Piast Institute Helps Older Adults Protect Themselves from Medicare Fraud and Financial Scams Through Community Education

HAMTRAMCK, MI. — As financial scams targeting older adults continue to increase across the United States, the Piast Institute is helping local seniors protect themselves through free educational presentations focused on Medicare fraud prevention, identity theft, financial scams, and emerging cyber threats.

Over the past several months, the Piast Institute has hosted fraud prevention workshops for older adults throughout the community, providing practical tools to recognize scams, safeguard personal information, and report suspicious activity. These educational sessions brought together seniors to learn about today's most common fraud schemes while fostering social engagement through interactive discussions and community activities.

The need for this education has never been greater. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Report, adults age 60 and older reported $7.748 billion in losses from 201,266 complaints in 2025—a 59% increase in reported losses compared to the previous year. The report underscores the growing financial impact of fraud on older Americans.

"Education is one of the most effective tools we have to prevent fraud before it happens," said Malgorzata Tulecki, Executive Vice President of the Piast Institute. "Scammers are constantly changing their tactics, using phone calls, emails, text messages, artificial intelligence, and social media to target victims. By teaching people how to recognize these scams and respond appropriately, we can help protect their financial security and independence."

During the workshops, participants learned how to identify and avoid a wide range of scams, including:

• Medicare, Social Security, and IRS impersonation scams
• Technology support scams
• Investment and retirement fraud
• Grandparent scams
• Identity theft and check fraud
• Funeral scams
• AI-generated phishing attempts
• Social media and online marketplace scams
• 
  

Attendees also learned to recognize common warning signs of fraud, including unsolicited calls demanding immediate action, requests for payment using gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers, pressure to keep financial transactions secret, and offers that seem too good to be true.

The presentations emphasized practical steps everyone can take to reduce their risk, including verifying the identity of callers by contacting organizations directly, never sharing personal or Medicare information with unsolicited callers, using strong passwords and multifactor authentication for online accounts, and consulting trusted family members or financial professionals before making significant financial decisions.

Because many fraud victims never report scams due to embarrassment, fear, or uncertainty about where to turn, experts believe the true financial impact of fraud is significantly higher than official reports indicate. This makes public education and awareness essential components of fraud prevention.

Although older adults often experience the greatest financial losses, fraud affects people of every generation. The Piast Institute encourages individuals and families to stay informed, discuss common scams with loved ones, and remain vigilant against evolving fraud tactics.

These educational presentations reflect the Piast Institute's ongoing commitment to improving the health, financial well-being, and quality of life of the communities it serves. By partnering with local organizations and bringing trusted information directly to residents, the Institute continues to empower individuals with the knowledge and confidence needed to protect themselves from fraud and financial exploitation.

About the Piast InstituteThe Piast Institute is a national nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to serving communities through research, education, outreach, and public service. Through its health education, prevention, and community engagement initiatives, the Institute works to improve quality of life, promote healthy aging, and connect individuals and families with trusted resources that strengthen communities.

Visit online at www.PiastInstitute.org for more information.

Please note that the Hamtramck Drug Free Community Coalition (HDFCC) is a project of the Piast Institute.