to be an Illinois fraud fighter. And the easiest way is certainly to, to sign up, to get their free kit and stay connected. So that's like the first thing someone could do.
(39:41):
And very easy. Cause that means you're just getting information, right? So AARP.org/IL. In addition, there are so many other opportunities to, to, to really dive into this.
Um, one could be information education, giving out our, you know, brochures, um, around fraud prevention tips or becoming an Illinois fraud fighter, very specific things. Um, so they could absolutely do that.
(40:09):
They want to talk to their elected officials at the local state and federal level. And we have room for that too. And so getting involved in an advocacy way, we have advocacy volunteers who are at home, they're at the comforts of their home and they're calling or emailing their legislator.
Again, whether it's their, you know, local legislator or local elected official all the way to their congressional person. Um, but then there's some people who, uh, are with us and they go to Springfield and we pay for their expenses and they're lobbying, um, at the state Capitol, which I think is so cool.
(40:39):
They go on district visits, um, with our congressional folks and our state folks, our local folks, they're going to those, you know, County board meetings and, and sharing, um, what's happening. And so there's so much room for, I think, um, volunteers and advocacy in that space and we'd welcome anybody and everybody.
We don't have a requirement of, you know, you have to volunteer for 20 hours a week or, you know, have these kinds of stipulations. We will fit you in the right place and where, what you're interested in, what you're passionate about. And obviously we work on more than just frauds and scams.
(41:13):
So, you know, maybe that's what brings you in, but maybe you really like utilities or maybe like caregiving. I mean, there's so many issues. No, there's no, no shortage of issues, right, Gretchen?
Gretchen (41:23):
Right.
So, you know, especially around older adults and things that have to happen for older adults, there's so much room for a lot of different passions and interests. So we welcome everyone and would love to talk to you more.
If anybody's interested in volunteering with us, we'd love to have you.
Something for everyone. Excellent.
Courtney (41:42):
(42:03):
So send me an email. Happy to connect.
Wow, there's your invitation to connect directly with Courtney Hedderman. Excellent. Thank you so much, Courtney, for joining us and sharing this expertise. Fraud can happen to anyone, like you said, but knowledge is one of our best defenses.
(42:23):
So we appreciate the work you're doing to help Illinois residents and all of us stay informed, stay vigilant, and stay protected. To learn more about fraud prevention resources, as Courtney said, the AARP Fraud Watch Network or volunteer opportunities are available at AARP.org/FraudWatchNetwork.
(42:48):
Thank you so much, Courtney.
Thank you so much for having me.
Hello, and welcome to your Medicare Minutes. My name is Val Guzman, and I'm the Benefit Access Supervisor here at AgeGuide. Protecting your Medicare benefits is the best way to prevent Medicare fraud, and it starts with reviewing your statements and speaking up when something doesn't look right.
(43:13):
If you suspect any kind of Medicare fraud, the Senior Medicare Patrol, or SMP, can help. SMP staff help educate beneficiaries about fraud, review Medicare statements for errors or suspicious charges, and assist with reporting potential fraud, scams, or abuse.
(43:34):
They can guide you through the reporting process and connect you with the appropriate agency. To get help, contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol program at 800-699-9043, or visit AgeGuide.org for more information.
(43:54):
Hi, everyone. This is Courtney Hedderman, the Senior Associate State Director for AARP Illinois. Join AgeGuide on September 17th for the Aging Summit, where leaders, advocates, professionals, and community members will come together to explore innovative ideas and solutions for creating more livable, inclusive communities for older adults.
(44:17):
This year's summit will focus on building communities where people can thrive, stay connected, and age with dignity and independence. AARP Illinois is proud to once again serve as a gold sponsor, supporting conversations and collaborations that help make our communities better for everyone.
Learn, connect, and be inspired by AgeGuide's Aging Summit this September, and let's build livable communities to last a lifetime. Visit AgeGuide.org to learn more and register today, as well as AARP.org/IL.
(44:56):
See you in September.
Thank you for joining us on The Age Guide, where we explore the insights, experiences, and practical strategies that help us thrive as we age. To learn more about how AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois is advocating for older adults and caregivers, visit us at AgeGuide.org or call our offices at 630-293-5990.
(45:23):
And if you enjoyed this episode, please share to help others find us. Join us next month for a conversation with Dr. Tanvi Bhatt, a practicing physical therapist and nationally recognized balance recovery researcher on why falls prevention is an important part of aging well.
Welcome to The Age Guide, the podcast where we give voice to older adults and caregivers, challenge ageism, and offer guidance to help you thrive on the journey ahead.
I'm Gretchen Knowlton, your host, exploring the policies, programs, and ideas transforming the aging experience. This season, we're diving into what it really means to age well, from staying safe from scams and keeping our minds sharp, to finding purpose and building more age-inclusive communities.
