AI Scammers Steal $7.7 Billion From Older Americans Using Family Chats and Data Brokers
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 20
AI Scammers Steal $7.7 Billion From Older Americans Using Family Chats and Data Brokers
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 20
Summary
$7.7 billion in losses were reported by Americans 60 and older to the FBI in 2025, as AI-driven scammers used family chat details and data-broker records to make impersonation calls and phishing messages believable.
72% of elder-fraud cases in 2024 were enabled by personal data available online, accounting for $4.2 billion in losses, while criminals could clone voices from short audio clips and mimic brands with fake websites.
WhatsApp verification-code tricks, Messenger hijacks and SIM swaps can also put scammers inside family chats, letting them message relatives directly while posing as a trusted family member.
Google says the threat is rising from organized operators, including groups tied to China, and recommends two-step verification, never forwarding login codes, using family codewords and limiting data exposed on broker sites.