Tennessee seniors reported roughly $108 million in scam losses in 2025, with about 3,525 residents aged 60 or older affected and an average loss topping $30,600. The financial hit has landed hardest in the state’s biggest cities, especially Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, where investment pitches, fake tech support and romance cons are zeroing in on older adults. Families, banks and local agencies say the sheer scale and sophistication of the schemes are making both prevention and recovery feel like a race they are constantly running behind on.
Those losses line up with federal complaint data. The Internet Crime Complaint Center’s elder fraud figures show Tennessee saw a sharp jump in both victims and dollars lost last year, with a 39% increase in the number of victims and a 75% surge in total losses from 2024 to 2025. According to FBI IC3, older adults nationwide filed more than 200,000 complaints last year, and losses among the 60+ group rose sharply.
Investment, crypto and long-form cons are leading the rise
A state breakdown shows investment scams as the single biggest driver of losses. Investment-related complaints in Tennessee jumped from roughly $17.1 million in 2024 to about $51.6 million in 2025, a leap that has fraud investigators wincing. Tech-support, lottery and sweepstakes schemes, and romance scams also increased, as criminals leaned on cryptocurrency channels and high-pressure relationship plays to move money quickly out of reach.
Those crime-type totals and trends are compiled and summarized by the nonprofit Human Cybersecurity Knowledge for Seniors using IC3 data. According to Human Cybersecurity Knowledge for Seniors, attackers are increasingly using long, personalized grooming tactics, sometimes called “pig butchering,” to coax seniors into making large transfers that can drain retirement savings in a single run.
Where the problem is concentrated
Local reporting and state-level numbers both single out Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville as the three Tennessee cities with the highest counts of elder-fraud reports. A recent local story cited the HCSK analysis and warned that “scams in these cities are escalating rapidly,” piling extra stress on family caregivers, bank fraud teams and law enforcement. For details on the local breakdown and the original roundup, see WSMV.
How to report scams in Tennessee
If you or an older loved one has lost money, officials say to start close to home. File a report with local police, then submit an online complaint so federal teams can spot patterns across cases.
Metro Nashville residents can contact the MNPD Fraud Unit at 615-862-8600; Nashville.gov lists the Fraud Unit as the reporting contact. In Memphis, call the non-emergency line at 901-545-2677 to reach the Economic Crimes Bureau, according to the Memphis Police, and in Knoxville call 865-215-7000 for the Knoxville Police Department.
For statewide and federal help you can contact the FBI Memphis Field Office at 901-747-4300 or submit an online complaint to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs also accepts consumer fraud complaints at 615-741-4737 or 1-800-342-8385, and suspected elder abuse or exploitation can be reported to Adult Protective Services at reportadultabuse.dhs.tn.gov or by calling 1-888-277-8366. For Medicare billing and coverage scams, Tennessee’s Senior Medicare Patrol can help at 1-866-836-7677.
Protecting older relatives: quick steps
Experts say to treat any sudden demand for payment as a flashing red light. Pause before following “urgent” instructions, never send money via gift cards or cryptocurrency, and call your bank immediately if funds have already moved. Keep a short list of trusted contacts so a senior can check suspicious calls or texts with a family member before acting, and consider credit freezes and fraud alerts if identity theft is on the table.
For plain-language guides and checklists tailored to older adults, see the resources assembled by Human Cybersecurity Knowledge for Seniors.
Legal and enforcement angle
Tennessee law requires anyone who suspects abuse, neglect or exploitation of an older or vulnerable adult to report it, and state agencies and prosecutors can pursue both criminal and civil remedies. The state’s elder-abuse resources outline reporting routes and the penalties for exploitation, and investigators say timely reporting gives law enforcement the best chance to freeze transfers and claw back funds before they disappear overseas or into shell accounts.
According to the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance, early reporting is critical to both criminal investigations and victim recovery.
The recent jump in elder fraud is a blunt reminder that scammers are evolving faster than many education campaigns. If you suspect a scam, document call times, save screenshots and reach out to the local fraud investigators listed above. Every report helps build the pattern investigators need to shut down schemes and warn the next potential victim before the money vanishes.