(00:39):
Today, we're tackling an issue that touches nearly everyone today, scams and fraud. Fraud schemes are becoming more sophisticated, more personal, and more costly.
In 2024 alone, more than 71,000 Illinois consumers reported fraud, including identity theft and imposter scams, with losses totaling more than $318 million.
(01:09):
And because so many victims never report what happened, the true impact is likely much greater. To help us understand how these scams work, and how we can protect ourselves, we're joined by Courtney Hedderman, Senior Associate State Director for Advocacy and Outreach at AARP Illinois.
(01:29):
Courtney has become one of Illinois' leading voices on fraud prevention, educating communities across the state, advocating for stronger consumer protections, and helping people recognize and stop scams before they happen.
She's also known by another title—Fraud Fighting Fraudlette—on her regular YouTube series about avoiding scams. Courtney, welcome to The Age Guide.
(01:59):
Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
So glad to have you. First, I'd like to start with your why. Courtney, fraud prevention has become a major focus of your work in recent years. What makes this issue so urgent, and what motivates you personally to do this work?
(02:20):
I think that no matter what someone's age is, where they live, anything, they can be absolutely indirectly or directly affected by frauds and scams.
And I think that's what a little bit drives some of the reason why I like this work and why I want to be in this space. And AARP is absolutely dedicated to this issue all the way from the top down.
(02:51):
Personally, I have known many people who have, you know, been touched by a fraud or a scam and have been a victim. Me, myself, and this is my personal kind of story is, you know, I, not too long ago, I received that text message saying that I owed a toll for, you know, because I was traveling on the tollway.
(03:15):
And I had to click the link to pay my toll. It was just perhaps the most ironic timing that I received that text because my transponder, my car, basically had been faulty.
And I truly thought that was a real text message. And I clicked on the link and I paid the toll. And now I paid ultimately $10. I wasn't, I was not defrauded of millions of dollars or anything like that.
(03:43):
It was $10. So I guess I could swallow that pill to an extent. However, I, I do this work and I absolutely know government does not call or text you or do those things.
And yet I fell for it too. And it was, it was so innocent in so many ways and yet could be very catastrophic. And although again, I did not lose a lot of money. I lost probably more pride than money.
(04:09):
Obviously I realized how quickly, how easily, no matter again, what your age is, what your education is, what your situation is, you can absolutely become a victim no matter what.
So I've certainly had, you know, had that situation for me. And I don't know anybody who probably hasn't done something at one point and it's touched everyone. So I know that we need to be talking about this more and more so people can feel empowered and safe as much as they possibly can.
(04:44):
Yes. Yes. I think that's such an important message that it happens to all of us and it is embarrassing, but it's important that we talk about it. So I appreciate you sharing your story. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that Americans lose billions of dollars to fraud every year with older adults accounting for a really significant share of those losses.
(05:05):
So Courtney, from your perspective, what's driving this dramatic increase in scams and fraud? Has it always been there or is it really, truly increasing?
Both things are true. Fraud has always been there, sadly. But I think the alarming piece to this is the influx, the amount of volume that it's happening and the amount of lost money that's happening every single year over and over again.
(05:32):
I think these criminals are reaching thousands of people more instantly through AI and those artificial intelligence tools through phone calls and text messages and emails and social media and all sorts of things that, I mean, you know, we didn't have maybe 10, 15, 20, 30 years ago, right?
(05:53):
They are doing the volume much more. So think of that AI tool and their calling, right? They might be calling thousands of people at one time or texting or emailing at one time and think about how many people are then replying to that or responding to that.
So these kind of organized, I'll say, for lack of better words, but organized networks using this technology that just didn't even exist that long time ago are making things look very legitimate, very personalized and easier than to deceive people.
(06:27):
And then, of course, what happened is in what we know is just like what you said, the financial losses are rising exponentially. It's incredible. So more sophistication, for sure.
And the scale of these crimes are just so much more.
And it seems like even though all of us are affected by this, there are some specific harms that can be even more devastating for older adults beyond the financial losses. What other impacts have you seen on individuals and families?
(07:01):
It's truly heartbreaking, Gretchen. It's not just, I mean, first of all, anybody loses any money to any sort of fraud or scam is horrendous because, again, most of the time the volume is so much, too, in the sense of how much they're actually receiving or getting.
So the financial losses are more than just my $10, right? I mean, we're talking their lifetime of money that they have saved. So it truly is an extraordinary amount of money that they're then ultimately stealing.
(07:35):
But outside of the actual dollars, which is already a lot, independence. Because, again, if someone is being defrauded of their entire life savings, their independence is shot.
