Scammers aren’t just making suspicious phone calls anymore.

In the age of AI, fraudsters are getting more sophisticated by spoofing phone numbers, cloning voices and finding ways to tug at heartstrings, according to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.

She hosted an elder scams town hall at Maricopa City Hall this morning, offering information on types of fraud schemes, how they are evolving and what to do if people believe they have been the victim of a scam.

“We are seeing more and more people throughout the state being targeted by technology-based scams,” Mayes told InMaricopa. “So, we’re out here just trying to let people know about these scams … and collecting information from people who have been scammed.”

About 10% of older adults will experience some kind of exploitation or abuse, according to Mayes. When it comes to elder fraud cases, Arizona has the highest rate in the country: There were approximately 289 cases per 100,000 seniors in 2023 alone, according to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Some of the most common scams affecting seniors include phishing emails, telemarketing scams, voice cloning over the phone and romance scams. Mayes said fraudsters exploit trust through emotional manipulation.

And once people are scammed, it’s nearly impossible to get that money back.

“Once it’s been wired to Nigeria, Russia or some other country, it is really, really hard to trace and really, really hard to get back,” Mayes said. “We want people to know don’t click on that link, don’t take that phone call and do delete that text message. Don’t get sucked in.”

Mayes said red flags among victims can include unexplained changes in behavior or mood, increased secrecy around finances or shifts in spending patterns.

Vice Mayor Vincent Manfredi is familiar with those red flags. He was inspired to invite Mayes to speak after someone close to him fell victim to a scam.

“I had somebody very close to me have $5,000 taken away,” he said. “I saw [Mayes] doing a town hall in Apache Junction, so I thought it would be a good idea.”

Manfredi said he walked away with new information.

“I learned that more people are susceptible to this than I believed. It really comes from knowing somebody who got scammed, but even hearing the questions here, it happens,” Manfredi said.

Mayes said people who suspect scams can contact the attorney general’s office at 602-542-2124, email [email protected] or visit its website.

“I hope people walk away thinking about how they can protect themselves and their loved ones from fraud … the best way to stop fraud is on the front end, through education and to not let it happen to you,” she said.

Editor’s note: Vincent Manfredi owns InMaricopa.