Go ahead, raise your hand if you’ve ever been scammed. Have you been the victim of a fake bank alert or a fraudulent Venmo exchange? Did you ever purchase last-minute concert tickets that didn’t exist? You aren’t the only one. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, scammers took more than $1.6 billion from victims through the first five months of 2024 alone, an increase of more than 20% from the same time period in 2023. Sadly, the actual numbers are much higher than that.

“Scams are underreported,” says Nichole Lighthall, director of UCF’s Adult Development and Decision Lab. “People are reluctant to admit being victimized.”

Lighthall sees the reluctance whenever she asks students in her classes if they’ve been scammed. A few hands slowly go up. Then she rephrases the question: Have you ever purchased anything online that wasn’t as promised?

“Virtually every hand goes up,” she says.

It’s the same kind of response when she goes into greater Orlando, sharing research findings and advice with older adults living in senior communities. How many of you have been scammed? A few hands go up. How many of you know a social peer who’s been scammed? Every hand goes up.

“It can be as little as $50 to a situation that’s financially catastrophic.”

Lighthall has dedicated her career to the subject of aging and how it affects decision making in optimal aging and vulnerable older adults. Lately, her research has been driven by a desire to prevent older people from losing their assets to scammers whose tactics have become relentless:

Mrs. Jones, this is the government. You’re required to supply the following information or you’ll face a significant penalty.

Mr. Butler, you have a package at the warehouse, please respond to claim it.

Hello Maggie, call us immediately. Someone is trying to use your bank credentials.

Hi Grandma! I need your help!

“Most older people know this is a problem,” Lighthall says, “but they don’t feel empowered to do anything about it.”

This is exactly what her research provides them — empowerment and solutions. She creates a cycle of knowledge by bringing findings from the Adult Development and Decision Lab to people in the community and by bringing people from the community into the lab.

“We build trust by going to them and providing valuable information before asking them to share their own input with us. They’re excited to know they can play a role in solving this problem.”

Lighthall’s own interest in the topic started, of all places, in a history class. It was supposed to be a general ed requirement toward a degree in psychology. But in that class, she learned a fresh perspective on how various cultures have historically treated older people, which pricked her conscious.

“I started doing research on aging when I was 19 years old,” she says, “and I haven’t stopped.”

In 2015 Lighthall came to UCF and launched the Adult Development and Decision Lab. Earlier this year she earned a Research Incentive Award for providing much-needed contributions to her area of study.

“This research is important to a lot of agencies,” she says, referring to grants her lab received from the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, and Florida Department of Health. Her research group also has partnerships with stakeholders in the aging community. “The partnerships reflect how urgent it is to find answers.”

Today, she leads a group of 35 undergraduates, post-baccalaureates, PhD students, and staff. All of them first came to the lab out of curiosity. Many, like her, have found their own purpose.

“We all need to be in this together, every age, gender, and ethnicity,” Lighthall says, “so we can stop the scamming of older adults from getting worse.”

Why has there been such a rapid rise in scams?
Nichole Lighthall: Opportunism. It’s cheaper and easier than ever for scammers. People still go door to door, but now a scammer can send 10 texts and 10 robo-calls to increase the likelihood of a response. It only takes one lapse in judgment for a person to make a life-changing mistake.

Which types of scams are most concerning?
NL: The AI-generated scam modalities are especially alarming. One method being used a lot is the AI-generated audio message that sounds close enough to a family member, like, “Hi Grandma, guess who this is?” Then the deception goes from there.

What makes older people more vulnerable to scams?
NL: Actually, I’m not 100% convinced that older people as a general group are more vulnerable. At this point, we haven’t found evidence that age itself is a primary risk factor for deception vulnerability in the real world. College-age students fall for many of the same scam tactics as older adults. There are, however, factors that are associated with age, like cognitive capacity — as well as factors like emotional state, distractions, being tired — that affect decision-making and might interact with older age to impact deception vulnerability.

If older people aren’t necessarily more vulnerable to scams, then why are they targeted?
NL: They typically have more assets. Scammers often target older adults to steal money from their retirement accounts, social security benefits, military benefits, savings accounts, and pension payments. Social isolation among older adults is another factor that can put them at increased risk of scam targeting.

How do we treat older people differently in the U.S.?
NL: Intergenerational living arrangements are less common here than in other cultures. When I go out to meet with seniors, many of them live alone or with a spouse. This leads to social isolation and loneliness, which makes any person more likely to be the unsuspecting victim of a scam.

And now we have billions of dollars in losses.
NL: It’s more than the loss of money. This affects all of us. However, over time, we all aggregate heuristics, or “rules of thumb” to guide our decision-making. It takes a lifetime to develop heuristics into what we call “wisdom,” which can help protect them from scams. I keep this in mind with our research: we can learn as much, or more, from older adults as they learn from us. We’re making progress, but we need more participation, especially from the Hispanic community.

Why do you need more Hispanic people to come to your lab?
NL: Some research has indicated that older Hispanic people are at elevated risk of being scammed, but we aren’t sure why. The only way to find out is through more sharing of knowledge in our lab. I want everyone to know we call it a lab, but this isn’t medicine. There’s nothing invasive. We provide transportation and a comfortable place for older adults to complete our studies. Anyone who comes will help us take steps toward reducing the success rate of scams.

Based off your research, what advice do give older people to avoid becoming the next scam victim?
NL: This is what I’d share:

1. We all need to be responsible. Stay connected to the older people in your lives. They’re our friends, neighbors, and relatives. Check in on them often. They could be scammed and not realize it if they aren’t connected with a trusted social network.
2. Slow down. Most scams have urgency to them. They make you believe you or someone you know will be in big trouble unless you act now. Think with a clear head. Write down what is said and talk with a friend or family member about it.
3. Hang up and call back a verified number. If someone claims to be a bank or a family member calling from someone else’s phone, never call the number they provide. Look up the actual number in your contact list or on the bank’s website.
4. Learn digital technology. If you aren’t very active online or with apps, it could mean you aren’t proficient when a scam attempt hits. Take a course on digital technology or ask friends to show you how to use it. The more comfortable you are, the more likely you can discern a scam.
5. Take care of overall health. Our brains can only protect us from exploitation if we’re exercising, sleeping well, and eating properly.
6. Be aware of sudden changes to life situations. People who experience a financial setback can become vulnerable to the allure of scams. The need for money is elevated, which impacts how we weigh potential gains versus losses. So again, this is a tip for all of us. Be present. Share wisdom. Save each other from the pain of making a big mistake.

How can people participate in your study or support your research?
NL: They can contact our lab directly at lighthall.lab@ucf.edu or by phone at 407-823-2311. Or check out our participant registry, which is call the UCF Learning and Longevity Research Network at: sciences.ucf.edu/psychology/llrn