It just is. Their, like, literally long-term financial security is in jeopardy. But I think the stress, the anxiety, the embarrassment, just loss of trust in themselves and then what their family might feel and how then they respond, I think that I've actually seen families really torn apart by someone becoming a victim of a fraud and ascam. And it's all of a sudden it's because, again, it puts into play this loss of really ultimately independence. And then that emotional burden on the individual and the family members who love them and they're trying to recover losses, it just is this snowball effect that is so hard to recover from.
(08:40):
Yes, and I assume that when this happens, sometimes families want to jump in and take some control away from the person who's been, you know, the victim.
And that's a temptation there for children or loved ones to say, okay, mom made this mistake. Maybe we can't trust mom to take care of her finances anymore. Maybe we can't trust mom to drive anymore.
(09:06):
Maybe, you know, mom shouldn't be going to the bank by herself anymore. And just like you said, it can happen to any of us and we don't necessarily risk that loss of autonomy. So it's especially devastating to older adults and how, like you said, the family might respond to that.
Right. A hundred percent. A hundred percent.
That makes it really hard. Now, experts also say that fraud is significantly underreported. Why are so many people reluctant to report a scam? And what would you say to someone who feels embarrassed or ashamed after being victimized?
(09:44):
Yeah. I mean, we've kind of already even touched upon this, just the feelings that people probably have. They're embarrassed. They are. I mean, I was embarrassed that I clicked on the link, you know. I was like, how did I do that?
Why did I do that? You blame yourself. Again, that fear of losing independence ultimately happens. They also, I think a lot of people think that nothing can be done to recover their money.
(10:10):
And I think that's a really large part of being underreported. So they're feeling absolutely horrified and embarrassed and shame. A lot of shame. So much shame. But the thing is, is frauds and scams have nothing to do with about someone's intelligence.
It happens. It absolutely happens. And I think somebody feels so much shame that they are stupid and that they made such a large mistake and the money can never be recovered. So I'm never going to report this.
(10:39):
No one is ever going to know that this happened because I'm so horribly embarrassed. And that is the last thing that should be done. And this is, I don't know any other statistic that could say, shed more light on this.
But like the Federal Trade Commission, you've already made reference to them. Like they, in 2024, they estimated that $2.4 billion were from fraud losses. But they gave another number that is more devastating.
(11:08):
They believe the true number is $80 billion. And when you think about that, that you go from an actual reporting of 2.4, but they actually think it's closer to 80, wow, we are way underreporting.
Right. That means a lot of us are really embarrassed and scared to come forward when it's happening.
(11:30):
100%. And I do think people don't fully understand where they can go to report. I do think that there's some missing information there too. Because when you think about like, oh, I can't call my local police department. Like that's, that, that's if there's like, if that's like a crime, somebody was like breaking into my house or they broke into my car.
They think of that type of crime that when you call the police, not when necessarily you've been defrauded or scammed.
Gretchen (11:57):
Right.
They think of it differently. Crime is considered different in contacting local law enforcement for whatever reason. And I think that part of, part of the process of reporting is who do I report to?
Do I, do I report to my local law enforcement? Do I report to the FBI? And the FBI sounds way scarier than my local law enforcement. Yeah, you know what I mean? This sounds really scary. Right. So, um, you think of all those things.
(12:25):
Well, I can understand. I don't know where I should report because I want to keep it on the down low perhaps too. Right. And if I hit calling the FBI, that sounds way bigger.
Helicopters are going to be flying over my house. Spotlight is on me.
Yeah. Yeah. That's exactly, that's a big, that's uncomfortable. You feel so uncomfortable and very foreign to what your normal experiences would be. So, I think there's a whole host of reasons why people don't report.
(12:54):
It's their own feelings and their own shame and their own embarrassment, but also where do they report and how that, and what's that process like?
Right. And it's probably different depending on what kind of scam. So, we'll circle back to this and talk about what people can do. I want to start giving people some real practical tips here. I know you've got those as a Fraud Fighting Fraudlette.
Courtney (13:17):
Yeah.
What are some of the most common scams targeting, let's focus on Illinois today, targeting Illinois residents right now, and how have those scams evolved over the past few years?
Yeah, sure. Absolutely. Okay. So, the biggest one in Illinois right now today is those imposter scams that you kind of made reference. That means that someone is saying there's someone else to get you to trust them, so then thus you do what they want you to do, right?
(13:47):
Usually giving your information and, of course, sending money. So, think of those imposter scams are like government agencies. They're saying that the IRS is calling, Medicare is calling, the bank is calling, utility company is calling, any of those types of things.
That is the number one scam for us. And I'll give you an example. This was not too long ago, but a woman got a call from what she thought was her banking institution. They had the last four digits of her account number.
(14:17):
They had several other data points. So, it sounded extremely, very legit, extremely authoritative. And they said that she, there was a, like, suspicious activity on her account. And then they asked her this.
