QuickTake:

Fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and older people are particularly at risk — and often lose more than younger victims.

Scams continue to target Oregon residents — and older adults are particularly at risk from increasingly sophisticated schemes.

That’s why AARP Oregon sponsors a “Fraud Fighter” forum series, with a free session scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to noon April 11 at the PeaceHealth RiverBend Annex, 123 International Way, Springfield.

Only a few seats remain, and registration is required.

The event will cover common scam types, emotional manipulation tactics and emerging fraud trends — including the use of artificial intelligence. The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation recently reported that scammers are using AI-generated voice cloning to impersonate family members and trusted organizations, making imposter scams more convincing than ever.

AARP officials said Oregon consumers reported $144 million in fraud losses during 2024, a 276% increase from 2020, according to the FBI.

Older residents face disproportionate harm from scammers. AARP officials said Oregonians 80 and older who were victimized by fraud in 2024 lost an average of $5,314, compared with $958 among those aged 20 to 29.

Scammers are always on the hunt for new victims. Last week, a scam on Facebook invited people over 50 to click on a link to learn about a Habitat for Humanity program to replace windows for free. 

The problem with that, said Annie Leadingham, the director of development and marketing for Habitat for Humanity of Central Lane, is that the program doesn’t exist, although it sounds similar to services that Habitat for Humanity chapters do provide. The post is part of a nationwide scam that apparently is fishing for personal information that can be used for identity theft.

In another recent scam attempt, a spokesperson for the Eugene Police Department said a department employee received a text message purporting to be from an urgent care provider regarding a co-payment. The employee confirmed that no family member had used an urgent care provider and didn’t fall for the scam.

Law enforcement and other fraud experts offer these tips to avoid falling victim to a scam:

  • If you receive a phone call and recognize that the call is a scam, hang up immediately. Scammers try to keep their victims on the phone as long as possible. Call the Eugene Police Department’s nonemergency line, 541-682-5111, to report the scam.
  • If a caller or texter asks for cash, gift cards, credit card numbers, passwords or other personal information, refuse the request. Check with the police or a legitimate business or bank rather than responding right away. Scammers typically will try to build a false sense of urgency.
  • If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Mike McInally is a Pacific Northwest journalist with four decades of experience in Oregon and Montana, including stints as editor of the Corvallis Gazette-Times and the Albany Democrat-Herald.