FBI sounds alarm as elderly Kentucky residents continue to lose millions of dollars to online scams

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The elderly in Kentucky were bilked out of nearly $13 million in 2023 — just about the same amount of money seniors have already lost in 2024, with the year less than halfway over.

That's why the FBI is focused on putting a stop to it before more people lose their hard-earned money.

People like Patti Kaster, who was wiped out after she was tricked into believing she was dealing with her bank as she liquidated all of her assets.

"It was horrible," Kaster said, after sharing how she lost $1.7 million last year.

"I lost everything, absolutely everything," the 75-year-old told WDRB.

The con artists managed to convince her that she was dealing with someone from Stock Yards Bank as part of an investigation into fraudulent Amazon orders. She even sold her home.

"I just can't believe I was so naïve," she said.

Kaster is one of thousands of elderly people in Kentucky who were victimized by scammers to the tune of $12.8 million in 2023, according to data from the FBI. That same data indicates elderly Kentuckians have already lost $12.7 million this year.

FBI Louisville Supervisory Special Agent Kirstin Passmore said that money represents people's life savings.

"It's really, truly heart-wrenching to be talking to the victims and learn how it has impacted their daily life," Passmore said. "Many of these victims are losing their entire life savings to someone that they thought they were in love with, and thought they knew who the person was."

Passmore offers some advice to make sure you or your loved one doesn't fall for one of these scams:

Never click a link from someone you don't know.
Review your financial statements for anything suspicious.
Shred anything that has your personal information.
If you get an email from someone claiming to be from a government agency, verify that the email address is legitimate.

Kaster had been convinced she was getting emails from the Federal Trade Commission, but after she checked, she realized it was from a Gmail account. By then, it was too late.

Passmore said not to make another move if you see red flags.

"If you are being contacted by people, and you don't know who they are and things start to look a little bit off, take a breath," Passmore said. "Call someone, call a family member, call the FBI, and we will look at the information and work it through with you."

Passmore said not to be embarrassed if you fall victim because it can happen to anyone. The most important thing, she said, is to report the fraud.

To report fraud to the FBI, click here.

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