They said, we need you to move your money while we investigate. And she moved her money into a cryptocurrency account, a wallet. So, it was ultimately not traceable.
(14:45):
And it was $500,000.
Gretchen (14:49):
Ouch.
So, to say, and that's a very extreme example, obviously, but a true one that we must take note of. They had, they had information on her. They thought, she thought it was absolutely true. Because of that, of course, you're going to automatically, number one, think this is true because they have too much on her.
(15:11):
Two, then they're saying there's something suspicious and she's got to do something. Of course, you're going to think maybe that's true. So, the catch was when they said she needed to move the money. And if she probably, I'm assuming, things back now, oh my gosh, I should have known that that was the red flag.
That was it. Why would I ever need to move my money? They should just freeze my account. They should, you know what I mean? But that is number one, the number one scam. The other ones that I think are very equally important, though, because they are very high on the list, is also tech support scams.
(15:45):
So, someone is saying they're Microsoft or they're Google or, you know, your iPhone is having issues and we need to provide tech support to you. You have clicked on the link. That is not safe.
And we need to get in and fix it. All sorts of types of things. Tech support is another very, very big scam that's going on right now. And then I would say, I mean, there's several other around cryptocurrency specifically that are extremely concerning.
(16:14):
So, when someone is asking for information and they're wanting someone to send money, they're wanting them to do that through investment in cryptocurrency fraud. And so, that's kind of the ruse. And that's super, super scary.
And then there's so many, frankly, but I would say the other one to really take note is around what I would define as romance scams. That's probably the term that people have heard the most. But it doesn't have to be romance.
(16:42):
It could be just that you're talking to someone and you might even start talking to someone that like, even through like a FaceTime or something, you're building a connection with them, they might actually be doing those kinds of conversations with someone for months, months and months.
(17:02):
Wooing you. Wooing that person. They make them feel very comfortable, heard, seen, all that stuff. And then the kicker is they're starting to get more and more information. And then they go for the jugular and ask for money through a gift card, through a wire transfer, through cryptocurrency, from these types of scams.
(17:25):
They are, again, you could say romance, you can say just connection, however you want to define it. But they think they're talking to a real person who is wanting to be their friend or be their romantic partner or whatever. And they are not.
And they are absolutely just trying to get their person's money. Those are the three kind of largest scams going on in Illinois. And there are a whole host of others, including the grandparent scam. And, you know, my grandchild is, you know, in, in jail and, you know, Europe and they, it's, everything is so legit.
(17:55):
And, and yet, you know, so those absolutely still exist. Mail delivery is an issue still. And just straight up identity theft. All those are, they still exist. Interestingly enough, they're further down on the list compared to these kind of imposter scams, romance scams, and those tech support ones.
Obviously, I would certainly say the, you know, again, any government who is saying that you owe something, you know, like, like my example of, of, of, of a toll, but IRS, health care, financial, anything that's saying that they're an entity that you owe money to, it's, it's, it's an, it's an imposter.
(18:34):
Yeah. They're not real.
Wow. So it's almost like these, in the first two examples that you gave, it's the scammers are using the prevalence of scams to scam you because we're all afraid that we're getting scammed.
They're able to tell us we're getting scammed and get us to take some kind of action and then we get scammed. That's
(18:55):
so. Is that not, I mean, I hate to say that like this, but like, is that not the most sophisticated thing a scammer could do? I mean, it really is. This is where, and I know we're going to talk about tips and stuff, but like, this is where you stop and verify, stop and verify.
You cannot go forward and think that someone who's calling or emailing is the real person. And you know what? If it's real, no one will care. No one will care. That
(19:21):
you're stopping and
verify. Stop and you change the direction and you verified.
So it's worth double checking, following up with your banking institution or with the government agency to make sure that it's legit. It's worth taking that time.
Extra step, but take it. It only will help someone in the end.
Yeah. It's so personal. It just feels so personally violating, especially when you talk about like the way they groom people and build that relationship in those romance or relationship scams.
(19:53):
And I think a lot of us just assume that we would never fall for a scam. You know, oh, that's not going to happen to me. I'm smart enough to avoid this. But like you said, these criminals are very skilled at what they do.
And, you know, it's going to be hard for all of us to stay on top of this. So it's important that we continue to have these kinds of discussions. What tactics do scammers use to build that trust and create that urgency and maybe manipulate emotions?
(20:24):
You've given us some kind of broad examples. Do you have any specifics of what we should be watching for?
Yeah. You just nailed it on the head. It's the urgency, the sense of urgency, the sense of fear, the sense of excitement or any emotional connection. That is the number one thing they create. The goal ultimately is to pressure people into acting quickly, like full out acting quickly before they have any time to verify the information.
(20:50):
So they're just working off of adrenaline in the moment. There's a stressful situation presented to them and you have to take action right away if you want to fix this.
