Article by Gwen Jones, Department of Family Services
(Posted 2026 August)
Finding out you’ve been scammed can bring up a lot of feelings. You might feel angry at the scammer, scared about losing money, or worried it could happen again. Many people also feel ashamed or embarrassed, so they don’t tell the police or even their family. But the truth is, scams can happen to anyone. That’s why it’s important to support victims and encourage them to speak up without fear of being judged.
Bruce, a long-time Fairfax County resident, enjoyed a long and successful career. It included working as the director of research at the U.S. Small Business Administration and teaching classes at Georgetown University, the University of Maryland, and Marymount University. After he retired, he stayed up to date on news and technology. Because of this, he didn’t worry much about scams, saying, “I was generally aware and liked to think that I watched things pretty carefully but obviously not carefully enough.” At age 79, Bruce became the victim of a scam.
The scam started with an email that looked like it came from his bank. The email warned him about possible fraudulent activitity in his account. After that, he got a phone call from someone who said he worked for the bank. The caller ID on Bruce’s phone even showed the bank’s name, so he believed the caller. Later, Bruce learned that the caller had “spoofed” the number. Spoofing means someone changes the phone number that shows up on your caller ID so it looks like it’s from a trusted place when it’s really not.
Posing as a bank employee, the scammer told Bruce that he needed to monitor Bruce’s account for fraudulent activities. “Somehow in the conversation it came up that I also had an account with a local credit union, and he asked me for the (account) number, and I asked why he needed it. He said just for emergencies,” Bruce recalls. Because Bruce trusted that the man was from his bank, he gave him information about his credit union account. The man called often after that, checking in and telling Bruce he was still watching the bank account. That account balance stayed the same. But soon, money started disappearing from Bruce’s credit union account. “It started with small amounts that got bigger. It was used for everything from high end shoes to Uber rides to department store charges. It amounted to a total of about $6200 in five days,” Bruce recalls.
When Bruce realized he had been scammed, he made an appointment at his credit union. He brought a list of all the charges that weren’t his and went over them with a staff member. The credit union also gave him a new debit card so the scammer could no longer get into his account. “Miraculously, as far as I was concerned, they returned all the money. Almost without any questions asked,” Bruce says.
Bruce also filed a report with the police, but no action was taken. “They said they get a lot of them and it’s terrible, but they only pick a handful and if I don’t hear from them within three weeks, it means they weren’t going to do anything. I never heard another word.” For a short time, the scammer kept trying to contact Bruce, but his calls and emails stopped when Bruce ignored them.
Even though the scam only went on for a few weeks and his money was returned, the experience has stayed with Bruce. “I told my wife and daughter but that was about all. I was kind of embarrassed to be honest. I’ve got all this education and all this experience, and I didn’t catch it right away,” he says. In the months after, he checked his accounts often, worried that the scammer might get in again. Now he doesn’t answer calls from numbers he doesn’t know and deletes emails that look like sales or offers.
Bruce’s advice to others is to be careful with emails, phone calls and text messages, even if they look real and the person seems kind and polite. Speaking about the man who scammed him, Bruce says, “He was always friendly, always polite. He asked how my family was, this and that. He was quite good at what he did. I think that’s part of what they do. They try to establish a personal relationship first while they’re stealing your money.” He also warns people not to blame victims of scams, saying, “They cross education levels, income levels. You think because you went to school and got three degrees it makes big difference. But it doesn’t.”
Fairfax County’s Silver Shield Anti-Scam Program works to protect older adults, people with disabilities, and family caregivers from scams and fraud.
You can now sign up to receive scam alerts!
Go to bit.ly/FFXAlerts. If you are not an existing user, register for Fairfax Alerts. To subscribe, choose Area Agency on Aging then select Silver Shield - Scam and Fraud Information.
This article is part of the Golden Gazette monthly newsletter which covers a variety of topics and community news concerning older adults and caregivers in Fairfax County. Are you new to the Golden Gazette? Don’t miss out on future newsletters! Subscribe to get the electronic or free printed version mailed to you. Have a suggestion for a topic? Share it in an email or call 703-324-GOLD (4653).