Every day thousands of elderly people across the UK receive phone calls from fraudsters who know their name, their address and sometimes even the names of their neighbours. This is not a coincidence — it is the result of a multi-billion pound industry that legally sells personal information to anyone willing to pay.
If you have an elderly parent, grandparent or relative you are worried about, this guide will explain exactly what is happening, why they are being targeted and what you can do right now to protect them.
Fraudsters target elderly people for several reasons. They are statistically more likely to be home during the day, more likely to be polite to callers, more likely to trust authority figures and in many cases more likely to have savings to steal.
But the most important reason is data. Elderly people's home addresses, phone numbers and daily routines are often more extensively listed in public records — electoral rolls, phone directories and data broker websites — than younger people who are more cautious about their digital footprint.
Data broker websites collect this information from public sources and sell it to anyone willing to pay. A fraudster can purchase a list of elderly people living alone in a specific postcode for just a few pounds. They then call each number with a convincing script, knowing the personal details that make them seem legitimate.
A caller claims to be from your relative's bank. They know their name, sometimes their address and possibly their account number. They say the account has been compromised and ask them to transfer money to a safe account or hand over their card to a courier.
A robocall or live caller claims to be from HMRC saying there is a warrant for your relative's arrest due to unpaid tax. They demand immediate payment by bank transfer or gift cards to avoid police attendance.
HMRC will never call threatening arrest or demanding immediate payment over the phone. This is always a scam.
Fraudsters create fake online profiles and spend weeks or months building a relationship with elderly people who may be lonely or recently bereaved. Once trust is established they ask for money — often for an emergency such as a medical bill or travel costs.
UK victims lost £92 million to romance fraud last year. Many victims are too embarrassed to report it. If you notice your elderly relative becoming secretive about a new online friend or sending money overseas please act immediately.
Criminals use publicly available home addresses to visit elderly people at home offering fake services — roof repairs, driveway resurfacing, gardening — at very low prices. They then demand large sums of cash on completion for work that is often unnecessary or deliberately poor.
A pop-up appears on their computer or they receive a call claiming to be from Microsoft or BT saying their computer has a virus. The caller asks for remote access to fix it — then uses that access to steal banking details or install malware.
The journey from your relative's private information to a fraudster's call list typically works like this:
Their details — name, address, phone number — appear in public records such as the electoral roll, phone directories and company registration documents. Data broker companies scrape these sources automatically and build detailed profiles on millions of UK residents. They then sell access to these profiles to marketers, businesses and unfortunately criminals.
If you discover your elderly relative has been targeted by a scammer act immediately:
1. Contact their bank immediately — Call the fraud number on the back of their bank card. Ask them to freeze the account and reverse any transactions if possible. UK banks are required to reimburse victims of authorised push payment fraud in many cases.
2. Report to Report Fraud — Call 0300 123 2040 or visit reportfraud.police.uk. You will receive a crime reference number.
3. Do not tell them off — Elderly fraud victims often feel deeply ashamed. Reassure them that this happens to many intelligent people and that it is entirely the criminal's fault.
4. Remove their data from broker sites — After a fraud the victim's data is often shared further within criminal networks. Removing it from data broker sites is more urgent than ever.
The most effective long term protection is removing your elderly relative's personal data from the data broker sites that fraudsters use to find their targets. Once their address and phone number are removed from these sites the number of targeted calls they receive drops significantly.
Silent Erase Guardian plan (£19.99/month) lets you protect up to 5 family members — monitoring their data across 500+ sites, checking the dark web for their information and sending instant alerts if anything is found. You manage everything from one dashboard so you always know they are protected.
Run a free scan and start protecting your elderly relatives from data broker targeting
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