That is the number one. If there is a red flag, it's that. Again, they want to put them in an emotional state, whether it's excitement or fear or anything. Emotional state. You are not calm, collected and cool. And then they need them to act immediately because if you don't, right, then you're not going to get scammed, right?
(21:16):
Because you're going to think rationally. You're going to be like, I'm not in an emotional state. This doesn't sound right. This is a scam. Bye-bye. I'm hanging up or I'm not answering that. Um, and if you're somebody who is completely like sucked in and feeling emotionally charged in any way, shape or form, you're not going to stop.
(21:37):
You're not going to stop and verify so that, and, and they don't want you to do that. So they need to keep pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing. Do not hang up. If you don't do this, the police are coming to your house because they're arresting you.
You don't do this right now. You, you know, like it's that fear and that urgency that it hooks people immediately. It really does. And it's a human nature, like we are all human beings.
(22:04):
Yes. Any other red flags that people can watch out for this? So there's the urgency.
Courtney (22:10):
Yeah.
Gretchen (22:10):
The hurry.
So I think requests for immediate payment, again, they're looking for like demanding payment of something, the gift card, the wire transfer, crypto, those kinds of things. The threat of arrest. I think when they're also requesting personal information, passwords and account numbers, their social security number, things like that.
(22:32):
Those are huge warning signs and red flags for sure. And it's, there is that, there's the pressure to keep the situation secret. Like don't tell, don't tell anybody.
Like, cause somebody's like, well, I'm going to call my daughter and talk to them and make sure that this is okay for me to do. And the scammer, the criminal is don't tell your daughter. Oh my gosh, she would be, she, she would think that you're dumb.
(23:00):
She would think that you're, she, they put them in a place of the shame. Like you don't want to verify with your child or your grandchild, or you want to verify period, like, because that's going to make you look bad and you don't want to do that.
You're an independent person. You can handle this yourself. And it puts them in as a place of then keeping the situation private. And I think that's, that's another huge, huge red flag for sure, for sure.
(23:28):
But just pressure to take action of information, give information, immediate payment, um, and, and ultimately keeping it quiet.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. What about, um, the cryptocurrency? Do you think there's ever a time when somebody asking you to put some money toward cryptocurrency is legitimate?
(23:51):
Okay, so let me say this very, uh, kindly, um, cryptocurrency is a legitimate currency. It is a digital currency. And if someone wants to dabble in cryptocurrency and, and really get involved in that, they should, um, in the sense of learning all the, the, the tricks of the trade and the tips and all that stuff.
(24:12):
So not against cryptocurrency.
Okay. Um, however, if someone is asking for payment in cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency, the more likely is it's a scam. Um, if you are making transactions with a person that you do not know nor trust, or it's again, a situation where you've built trust with someone and they're asking for a transfer of dollars into cryptocurrency.
(24:37):
I will, I will put my money where my mouth is, probably 10 out of 10, it's a scam. And the reason why is because it's not as regulated. And once that money has been transferred, it is so hard to trace.
It's so difficult to get back. And so cryptocurrency, you know, you can do cryptocurrency from your home computer. And, and one of the biggest fraudulent things happening in cryptocurrency is these kiosks, these ATM kiosks.
(25:04):
So they just look like ATM machines like we would use for our regular banking. They are in your grocery store, in your gas station. You probably haven't even noticed them, but they're there. They give them a wallet number. That's what it's called, but they're giving them a basically an account number.
And they are then transferring from what, you know, their, their dollars over to this criminal through cryptocurrency kiosks. And it's incredible, but there are around 90 to 95% of those transactions that those kiosks are fraudulent.
(25:37):
Wow.
Um, which is why we are on, uh, the move to ban them and, and, or have them regulated in a bigger way. So people are as safe as possible. Because again, we're not against cryptocurrency.
It's, it's, you can use it and, and, um, buy things, sell things, all sorts of things in a safe way, but you don't necessarily go to an ATM kiosk and where there's mostly fraud happening, um, and, and then give your hard earned money away to a criminal.
(26:08):
Bad news, man. So AARP Illinois, I know has taken a creative approach to fraud education through initiatives like your fraud fighting YouTube series. Um, and, um, the new fraud fighters campaign.
Tell us a little bit about these efforts.
Yeah, sure. Thank you so much. So, you know, AARP nationally has what's called the Fraud Watch Network. Um, and so that's, you know, something that, you know, there are tips and, um, tricks and all sorts of things, prevention, um, that is happening kind of at the national level.
(26:43):
And so people can go to the website, AARP.org/FraudWatchNetwork. We do have a toll free number. So someone actually could ask, like, so say somebody's afraid to call their law enforcement, right?
They're afraid. And they could call the Fraud Watch Network just to talk to somebody and get some advice and referral. And they, and so we have like thousands of calls that come in every single month from people just like that.
