On April 11, 2026, three students from Cornell Law School’s Securities Law Clinic delivered a presentation on investment fraud scams to residents at Longview Senior Living Community, a local retirement home in Ithaca. Under the leadership of Clinic Director William Jacobson, Tom Zhang ’27, Olivia Hussey ’27, and Mohammad Kamal ’27 discussed and answered questions about a variety of financial scams, their warning signs, and strategies to avoid them.

The clinic students began with an overview of common investment scams, highlighting the techniques scammers use to defraud people. Then they went over key warning signs and practical strategies for avoiding fraud, illustrated with real examples of how scammers use social media, and gave a brief introduction to using Broker Check, a free tool provided by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The presentation concluded with an overview of how cryptocurrency works and case studies of some high-profile cryptocurrency scams.

Investment scams are one of the most insidious forms of fraud in the United States. In 2025 alone, scams caused $7.9 billion of investor losses, with a median loss of over $9,000 per victim. Senior citizens are particularly at risk, with individuals over the age of 60 reporting four times more fraud losses than young adults. Seniors are more likely to be fraud victims because they often have less familiarity with technology, greater cognitive decline, and more limited social interactions. The students discussed rapport-building techniques used by scammers, such as affinity-based appeals, that create a false sense of shared identity and can be particularly effective with seniors, who may be more vulnerable due to higher levels of social isolation.

Familiarity with technology has become an essential safeguard for seniors, as social media is now the primary channel that scammers use to target them. The students highlighted how scammers use online platforms in increasingly sophisticated and covert ways. Audience members asked questions about emerging tactics, including the use of artificial intelligence.

Since 2008, the Securities Law Clinic has been helping bridge the gap in legal services available to seniors and retirees in upstate New York, many of whom have been defrauded or sold unsuitable financial products. Students in the clinic participate in live client work, which involves conducting client interviews and discovery, drafting legal documents, and representing clients at settlement negotiations and hearings with attorney supervision. Students also participate in community educations efforts, such as the Longview presentation.