The leaders of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging released a comprehensive report Wednesday detailing both the escalating threat of artificial intelligence financial scams and the potential healthcare benefits the technology offers older Americans.
The publication of the report, titled “Artificial Intelligence & Older Americans: Confronting New Threats, Unlocking New Opportunities,” coincided with a committee hearing focused on how deepfakes, chatbots, and voice-cloning tools are reshaping senior fraud.
Data cited in the report shows that Americans reported nearly $21 billion in cybercrime losses in 2025, with $893 million directly tied to AI-enabled scams across more than 22,000 individual complaints.
Additionally, the report found that more than 82 percent of phishing emails are now created with the assistance of AI.
“Scams have advanced far beyond annoying phone calls and deceiving emails,” said Chairman Rick Scott. “Highly sophisticated criminal organizations are taking advantage of people’s love for their family members and using AI to clone their voices and bilk older Americans out of their savings. This is evil. As Chairman, I am committed to using every resource necessary to safeguard our seniors from these threats and ensure law enforcement has every tool available to go after fraudsters.”
Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand noted that while AI makes it easier for bad actors to clone voices and fabricate images, the technology also offers promising tools to assist aging populations.
“This report serves as a roadmap for how we can protect our seniors and vulnerable populations as AI rapidly develops,” Gillibrand said. “By making it easier for bad actors to clone voices, fabricate images, and deceive targets, AI has facilitated an alarming rise in financial scams that rob our seniors of their hard-earned savings and personal information. However, AI can also be used to catch scammers, stop falls, and prevent loneliness.”
On the health and social front, the report revealed that older Americans using AI companion devices experienced a 95 percent drop in feelings of loneliness alongside improvements in overall well-being. Findings also pointed to AI’s potential to reduce preventable adverse drug reactions, lower hospitalization costs, and improve the management of multiple chronic health conditions.
The report builds on previous legislative efforts by the committee. In July 2025, Scott and Gillibrand published an annual fraud report detailing emerging AI schemes and joined Sen. Katie Britt in introducing the Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception (GUARD) Act to provide specialized training for state and local law enforcement.
More recently, in June 2026, Scott introduced the ReportScams.Gov Act aimed at creating a centralized online hub where victims can report fraud and receive assistance.
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