(27:09):
And they're like, I think I might've been scammed. Is this a scam? And can you help me? Like, what should I do next? And so that, think of that as a resource for sure. Um, and so that's kind of happening at our national level. What's happening here in Illinois is, is really exciting because yes, we do have a Facebook and YouTube series called the Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes.
(27:29):
It's, it's myself and another, um, AARP Illinois volunteer. Her name is Annetta Works Salley. She's just a delight. She's a diamond dynamo and has, has her own fraud story. And she's a veteran and she has so, um, she brings so much, um, information and expertise to our talk.
But we, we meet at the end of the month, uh, that's the last Monday of every month, um, at 10 a.m. Central. And certainly someone can tune in live or they can certainly watch the recording afterwards. But we even take questions live, which is really fun. Uh, last month we actually, um, we're talking about AI fraud specifically and those kind of deep fakes, those voice pieces, right?
(28:10):
And we had a guest on from the AI safety awareness project. We had so many questions come in last time. So it just shows how much people really want information around AI and how to stay safe and stay away from, you know, the fraud that takes place.
And in addition to our Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes series, um, we, uh, have launched a campaign this year called becoming an Illinois fraud fighter. And it truly is people who want information, who want up-to-date information from a, from trusted resource and resources, and then ultimately having the information to then do something about it.
(28:47):
So part of our efforts isn't just information and education, although that is huge, right? That's a big part of us. The other part is actually advocacy because we know when the rubber hits the road, we need policies.
We need stronger protections. We need these consumer protections that are going to keep us all more safe than we already are. And that's where the advocacy part comes in. So when we're hearing things on our Fraudlettes series, or we're hearing things from when we're out in person or a virtual or whatever, um, we know when the rubber hits the road, what's working and what's not and what's happening.
(29:21):
And so then we can then translate that into real change by advocacy efforts. So for that cryptocurrency kiosk, for example, we passed legislation in 2025 around that for our state, which is the first time crypto and any digital asset has ever been regulated in our state, which is huge.
Wow.
It's not as generous as we hoped. And we want to keep people more safe than they, you know, than they currently are. We know there's fraud still happening around this. And so in 2027, we're going back to the Illinois General Assembly and asking for a full ban of cryptocurrency kiosks, which is really exciting.
(29:55):
So, you know, that's because of the efforts though, when, when we're hearing from people, what is again, working and not working and what's the fraud that's existing. So then we can go and, and try very hard at that advocacy level, at that policy level, at the local state and federal government levels to, to really institute some change.
(30:17):
And that's really, truly the ultimate goal. And so our fraud fighting, you know, our, not just our Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes, our fraud fighters across the state, they get this really cool fraud kit.
It's a red box and it has all sorts of prevention tips in there. They get a fraud fighter pin and, and ultimately they stay connected. And, and I think that's the biggest part. They stay connected with us. They know then what's happening, what they need to be aware of, what they need to then engage in.
(30:48):
Um, and, and that is, um, where we are by the hundreds now, which is really exciting. And we just really kind of launched only a couple of months ago. So, um, for having such a short amount of time out there, we're now having hundreds of people come on, um, as fraud fighters and we will welcome anyone.
So anyone could go to AARP.org/IL and become a fraud fighter, get their fraud fighter kit and stay connected with AARP around this whole issue and would love to have them.
(31:20):
Yeah. Excellent. Good to know all of the things that you're working on and ways that people can get involved. So definitely connecting with AARP. Um, we'll put a link to that webpage in our show notes as well.
What else for listeners who want to better protect themselves and their loved ones, what other practical steps could they take today?
(31:46):
Yep. A hundred percent. So one, stop and verify. I know I said that, but that, that is the biggest one. Stop and verify. Don't send money. Don't provide personal information.
Click links until you independently confirm the request or whatever their, the ask is. Um, so stop and verify is the biggest advice I could ever give, but it's also take your time.
(32:15):
Take a breath. Don't feel the pressure. Don't be pressured into immediate action because that's when trouble happens too. Again, if it's real, then you, then you're fine. You're going to be fine. It's, it's not a problem to take your time and take a breath.
Stop, verify all that. Um, you know, using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication is a really big deal. Um, I know I'm guilty of it too. I have a lot of, I have a lot of passwords, but I tend to keep some of them, you know, the same or very similar.
(32:45):
And, and I haven't always had the, you know, multi-factor authentication, but it's worth doing that. I, I've, I've tried very hard to, to change that.
Courtney, I don't want to do that. Let's talk about passwords. Passwords are the bane of my existence. What do you guys recommend at AARP for people who've got too many passwords?
(33:07):
Okay. So I actually have a little notebook right here.
Okay.
And I have a little section where I've written down my passwords and I keep that at
Gretch (33:15):
pen and paper, Courtney.
