AI-Enhanced Scams: The New Frontier of Elder Exploitation

Student: Nayeli Nuno-Ledezma

Faculty Mentor: Bryan Burton

Criminology & Criminal Justice Studies

College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts

Senior citizens, a growing demographic of our nation's population, are disproportionately targeted and victimized by scammers and fraudsters. Factors such as cognitive decline, limited digital literacy, and social isolation make seniors particularly vulnerable. Now, an increasing number of these schemes are taking place online. Technology expands the opportunities for crime to exist and rapidly spread on a large scale. Technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly advancing, leaving many of us behind in our understanding of them, including senior citizens. This project will examine how advancements in artificial intelligence have enhanced existing scams and fraud schemes that target the elderly population. Public access to generative AI tools has increased, allowing scammers and bad actors to utilize these new tools for their crimes. Scammers have created deepfake images, videos, and even phone calls to employ in their scams. These AI deepfakes are an emerging trend in crime. This project will explore how AI advancements have enhanced scams targeting the elderly by conducting a literature review, expert interviews, and analyzing case studies and government reports. The findings will provide the Senior Advocacy Services of Sonoma County with the resources they need to produce updated educational materials and workshops. These educational resources will empower seniors and their families to recognize and protect themselves and each other from AI-enhanced scams.