SC seniors lost millions of dollars in scams last year, new data shows. How to protect yourself
Scammers have been around since the dawn of time and are constantly evolving their schemes to take advantage of you and your loved ones.
And it’s working out well for them. Each year, Americans lose more than $100 billion to online scams, according to the Consumer Federation of America, a major advocacy non-profit organization.
Some age groups fall victim to scams more than others, a new study shows.
MADX Digital, an SEO agency, revealed how many older Americans have fallen victim to fraud in each state in 2025, using data from the Federal Trade Commission.
“The variation between states is particularly telling. In some areas, scams are more frequent but involve relatively small sums, while in others they are less common but far more financially severe,” said Toni Koraza, the founder of MADX Digital, in a news release. “That points to very different fraud ecosystems at play, which matters when it comes to prevention and awareness strategies.”
Here’s how much money seniors in South Carolina lost to scams last year:
SC scam statistics
Out of all the nation’s states, SC ranks 20th for senior fraud losses, sitting slightly above the national middle. The Palmetto State saw 7,524 reports of fraud throughout the year and total losses of around $41 million for seniors over age 60.
Not every scam comes with losing a significant amount of money, however. Just over one-quarter of reports resulted in financial loss, with a typical loss per victim of $1,233.
Losses in SC are noticeably lower than in North Carolina, where scams tend to hit harder financially, but higher than in Georgia, where individual losses are more contained.
The scams costing older Americans the most
Scams don’t come in one shape or form, as there are plenty of ways to take someone’s hard-earned cash. These are the types of scams that take in the most money from seniors:
- #1. Misc. investments & advice: $1.04 billion lost
- #2. Government imposters: $447.4 million lost
- #3. Business imposters: $421.6 million lost
- #4. Romance scams: $384.1 million lost
- #5. Prizes, sweepstakes & lotteries: $143.1 million lost
- #6. Tech support scams: $126.0 million lost
- #7. Online shopping: $59.4 million lost
- #8. Job scams & employment: $55.9 million lost
- #9. Family & friend imposters: $37.5 million lost
- #10. Fake check scams: $8.4 million lost
- #11. Phone, devices & services: $4.7 million lost
How to identify scams
Even if scammers are creating new tricks to take your money, some fundamentals can help you fight off fraud. The FTC recommends everyone follow these tips to avoid getting scammed:
- Don’t move money to “protect it.” Never transfer or send money to anyone, no matter who they say they are, in response to an unexpected call or message
- Hang up and verify. If you are contacted by someone claiming to be from a government agency or business, contact the company or agency using a phone number or website you know is real. Don’t trust the phone number or name they provide
- Block unwanted calls. Learn about call blocking options to stop many of these scammers before they reach you