Pen and paper, baby. Pen and paper. Okay. But I will say, I know other people, okay, that's my personal preference. Um, but people will use an app. Um, there's apps to keep all of your passwords. It keeps them in one spot.
So you can go to your smartphone, um, and, and use an app that, that helps you keep kind of connected to that. Or again, organized. It's truly the best way. So good old fashioned Pen and paper or use an app would be my, my, my best, uh, my, my best advice for sure.
Gr (33:49):
Thank you, Courtney. I know.
I get it. I get it. Um, but I, I will say, you know, just we have to take extra steps to make sure we're safe and I think we get very guilty of being creatures of habit. And again, I, I'm preaching to my own choir here because we can get very, uh, just a little careless.
(34:10):
And so, you know, monitoring our financial accounts, all of our accounts, whether it's finance or not, but like anything that you have your information within it's monitoring that regularly enough to make sure there's no suspicious activity or things coming in.
Um, that just don't make sense or you're paying for things that don't make sense. And, um, so take the extra steps. It's going to be worth it. And then just please, please, please, everyone report, report when something doesn't feel right or seem right.
(34:41):
And something's occurred. You, not only are you going to ultimately help yourself, you really will help yourself because maybe, maybe you're, there's money lost, it's recoverable, or your identity has been stolen and it needs to be secured, but you're not only helping yourself, you're helping somebody else because then we know what are the scams, what are the things that are going on that will help us communicate to others.
(35:05):
So then we can share the tips, like, don't pick up the phone. Don't like, look, if your bank is calling, don't, don't think that your bank is calling. Why are they calling you? Please stop. Verify that's really your bank calling about something.
You know, like when I use that first example, um, of the woman getting the, the bank calling her and saying that there was suspicious activity, we wouldn't know that if she didn't report that.
Gretchen (35:30):
Right.
So please report if you, and nothing is too small. No amount is too small.
Okay.
We wouldn't have known about those tolls. Those tolls, you know, again, mine was 10 bucks, right?
Yeah.
Um, we wouldn't know that if somebody didn't report that ultimately. So please report. And there, there are people like AgeGuide, AARP, we have resources around this, making sure that people know what those latest frauds and scams are, the tips to stay safe, and ultimately then to report.
(36:01):
And where should they report? You talked about the FBI, you talked about the police, you talked to the AARP also has a phone number to call. What do you recommend as the first step? The,
the, okay, so the very first step is actually calling your local law enforcement and you don't have to call 9-1-1. Um, you can call your, you know, the non-emergency phone number or go into your police station.
(36:23):
Okay.
So, because the reason why is that people can actually do, um, it can, can complete a police report. A police report is part of that evidence.
Okay.
Um, I would also keep, you know, notes, keep the information. Like if you're, if you've exchanged emails with the, um, you know, the imposter, if you have anything that is a receipt of your transactions, any of those types of things, keep all of that stuff, right?
(36:51):
Okay.
Um, but ultimately outside of your local law enforcement, cause they're always ready and, and ready to help and assist. But yes, the FBI, um, the federal trade commission, the better, better business bureau, any of those entities, um, the Illinois secretary of state's office, not just cause of tolls, but they actually have a securities team.
(37:13):
Um, your, the Illinois attorney general's office, all of them have consumer division, um, divisions and they are absolutely taking cases to help people get their money back or their identity back or, you know, all of those types of things.
So any of those entities are perfectly reliable sources to go. Obviously you made reference to AARP, like again, that fraud watch, uh, network, AARP.org/FraudWatchNetwork.
(37:41):
I'll give the phone number as well. If you're okay with that, Gretchen, um, it's 877-908-3360. So again, that's 877-908-3360.
And that's, that's a great resource too, because again, if someone's thinking, well, I think I might have, and I, I just need to talk to someone because this is again, where the embarrassment might come through, um, then they can really help decipher is, is this a fraud or scam?
(38:11):
And here's the steps then to take next. And they're that really diving into, to connecting them to the right place to
go. Okay. So is it important to report, even if you haven't actually gone all the way to getting scammed or victimized, if you come in contact with a scammer and you're pretty sure it's a scammer, is it best to, to call the, the police department?
Courtney (38:34):
Yes.
Gretchen (38:35):
Okay.
Oh my gosh. A hundred percent. Because of one, the fraud or scam can be stopped in the, in its tracks and they might actually be able to catch the individual criminal or criminals in that. So it helps all of us.
It helps them in their tracks. Yes. Oh my goodness. It stops them in its tracks and it really does help maybe then try to get the person caught or individuals caught. That's what we know. Whatever the situation is. So, oh my gosh.
(39:01):
Yes. If you think you're, it's happening as it's happening, call them. Absolutely call them. They will be, they'll be there lickety split. Trust me.
Right. Good.
Courtney (39:11):
Yeah.
For our listeners who are passionate about this issue. And I think a lot of our listeners are, how else can they get involved? What's, what's a good plan for them to get involved in AARP's fraud prevention efforts and become a volunteer fraud fighter?
Oh my gosh. Thank you so much. Yes. We would love to welcome anyone to be an Illinois fraud fighter. And the easiest way is certainly to, to sign up, to get their free kit and stay connected. So that's like the first thing someone could do.
(39:41):
And very easy. Cause that means you're just getting information, right? So AARP.org/IL. In addition, there are so many other opportunities to, to, to really dive into this.
Um, one could be information education, giving out our, you know, brochures, um, around fraud prevention tips or becoming an Illinois fraud fighter, very specific things. Um, so they could absolutely do that.
(40:09):
They want to talk to their elected officials at the local state and federal level. And we have room for that too. And so getting involved in an advocacy way, we have advocacy volunteers who are at home, they're at the comforts of their home and they're calling or emailing their legislator.
Again, whether it's their, you know, local legislator or local elected official all the way to their congressional person. Um, but then there's some people who, uh, are with us and they go to Springfield and we pay for their expenses and they're lobbying, um, at the state Capitol, which I think is so cool.
(40:39):
They go on district visits, um, with our congressional folks and our state folks, our local folks, they're going to those, you know, County board meetings and, and sharing, um, what's happening. And so there's so much room for, I think, um, volunteers and advocacy in that space and we'd welcome anybody and everybody.
We don't have a requirement of, you know, you have to volunteer for 20 hours a week or, you know, have these kinds of stipulations. We will fit you in the right place and where, what you're interested in, what you're passionate about. And obviously we work on more than just frauds and scams.
(41:13):
So, you know, maybe that's what brings you in, but maybe you really like utilities or maybe like caregiving. I mean, there's so many issues. No, there's no, no shortage of issues, right, Gretchen?
Gretchen (41:23):
Right.
So, you know, especially around older adults and things that have to happen for older adults, there's so much room for a lot of different passions and interests. So we welcome everyone and would love to talk to you more.
If anybody's interested in volunteering with us, we'd love to have you.
Something for everyone. Excellent.
Courtney (41:42):
(42:03):
So send me an email. Happy to connect.
Wow, there's your invitation to connect directly with Courtney Hedderman. Excellent. Thank you so much, Courtney, for joining us and sharing this expertise. Fraud can happen to anyone, like you said, but knowledge is one of our best defenses.
(42:23):
So we appreciate the work you're doing to help Illinois residents and all of us stay informed, stay vigilant, and stay protected. To learn more about fraud prevention resources, as Courtney said, the AARP Fraud Watch Network or volunteer opportunities are available at AARP.org/FraudWatchNetwork.
(42:48):
Thank you so much, Courtney.
Thank you so much for having me.
Hello, and welcome to your Medicare Minutes. My name is Val Guzman, and I'm the Benefit Access Supervisor here at AgeGuide. Protecting your Medicare benefits is the best way to prevent Medicare fraud, and it starts with reviewing your statements and speaking up when something doesn't look right.
(43:13):
If you suspect any kind of Medicare fraud, the Senior Medicare Patrol, or SMP, can help. SMP staff help educate beneficiaries about fraud, review Medicare statements for errors or suspicious charges, and assist with reporting potential fraud, scams, or abuse.
(43:34):
They can guide you through the reporting process and connect you with the appropriate agency. To get help, contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol program at 800-699-9043, or visit AgeGuide.org for more information.
(43:54):
Hi, everyone. This is Courtney Hedderman, the Senior Associate State Director for AARP Illinois. Join AgeGuide on September 17th for the Aging Summit, where leaders, advocates, professionals, and community members will come together to explore innovative ideas and solutions for creating more livable, inclusive communities for older adults.
(44:17):
This year's summit will focus on building communities where people can thrive, stay connected, and age with dignity and independence. AARP Illinois is proud to once again serve as a gold sponsor, supporting conversations and collaborations that help make our communities better for everyone.
Learn, connect, and be inspired by AgeGuide's Aging Summit this September, and let's build livable communities to last a lifetime. Visit AgeGuide.org to learn more and register today, as well as AARP.org/IL.
(44:56):
See you in September.
Thank you for joining us on The Age Guide, where we explore the insights, experiences, and practical strategies that help us thrive as we age. To learn more about how AgeGuide Northeastern Illinois is advocating for older adults and caregivers, visit us at AgeGuide.org or call our offices at 630-293-5990.
(45:23):
And if you enjoyed this episode, please share to help others find us. Join us next month for a conversation with Dr. Tanvi Bhatt, a practicing physical therapist and nationally recognized balance recovery researcher on why falls prevention is an important part of aging well.
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